Mothers’ Union Devotion Wednesday 14th July 2021

Moses said, ‘I must turn aside and look at this great sight and see why the bush is not burned up.’ When the Lord saw that he had turned aside to see, God called to him out of the bush, ‘Moses, Moses!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ Then he said, ‘Come no closer! Remove the sandals from your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’ Exodus 3. 3-5

The sight of a blazing bush that was not being consumed must have been a wonderful sight indeed when Moses encountered it in the dry barren wilderness around Mount Horeb. So amazing that he stopped what he was doing to investigate. Then after he had given all his attention to this miraculous revelation through nature, he heard the call of God. A voice that called him by name. A voice that reminded him of the holiness that the presence of God brings to the Earth. A voice that reminded him of the sacredness of such a personal encounter.

The burning bush that Moses encountered was miraculous because it was not consumed. We can experience a taste of something similar, as there are several types of plant that are such a riot of reds and oranges they look as if they are aflame but not consumed. But it is not just through ‘burning bushes’ that we encounter the miraculous. Indeed, the whole of nature is miraculous. Miraculous because it was all created by the one who wants to love us. Our response to such love is to turn aside and make the space to hear the call of our maker. As Elizabeth Barrett Browning writes of in her poem Aurora Leigh:

 Earth’s crammed with heaven,

 And every common bush afire with God:

 But only he who sees, takes off his shoes;

 The rest sit round it, and pluck blackberries,

 And daub their natural faces unaware

 More and more, from the first similitude

We do not want to become those who sit round and pluck blackberries. We do not want to be those who miss out on the wonderment of experiencing the full majesty and beauty of creation.  Because the beauty of creation is often the place that draws us to the reality of God’s presence. It draws us to look deeper and marvel. To set aside our busyness and doing. To create a moment of pause, where the voice of God can be heard calling our name. Indeed, Nature is God’s miraculous holy ground which prompts us to turn aside and just be in the presence of our loving Lord.

With all my love and prayers

Revd. Sandra