Psalm Meditation 970
Second Sunday After the Epiphany
January 20, 2019
Psalm 48
1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.
(NRSV)
At some point in my childhood the big brag was, ‘My dad can beat up your dad.’ Thinking back, that was not really a day to day conversation that any of us had, it was the set up for a joke or the plot of a TV show. There may be children and dads who feel the need to be the biggest and strongest, however that was not really a topic of discussion among the people around whom I grew up. The psalmist seems to be doing that kind of bragging about the LORD.
“Our God is bigger and better than yours, and, on top of that, the city where our God dwells is better than yours, too.” The psalmist continues the boast by letting the audience know that when all the rulers of the world gathered against us, they were so astounded by the city of God that they turned and ran away, each to their own nation. That is a pretty impressive picture. One of my professors told me, that despite the brags in Scripture, Israel was a small nation that spent more time under the thumb of larger nations than it did as a free, self governed realm. Even if the brags about the nation are a little over the top doesn’t mean that the bragging about the LORD are in the same category.
It is not the bigger and stronger parts that make the LORD the God for us, it is the steadfast love. Even when we get caught up in the competition over whose divinity is the biggest and strongest, the LORD, YHWH, loves us beyond measure and comprehension. It turns out that it is not really about us and what we do, it is about God, who chooses to love us no matter who we are and what we do. I have a t-shirt that says, “Jesus loves you, but I’m his favorite.” I believe that each one of us could wear one of those shirts at the same time and it would be a true and accurate statement about how God loves each of us.
January 14, 2019
LCM
Monday, January 14, 2019
Monday, January 7, 2019
Psalm Meditation 969
Baptism of the Lord
January 13, 2019
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
(NRSV)
Most of us believe that the world is fair, at least most of the time. We believe that we deserve what we get and that we get what we deserve in terms of reward and punishment. When things do not work out the way they should we are hurt and angry. When ‘those’ people win and our people lose we are doubly upset by the unfairness of it all. The psalmist knows that evildoers will be caught and punished, eventually. We join the psalmist in knowing that those who are mean spirited and selfish will get caught up in the web of their own making at some point. We may say that we know the world is not fair, and we will comfort or confront people with the words, “life is not fair.” but we continue to believe that life is, or should be, fair; if not in every instance, in the long run anyway.
The psalmist is of an era in which God actively rewards and punishes people and groups according to their actions. A big part of the reason that life is fair in the first place is because God watches over us, keeps score for us, and evens the playing field when it becomes necessary. God punishes the bad people when their evil deeds get out of hand. God rewards us good people when we have gone without for long enough. If we wait long enough everything will work out for good people as the bad people receive the punishment God has reserved for them.
What if God loves us and chooses to be with us no matter what rather than standing apart as an impartial judge and referee. When things go well, God is there to celebrate with us. When things go badly, God is there to give us comfort. God does not change the rules to make things easier for the good guys. God allows things to play out, knowing that the rewards and punishments are built in. My dad taught me to be a short range pessimist and a long range optimist. Things won't always work out in the day to day scheme of things, however, eventually things work out.
January 7, 2019
LCM
Baptism of the Lord
January 13, 2019
Psalm 5
1 Give ear to my words, O LORD; give heed to my sighing.
2 Listen to the sound of my cry, my King and my God, for to you I pray.
3 O LORD, in the morning you hear my voice; in the morning I plead my case to you, and watch.
4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you.
5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.
6 You destroy those who speak lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful.
7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house, I will bow down toward your holy temple in awe of you.
8 Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me.
9 For there is no truth in their mouths; their hearts are destruction; their throats are open graves; they flatter with their tongues.
10 Make them bear their guilt, O God; let them fall by their own counsels; because of their many transgressions cast them out, for they have rebelled against you.
11 But let all who take refuge in you rejoice; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, so that those who love your name may exult in you.
12 For you bless the righteous, O LORD; you cover them with favor as with a shield.
(NRSV)
Most of us believe that the world is fair, at least most of the time. We believe that we deserve what we get and that we get what we deserve in terms of reward and punishment. When things do not work out the way they should we are hurt and angry. When ‘those’ people win and our people lose we are doubly upset by the unfairness of it all. The psalmist knows that evildoers will be caught and punished, eventually. We join the psalmist in knowing that those who are mean spirited and selfish will get caught up in the web of their own making at some point. We may say that we know the world is not fair, and we will comfort or confront people with the words, “life is not fair.” but we continue to believe that life is, or should be, fair; if not in every instance, in the long run anyway.
