Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“That was for the Lord a night of vigil, to bring them out of the land of Egypt. That same night is a vigil to be kept for the Lord by all the Israelites throughout their generations.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, October 6, 2021
by R. M. Fergus, Clergy Stuff
History, ritual, continuity. These are powerful things. They connect us to something far greater than ourselves. They give us a place in time and space, a meaning and a purpose. No one remembers what, exactly, happened when the Israelites emigrated from Egypt. Yet all who celebrate the Passover to this day place their feet firmly among those who left and crossed the wilderness into Canaan.
I spent part of the summer reading through my father’s memoir about our family’s cabin in Michigan, which my grandfather bought in 1951. It was moving to hear about the origins of some of our most treasured family traditions, established 20 years before I was born, and rooted in events long before that. I know that next summer when I’m there, the activities I take part in will have a greater meaning, and I will feel deeper connection to my wonderful grandparents, who died nearly three decades ago.
We, too, find ourselves in the scriptures, even if we do not follow the exact rituals found there. The Bible is God’s story and our story, and the more we read and connect with it, the more rooted we are in something far greater than us, something eternal and holy and wonderful. Dig deep, immerse yourself, and be filled with awe.
What rituals do I follow that connect me with something greater than myself?