Primer

Doing a little painting on my younger son's room this weekend. He's finally outgrown the bed he's had for the last 10 years, and the motorcycle wall paper. He's chosen his color scheme and it was time to do the painting. I was reminded again about the importance of prepping and priming to the overall success of the job. Yesterday I delivered a sermon on devotion and the focus was all about the role of preparation and focusing on what is important. The role of returning for a primer. In days gone by beginning-level students were given books called "Primers". These tomes contained the building block information that the students would need to learn in order to be able to continue to gain knowledge. While kids these days don't use Primers anymore, the concept is still important. For us as spiritual people, the idea of returning to the basics of faith is important as we attempt to continue our spiritual journeys. I found my way back to the Psalms of Ascent (#120-134). These songs were sung by pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem. They're know as ascent songs because no matter what road you took, you had to ascend to get to the Temple Mount. Often, one had to make a substantial commitment to journey to Jerusalem, often through wilderness that was lonely and dangerous. It was not something that was undertaken without serious planning and preparation. Focusing on our journey and on our need to get back to the building blocks of faith are important for us so that we do not lose momentum or stop our journey altogether. As everyone knows, once momentum is lost, it takes a lot of energy to get it going again. This week, return again to those articles of faith that are primary to your understanding of your religion. Return to the Book and find your way to the bedrock of your faith. If you haven't read the Ascent Psalms in a while, refresh your devotional time with them - they may just re-ignite your spiritual fire. Peace for the journey, Dan