The psalmist is of an era in which God actively rewards and punishes people and groups according to their actions. A big part of the reason that life is fair in the first place is because God watches over us, keeps score for us, and evens the playing field when it becomes necessary. God punishes the bad people when their evil deeds get out of hand. God rewards us good people when we have gone without for long enough. If we wait long enough everything will work out for good people as the bad people receive the punishment God has reserved for them.
What if God loves us and chooses to be with us no matter what rather than standing apart as an impartial judge and referee. When things go well, God is there to celebrate with us. When things go badly, God is there to give us comfort. God does not change the rules to make things easier for the good guys. God allows things to play out, knowing that the rewards and punishments are built in. My dad taught me to be a short range pessimist and a long range optimist. Things won't always work out in the day to day scheme of things, however, eventually things work out.
January 7, 2019
LCM
Monday, December 31, 2018
Psalm Meditation 968
Epiphany
January 6, 2019
Psalm 146
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
There are those who never meet a stranger. I have a feeling that most of those folks, like most of us, do not go striding confidently into an area in order to meet people with whom they have nothing in common. We don’t make it a habit to meet people who are nothing like us. Some of us are quick to make assumptions about ‘those people,’ and we are not usually kind in our assessment and assumption of them. Others are willing to reserve judgment until we have more information about them. Either way, we perceive them as ‘other’ and as strangers.
God, much to our chagrin at times, keeps reminding us that strangers are special people. There are multiple stories in Scripture about those who have welcomed strangers into their dwelling places and discovered that the strangers are divine representatives. By welcoming these particular strangers they have opened themselves to a word and task from God. How might our lives be different if Abraham had not welcomed the stranger who announced the birth of Isaac? Would it have happened anyway, or is it necessary to be open to new people in order to be opened to new experiences?
There is a special place in God’s heart for the people on the margins of society. We like to proclaim that wealth and influence are signs of God’s favor, however God has a special fondness for strangers, widows, and orphans. Perhaps the wealth God calls us to is the wonderful variety of people around us. What if our wealth is not calculated by our jobs, bank accounts, and other holdings, but by our generosity of spirit and our willingness to meet new people, and face new challenges?
December 31, 2018
LCM
Epiphany
January 6, 2019
Psalm 146
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
There are those who never meet a stranger. I have a feeling that most of those folks, like most of us, do not go striding confidently into an area in order to meet people with whom they have nothing in common. We don’t make it a habit to meet people who are nothing like us. Some of us are quick to make assumptions about ‘those people,’ and we are not usually kind in our assessment and assumption of them. Others are willing to reserve judgment until we have more information about them. Either way, we perceive them as ‘other’ and as strangers.
God, much to our chagrin at times, keeps reminding us that strangers are special people. There are multiple stories in Scripture about those who have welcomed strangers into their dwelling places and discovered that the strangers are divine representatives. By welcoming these particular strangers they have opened themselves to a word and task from God. How might our lives be different if Abraham had not welcomed the stranger who announced the birth of Isaac? Would it have happened anyway, or is it necessary to be open to new people in order to be opened to new experiences?
There is a special place in God’s heart for the people on the margins of society. We like to proclaim that wealth and influence are signs of God’s favor, however God has a special fondness for strangers, widows, and orphans. Perhaps the wealth God calls us to is the wonderful variety of people around us. What if our wealth is not calculated by our jobs, bank accounts, and other holdings, but by our generosity of spirit and our willingness to meet new people, and face new challenges?
December 31, 2018
LCM
Monday, December 24, 2018
Psalm Meditation 967
First Sunday After Christmas
December 30, 2018
Psalm 55
1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; do not hide yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and answer me; I am troubled in my complaint. I am distraught
3 by the noise of the enemy, because of the clamor of the wicked. For they bring trouble upon me, and in anger they cherish enmity against me.
4 My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.
6 And I say, “O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;
7 truly, I would flee far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
8 I would hurry to find a shelter for myself from the raging wind and tempest.”
9 Confuse, O Lord, confound their speech; for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it;
11 ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud do not depart from its marketplace.
12 It is not enemies who taunt me—I could bear that; it is not adversaries who deal insolently with me—I could hide from them.
13 But it is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend,
14 with whom I kept pleasant company; we walked in the house of God with the throng.
15 Let death come upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol; for evil is in their homes and in their hearts.
16 But I call upon God, and the LORD will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he will hear my voice.
18 He will redeem me unharmed from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old, Selah will hear, and will humble them—because they do not change, and do not fear God.
20 My companion laid hands on a friend and violated a covenant with me
21 with speech smoother than butter, but with a heart set on war; with words that were softer than oil, but in fact were drawn swords.
22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
23 But you, O God, will cast them down into the lowest pit; the bloodthirsty and treacherous shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.
