“Creator of the Stars of Night,” Verse 1 (ELW 245)
Devotion
Creator of the stars of night,
your people's everlasting light,
O Christ, redeemer of us all,
we pray you hear us when we call.
In the Genesis 1 creation story, after God creates the heavens and the earth and all their creatures, God takes the seventh day to rest. Whenever we think of God as "Creator of the stars of night," we should also remember that God advocates Sabbath, time to rest from our work. These days we often lament, and sometimes brag, about how busy we are. This can be especially true in Advent, when the demands of the holiday season meet end-of-year obligations at work, or exams at school. But remembering our Creator's rest reminds us that a life of faith need not be a life of perpetual exhaustion. Whether it's Sunday or another day for you, carve out time to rest, to worship, to pray and to delight in God's goodness. Genesis 1:27 reminds us that we are all created in the image of God, and that same God calls us to lay down our busyness and rest.
Prayer
Creator of the stars of night, your people's everlasting light, O Christ, redeemer of us all, we pray you hear us when we call. Help us regularly rest from our work, taking time to praise you and delight in your creation. Amen.