I am Blessed!

I’m writing this on ‘Blue Monday’. There is an idea that the 3rd Monday into January is the point when people are the most miserable and are feeling sorry for themselves. I’m assuming it has some sort of commercial value, maybe meant to make us buy something to cheer ourselves up.

I’m sat here cuddled up with Dilys and Gwen, with snow falling outside (eeeeeeeeeekkk!!!), in front of the fire, with the aroma of the stew I’ve made filling the kitchen. My family are all home safe. I’m not feeling that blue…instead I am feeling very blessed.

That’s one of the things that I think is so good about our group. You all focus on blessings, things that are good, and I have noticed it as a trait in most of the reading I have done about Rastafari faith. I don’t think ‘Blue Monday’ is a Rastafari invention! Even though Berwyn is not an ideal place to be, see whether this week you can make a list for yourself of new things like in the prayer above…particularly how as a representative of the Rastafari faith, you get to behave with kindness and care to help make your wing a better place to live.

This week’s psalm….

Psalm 34

1 I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips.

2 I will glory in the LORD; let the afflicted hear and rejoice.

3 Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears.

5 Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame.

6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.

9 Fear the LORD, you his holy people, for those who fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing.

11 Come, my children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

12 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,

13 keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies.

14 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the LORD are on the righteous, and his ears are attentive to their cry;

16 but the face of the LORD is against those who do evil, to blot out their name from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.

18 The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles, but the LORD delivers him from them all;

20 he protects all his bones, not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked; the foes of the righteous will be condemned.

22 The LORD will rescue his servants; no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

Verse 8 tells us ‘blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him’. We are blessed and this week my request for you is that you share those blessings in the way you are with the people around you….I know how good you are at that, but this week take an extra step to share the blessings of RasTafari.

Kebra Negast

5. CONCERNING THE KINGDOM OF SETH

And Adam died, and Seth reigned in righteousness. And Seth died, and Hênôs (Enos) reigned. And Hênôs (Enos) died, and Ḳâynân (Cainan) reigned. And Ḳâynân (Cainan) died, and Malâl’êl (Mahalaleel) reigned. And Malâl’êl (Mahalaleel) died, and Yârôd (Jared) reigned. And Yârôd died, and Hênôkh (Enoch) reigned in righteousness, and he feared God, and [God] hid him so that he might not see death. And he became a king in his flesh in the Land of the Living. And after Enoch disappeared Mâtûsâlâ (Methuselah) reigned. And Mâtûsâlâ died, and Lâmêkh (Lamech) reigned. And Lâmêkh died, and Nôḥ (Noah) reigned in righteousness, and he pleased God in all his works.

‘He pleased God in all his works’. What a thing to be known for…wow! I just can’t imagine how to remember how to be that good all of the time! I’m working very hard at ‘most’ instead of ‘all’ and that takes a lot of remembering. I mean, I’d like to manage all but..! I guess that’s why I’m suggesting the challenge I set us earlier. We can try to be better bit by bit together.

Prayers and Blessings

Time to pray for each other and give thanks for our blessings.

Reasoning

I thought we would Reason the ideas in today’s readings.

Final Prayer

Yanna (Our) Abbat (Father) Fatari (Creator) who art in

Zion Axum (Heaven) Ethiopia, Haile Selassie I is thy name.

Thy Kingdom come,

thy ‘Will’ be done on earth as it is in Zion Axum (Heaven).

Give us, your children, our daily bread and forgive us our

errors because of the feebleness of our heart.

Deliver us from the Adversary of the day,

and bless our hands and the things that we do.

Grant us long life, good health and strength,

to live and fulfill thy ‘Holy Will’.

For thine is the earth, power and glory forever and ever.  

Amen. Amen. Amen.

21st Century prayer to Emperor Haile Selassie I

proclaiming His Kingdom now on earth.

Blessed be Jah-Rastafari-Haile Selassie I

The Living God!  Amen!