(NRSV)
Sometimes friends have a falling out that turns them against each other. Sometimes a friend turns into an enemy or adversary for reasons unknown to us. It may be something we said or did, and it may be something someone else said about us that turns a friend away. We wonder what we could have done to cause or contribute to this turn of events. Even if we do not know the cause, the friendship is obviously at an end. And it is deeply painful to lose a friend, more so to gain an enemy. Not only is there the loss of friendship, there is also an adversary who has intimate knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses.
Sometimes people befriend us for the sole purpose of getting that intimate knowledge of us. They want to hear our innermost secrets so they can get to know us quickly and deeply. When they feel they have enough information, the relationship ends and we have lost a friend, though they have not. It makes us feel hurt and used. The pain may last longer than that of a genuine broken friendship because of the embarrassment we feel at not being more perceptive.
God does work in our lives. People who make a habit of turning on friends eventually find themselves with no friends at all. Those they betrayed and those to whom they betrayed old friends will leave them to themselves. God sustains us in times of trial and betrayal and allows us to use what we have learned to sustain others as they go through the trial of loss and betrayal. God is with us.
December 24, 2018
LCM
First Sunday After Christmas
December 30, 2018
Psalm 55
1 Give ear to my prayer, O God; do not hide yourself from my supplication.
2 Attend to me, and answer me; I am troubled in my complaint. I am distraught
3 by the noise of the enemy, because of the clamor of the wicked. For they bring trouble upon me, and in anger they cherish enmity against me.
4 My heart is in anguish within me, the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
5 Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror overwhelms me.
6 And I say, “O that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest;
7 truly, I would flee far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; Selah
8 I would hurry to find a shelter for myself from the raging wind and tempest.”
9 Confuse, O Lord, confound their speech; for I see violence and strife in the city.
10 Day and night they go around it on its walls, and iniquity and trouble are within it;
11 ruin is in its midst; oppression and fraud do not depart from its marketplace.
12 It is not enemies who taunt me—I could bear that; it is not adversaries who deal insolently with me—I could hide from them.
13 But it is you, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend,
14 with whom I kept pleasant company; we walked in the house of God with the throng.
15 Let death come upon them; let them go down alive to Sheol; for evil is in their homes and in their hearts.
16 But I call upon God, and the LORD will save me.
17 Evening and morning and at noon I utter my complaint and moan, and he will hear my voice.
18 He will redeem me unharmed from the battle that I wage, for many are arrayed against me.
19 God, who is enthroned from of old, Selah will hear, and will humble them—because they do not change, and do not fear God.
20 My companion laid hands on a friend and violated a covenant with me
21 with speech smoother than butter, but with a heart set on war; with words that were softer than oil, but in fact were drawn swords.
22 Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved.
23 But you, O God, will cast them down into the lowest pit; the bloodthirsty and treacherous shall not live out half their days. But I will trust in you.
(NRSV)
Sometimes friends have a falling out that turns them against each other. Sometimes a friend turns into an enemy or adversary for reasons unknown to us. It may be something we said or did, and it may be something someone else said about us that turns a friend away. We wonder what we could have done to cause or contribute to this turn of events. Even if we do not know the cause, the friendship is obviously at an end. And it is deeply painful to lose a friend, more so to gain an enemy. Not only is there the loss of friendship, there is also an adversary who has intimate knowledge of our strengths and weaknesses.
Sometimes people befriend us for the sole purpose of getting that intimate knowledge of us. They want to hear our innermost secrets so they can get to know us quickly and deeply. When they feel they have enough information, the relationship ends and we have lost a friend, though they have not. It makes us feel hurt and used. The pain may last longer than that of a genuine broken friendship because of the embarrassment we feel at not being more perceptive.
God does work in our lives. People who make a habit of turning on friends eventually find themselves with no friends at all. Those they betrayed and those to whom they betrayed old friends will leave them to themselves. God sustains us in times of trial and betrayal and allows us to use what we have learned to sustain others as they go through the trial of loss and betrayal. God is with us.
December 24, 2018
LCM
Monday, December 17, 2018
Psalm Meditation 966
Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 23, 2018
Psalm 96
1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The LORD is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
(NRSV)
Children make a lot of their activities into races and contests, each vying to be the fastest, strongest, smartest, biggest; each vying to be the winner. One of my brothers told about playing cards with a child. The game this child wanted to play was ‘cards.’ When my brother asked about the rules of the game, he was given a set of rules. As the game progressed those rules changed repeatedly, making it more likely that the child making the rules would win. Children love to play, and they really love to win.
