#( Imagine coming across your godly leader and asking him if he's watching the sunrise )

[alfida]

@likemosaic wanted a starter! (accepting)

It was dawn ; a comforting time for Alfida. Most of the other apostles she knew disliked the sun to one extent or another, yet it was a ritual of hers to gaze upon each dawn — never knowing if she'd see another. Standing on the walls surrounding Falconia, Alfida stared at the rising sun until she had to look away. Instead, she turned to the interior of Falconia. The illustrious city (or perhaps it would be more accurate to call it a metropolis) was one beyond mortal means to construct. With its illustrious marble and stone constructed buildings and statues taller than any mortal man could possibly construct in one lifetime, it truly looked like a paradise on earth. After a fashion, the Sunlit Halberd was inclined to say it was.

It was uncommon for her kind to think of their own mortality, Alfida reflected ( not for the first time ) as she continued to patrol the walls. Not that she needed to ; some habits simply die hard. If there was a safe haven from the world, it was Falconia.

But mortality. It had been a long time since she was a mortal, though in that time apostles had been slain. Was it so out of the ordinary to think one may die in a world as ruthless as this one? It certainly felt like it. She was a subject to Causality, after all. Would her status as an apostle one day get her killed?

It was while in this reflective state she happened upon The Absolute, who was also gazing off into the horizon (though notably not directly at the dawn as she had been). Falling immediately to her knees in reverence, she kept her gaze fixed on the perfectly cut stones of the wall. Her first thoughts were of wondering if he really should be out here alone, but she dismissed those — he was a member of the God Hand. He needed no protection, and any he had were usually simply for show.

„Your majesty,” her words were clear and full of respect, „forgive me if I speak out of turn, but... are you enjoying the dawn as well?”

She had little hope the Falcon of Light would deign to give her an answer to such an inane question, but perhaps he would be generous today. After all, who better to ask about Causality than a member of a group that watches over it?

[dfroza]

Today’s reading from the ancient books of Proverbs and Psalms

for monday, february 8 of 2021 with Proverbs 8 and Psalm 8, accompanied by Psalm 50 for the 50th day of Winter and Psalm 39 for day 39 of the year

[Psalm 8]

For the worship leader. A song of David accompanied by the harp.

O Eternal, our Lord,

Your majestic name is heard throughout the earth;

Your magnificent glory shines far above the skies.

From the mouths and souls of infants and toddlers, the most innocent,

You have decreed power to stop Your adversaries

and quash those who seek revenge.

When I gaze to the skies and meditate on Your creation—

on the moon, stars, and all You have made,

I can’t help but wonder why You care about mortals—

sons and daughters of men—

specks of dust floating about the cosmos.

But You placed the son of man just beneath God

and honored him like royalty, crowning him with glory and honor.

You ordained him to govern the works of Your hands,

to nurture the offspring of Your divine imagination;

You placed everything on earth beneath his feet:

All kinds of domesticated animals,

even the wild animals in the fields and forests,

The birds of the sky and the fish of the sea,

all the multitudes of living things that travel the currents of the oceans.

O Eternal, our Lord,

Your majestic name is heard throughout the earth.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 8 (The Voice)

to be accompanied by these lines of the same Psalm:

Look at the splendor of your skies,

your creative genius glowing in the heavens.

When I gaze at your moon and your stars,

mounted like jewels in their settings,

I know you are the fascinating artist who fashioned it all!

But when I look up and see

such wonder and workmanship above,

I have to ask you this question:

Compared to all this cosmic glory,

why would you bother with puny, mortal man

or be infatuated with Adam’s sons?

Yet what honor you have given to men,

created only a little lower than Elohim,

crowned like kings and queens with glory and magnificence.

You have delegated to them

mastery over all you have made,

making everything subservient to their authority,

placing earth itself under the feet of your image-bearers.

The Book of Psalms, Poem 8:3-6 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 50]

God Has Spoken

A poetic song of Asaph, the gatherer

The God of gods, the mighty Lord himself, has spoken!

He shouts out over all the people of the earth

in every brilliant sunrise and every beautiful sunset,

saying, “Listen to me!”

God’s glory-light shines out of the Zion-realm

with the radiance of perfect beauty.

With the rumble of thunder he approaches;

he will not be silent, for he comes with an earsplitting sound!

All around him are furious flames of fire,

and preceding him is the dazzling blaze of his glory.

Here he comes to judge his people!

He summons his court with heaven and earth as his jury, saying,

“Gather all my lovers,

my godly ones whose hearts are one with me—

those who have entered into my holy covenant

by sacrifices upon the altar.”

And the heavens declare his justice:

“God himself will be their judge,

and he will judge them with righteousness!”

Pause in his presence

“Listen to me, O my people! Listen well, for I am your God!

I am bringing you to trial and here are my charges.

I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices,

which you continually bring to my altar.

Do I need your young bull or goats from your fields

as if I were hungry?

Every animal of field and forest belongs to me, the Creator.

I know every movement of the birds in the sky,

and every animal of the field is in my thoughts.

The entire world and everything it contains is mine.

If I were hungry, do you think I would tell you?

For all that I have created, the fullness of the earth, is mine.

Am I fed by your sacrifices? Of course not!

Why don’t you bring me the sacrifices I desire?

Bring me your true and sincere thanks,

and show your gratitude by keeping your promises to me,

the Most High.

Honor me by trusting in me in your day of trouble.

Cry aloud to me, and I will be there to rescue you.

