Jo Bower's Blog

​May God Bless your Thanksgiving season.

Psalm 133

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! It is like precious oil poured
on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down onthe collar of his robe. It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore.

 In our society the idea of having oil poured over our head until it runs down on the beard, and drips onto our collar nearly makes one shudder. Of course we’re talking about anointing, which was a common ritual at the time this scripture was written.

 But I have come to love this image. Think about it this way. What if the oil was God’s blessings? The shudders are suddenly replaced with anticipation.

 I see God lifting a pitcher and pouring out blessings, and keeps on pouring. It lands on my spiritual head, runs through spiritual my hair, and drips to my spiritual collar, down my shoulders
and arms to drip from my fingertips. And everyone I touch receives some of the blessings God is pouring over my head.  

 This idea nests in a scripture about God’s people living in unity, raising the idea of a river flowing from a unified community. If, as a believing community, we find ways to live peacefully with our differences, and people see how we love each other, I can see God pouring blessings onto the roofs of our churches. I see the blessings drip from our eaves, and flow into our communities.

       So I pray: God, Help me understand your blessings are gifts, not bribes to live a
certain way. You pour out your blessings because of your love. Help us share
those blessings, knowing you always pour more blessings over our heads.