Children are not the only ones who change and rig the rules to make it easier for ‘us’ to win. One of the ways to make winning easier is make ‘them’ seem like bad people, or better yet, into sub-human species that make them easier to manipulate, oppress, and destroy. We tell stories about them that have just enough truth in them to make them believable, especially since we want to see ‘them’ in the worst light anyway. We do this with games, wars, wealth, and religion. We convince ourselves that ‘those’ people worship idols, while ‘we’ worship the one true God.
It is entirely possible that each group is given a different view of the one true God in hopes that we will one day be able to put together a more complete picture of who God is, what it takes to worship, and what it means to worship and serve. When we draw battle lines, we miss out on the richness of human experience including the experience of God. Perhaps God intends that we talk to each other, learn from each other, find some ways to live and serve together for a common good, a way that emphasizes cooperation as more impressive than winning.
December 17, 2018
LCM
Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 23, 2018
Psalm 96
1 O sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth.
2 Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the LORD made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 Worship the LORD in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
10 Say among the nations, “The LORD is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.”
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the LORD; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth.
(NRSV)
Children make a lot of their activities into races and contests, each vying to be the fastest, strongest, smartest, biggest; each vying to be the winner. One of my brothers told about playing cards with a child. The game this child wanted to play was ‘cards.’ When my brother asked about the rules of the game, he was given a set of rules. As the game progressed those rules changed repeatedly, making it more likely that the child making the rules would win. Children love to play, and they really love to win.
Children are not the only ones who change and rig the rules to make it easier for ‘us’ to win. One of the ways to make winning easier is make ‘them’ seem like bad people, or better yet, into sub-human species that make them easier to manipulate, oppress, and destroy. We tell stories about them that have just enough truth in them to make them believable, especially since we want to see ‘them’ in the worst light anyway. We do this with games, wars, wealth, and religion. We convince ourselves that ‘those’ people worship idols, while ‘we’ worship the one true God.
It is entirely possible that each group is given a different view of the one true God in hopes that we will one day be able to put together a more complete picture of who God is, what it takes to worship, and what it means to worship and serve. When we draw battle lines, we miss out on the richness of human experience including the experience of God. Perhaps God intends that we talk to each other, learn from each other, find some ways to live and serve together for a common good, a way that emphasizes cooperation as more impressive than winning.
December 17, 2018
LCM
Monday, December 10, 2018
Psalm Meditation 965
Third Sunday of Advent
December 16, 2018
Psalm 105
1 O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.
5 Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,
6 O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”
12 When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,
14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”
16 When he summoned famine against the land, and broke every staff of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD kept testing him.
20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free.
21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to instruct his officials at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
24 And the LORD made his people very fruitful, and made them stronger than their foes,
25 whose hearts he then turned to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.
26 He sent his servant Moses, and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them, and miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they rebelled against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood, and caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain, and lightning that flashed through their land.
33 He struck their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came, and young locusts without number;
35 they devoured all the vegetation in their land, and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the first issue of all their strength.
37 Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold, and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quails, and gave them food from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant.
43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.
44 He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
When the intent is to give glory to God, it is possible to leave out some of the details of the relationship. We have record of the conflicts and simply choose to ignore them in this particular case. Since it is God who is being glorified there is no need to mention the ways the people involved got at cross purposes with God. There is no need to mention the disputes, grumblings, and machinations of the people involved. There is no mention of Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery out of jealousy, or of the accusation’s from Potiphar's wife that got him put into the king’s prison. There is no mention of the king who did not know Joseph and enslaved the people.
This psalm is about God. There are many other psalms and writings that go into more detail about things not going as smoothly as this psalm indicates. Sometimes it is good to set aside the conflicts and disagreements as we think about God, as well as when we think about people. One of my seminary professors told our class that when giving the eulogy at a funeral it is important to paint a complete picture of the deceased. That does not mean telling all the bad things there are about a person so much as a reminder that none of us is perfect and that our faults and flaws contribute to who we are. In the history of salvation, there have been bumps along the way as we have not followed the will of God as closely as possible. God, however, has done great things that need to be lifted up, and sometimes lifted up without mention of the conflicts involved.
There are times for brutal honesty, in which we tell the good, the bad, and the in-between about a situation and relationships. Other times we have a different intent and we may leave out some of the details for the sake of the task at hand. When we want to give glory to God for the events in salvation history, there is no reason to put in our side of the story. When we want to tell the story of our salvation, it is important to bring up all the ways we have stood in the way of our own salvation so that we can see the patience God continually displays for our sakes.
December 10, 2018
LCM
Third Sunday of Advent
December 16, 2018
Psalm 105
1 O give thanks to the LORD, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
4 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.