And now I speak to the wicked. Listen to what I have to say to you!

What right do you have to presume to speak for me

and claim my covenant promises as yours?

For you have hated my instruction and disregarded my words,

throwing them away as worthless!

You forget to condemn the thief or adulterer.

You are their friend, running alongside them into darkness.

The sins of your mouth multiply evil.

You have a lifestyle of lies,

devoted to deceit as you speak against others,

even slandering those of your own household!

All this you have done and I kept silent,

so you thought that I was just like you, sanctioning evil.

But now I will bring you to my courtroom

and spell out clearly my charges before you.

This is your last chance, my final warning. Your time is up!

Turn away from all this evil, or the next time you hear from me

will be when I am coming to pass sentence upon you.

I will snatch you away and no one will be there

to help you escape my judgment.

The life that pleases me is a life lived in the gratitude of grace,

always choosing to walk with me in what is right.

This is the sacrifice I desire from you.

If you do this, more of my salvation will unfold for you.”

The Book of Psalms, Poem 50 (The Passion Translation)

[Psalm 39]

I’m determined to watch steps and tongue

so they won’t land me in trouble.

I decided to hold my tongue

as long as Wicked is in the room.

“Mum’s the word,” I said, and kept quiet.

But the longer I kept silence

The worse it got—

my insides got hotter and hotter.

My thoughts boiled over;

I spilled my guts.

“Tell me, what’s going on, God?

How long do I have to live?

Give me the bad news!

You’ve kept me on pretty short rations;

my life is a string too short to be saved.

Oh! we’re all puffs of air.

Oh! we’re all shadows in a campfire.

Oh! we’re just spit in the wind.

We make our pile, and then we leave it.

“What am I doing in the meantime, Lord?

Hoping, that’s what I’m doing—hoping

You’ll save me from a rebel life,

save me from the contempt of idiots.

I’ll say no more, I’ll shut my mouth,

since you, Lord, are behind all this.

But I can’t take it much longer.

When you put us through the fire

to purge us from our sin,

our dearest idols go up in smoke.

Are we also nothing but smoke?

“Ah, God, listen to my prayer, my

cry—open your ears.

Don’t be callous;

just look at these tears of mine.

I’m a stranger here. I don’t know my way—

a migrant like my whole family.

Give me a break, cut me some slack

before it’s too late and I’m out of here.”

The Book of Psalms, Poem 39 (The Message)

[Proverbs 8]

Isn’t Lady Wisdom calling?

Listen; don’t you hear the voice of understanding crying out?

She’s taken her stand at the highest place in the city,

at the crossroads where everyone can see her.

There, and at the gates, at the entrance to the city,

right in front of the city doors she cries out:

Lady Wisdom: O people! I am calling to you;

I have a message for all humanity.

You gullible people, acquire insight.

You naive ones, cultivate a heart that truly understands.

Listen, for I am about to tell you of unparalleled excellence and beauty;

what I am about to say will set things right.

I will only speak the truth;

I despise evil, so it will not pass through my lips.

Everything I say promotes justice;

not one word is crooked, and nothing is distorted.

Each and every word is straight talk to perceptive people,

upright and honest to knowledge-seekers.

Accept my correction as being more valuable than your prized possession,

authentic knowledge more valuable than pure gold.

You see, no gem is more precious than Lady Wisdom—

your most extravagant desire doesn’t come close to her.

Lady Wisdom: I make my home with prudence;

I obtain knowledge and sound judgment.

If you respect the Eternal, you will grow to despise evil.

I despise wretched, vile talk

and ways of pride and arrogance.

Good counsel is mine, and also true wisdom.

I am understanding, and strength belongs to me.

It’s because of me that kings wield power

and authorities decree what is right.

It’s because of me that leaders and their agents govern

and all judge according to what is right.

I love those who love me;

those who search hard for me will find me.

Riches and honor are the benefit of following me;

so are lasting wealth and justice.

My reward is better than gold, even the purest gold;

and my profit is greater than the highest quality silver.

I follow the way of right living.

Follow me along the path to find justice;

I’m ready to meet those who love me, bestow true riches upon them,

and fill up their lives until their treasuries overflow.

The Eternal created me; it happened when His work was beginning,

one of His first acts long ago.

Before time He established me,

before the earth saw its first sunrise.

I was born before the deep existed,

before any springs poured out their water,

Before the mountains were placed on their foundations,

before the hills rolled across the land—

yes, before all this, I was brought forth.

When the earth was yet unformed and the fields were not yet nestled beneath the wind—

even before the first dust of the earth—

When He created the heavens, I was there.

When He drew a circle in the deep, dividing the oceans and the sky, I was there.

I was there when He established the sky.

I was there when the springs in the deep were fortified;

I witnessed Him lay down the shore as a boundary

and put limits on the water

And determine the foundations of the earth.

All this time I was close beside Him, a master craftsman.

Every day I was His delightful companion,

celebrating every minute in His presence,

Elated by the world He was making and all its fine creatures;

I was especially pleased with humanity.

So now listen to me, my children:

those who live by my ways will find true happiness.

Pay attention to my guidance, dare to be wise,

and don’t disregard my teachings.

The one who listens to me,

who carefully seeks me in everyday things

and delays action until my way is apparent, that one will find true happiness.

For when he recognizes and follows me, he finds a peaceful and satisfying life

and receives favor from the Eternal.

But heed my warning: the one who goes against me will only hurt himself,

for all who despise me are playing with fire and courting death.

The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 8 (The Voice)