5 Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,
6 O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the LORD our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, “To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance.”
12 When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,
14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, “Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm.”
16 When he summoned famine against the land, and broke every staff of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the LORD kept testing him.
20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free.
21 He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his possessions,
22 to instruct his officials at his pleasure, and to teach his elders wisdom.
23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
24 And the LORD made his people very fruitful, and made them stronger than their foes,
25 whose hearts he then turned to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants.
26 He sent his servant Moses, and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them, and miracles in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made the land dark; they rebelled against his words.
29 He turned their waters into blood, and caused their fish to die.
30 Their land swarmed with frogs, even in the chambers of their kings.
31 He spoke, and there came swarms of flies, and gnats throughout their country.
32 He gave them hail for rain, and lightning that flashed through their land.
33 He struck their vines and fig trees, and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke, and the locusts came, and young locusts without number;
35 they devoured all the vegetation in their land, and ate up the fruit of their ground.
36 He struck down all the firstborn in their land, the first issue of all their strength.
37 Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold, and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they departed, for dread of them had fallen upon it.
39 He spread a cloud for a covering, and fire to give light by night.
40 They asked, and he brought quails, and gave them food from heaven in abundance.
41 He opened the rock, and water gushed out; it flowed through the desert like a river.
42 For he remembered his holy promise, and Abraham, his servant.
43 So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing.
44 He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
When the intent is to give glory to God, it is possible to leave out some of the details of the relationship. We have record of the conflicts and simply choose to ignore them in this particular case. Since it is God who is being glorified there is no need to mention the ways the people involved got at cross purposes with God. There is no need to mention the disputes, grumblings, and machinations of the people involved. There is no mention of Joseph’s brothers selling him into slavery out of jealousy, or of the accusation’s from Potiphar's wife that got him put into the king’s prison. There is no mention of the king who did not know Joseph and enslaved the people.
This psalm is about God. There are many other psalms and writings that go into more detail about things not going as smoothly as this psalm indicates. Sometimes it is good to set aside the conflicts and disagreements as we think about God, as well as when we think about people. One of my seminary professors told our class that when giving the eulogy at a funeral it is important to paint a complete picture of the deceased. That does not mean telling all the bad things there are about a person so much as a reminder that none of us is perfect and that our faults and flaws contribute to who we are. In the history of salvation, there have been bumps along the way as we have not followed the will of God as closely as possible. God, however, has done great things that need to be lifted up, and sometimes lifted up without mention of the conflicts involved.
There are times for brutal honesty, in which we tell the good, the bad, and the in-between about a situation and relationships. Other times we have a different intent and we may leave out some of the details for the sake of the task at hand. When we want to give glory to God for the events in salvation history, there is no reason to put in our side of the story. When we want to tell the story of our salvation, it is important to bring up all the ways we have stood in the way of our own salvation so that we can see the patience God continually displays for our sakes.
December 10, 2018
LCM
Monday, December 3, 2018
Psalm Meditation 964
Second Sunday of Advent
December 9, 2018
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
(NRSV)
“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” Some days the most important part of this verse is the reminder to be still. We can get so agitated, inside and out, by all that needs to be done that we lose track of God. Even when, especially when, what we are doing has great value to us and those around us, it is important to stop from time to time, take a deep breath, and know that we are in the presence of God. By taking a moment to be still we realize that God is with us and we gain a wider perspective on our lives.
Waters will continue to roar, nations will continue to totter, and wars will continue to rage around us. We will be impacted by these events directly and indirectly. We will know people who are in the way of devastating events. Some of us will know people who are responsible for the terrors that surround us. We can get caught up in the seriousness of all that is going on and feel the hope drain out of us as things spiral down and all seems lost. We may begin to wonder where God is in the midst of these trials. Is God cause or cure of the hardships of life?
Being still and knowing that YHWH is God gives us a long perspective. In the midst of all the suffering, we see God as a refuge from rather than the cause of all the devastation around us. In both life and death God will be with us in a way that is impossible for anyone or anything else. God will stand with us when we are able to stand up to, ‘the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.’ God will sit with us when our energy has faded and we are overwhelmed by the tiniest thing. “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
December 3, 2018
LCM
Second Sunday of Advent
December 9, 2018
Psalm 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.
6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the LORD; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah
(NRSV)
“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” Some days the most important part of this verse is the reminder to be still. We can get so agitated, inside and out, by all that needs to be done that we lose track of God. Even when, especially when, what we are doing has great value to us and those around us, it is important to stop from time to time, take a deep breath, and know that we are in the presence of God. By taking a moment to be still we realize that God is with us and we gain a wider perspective on our lives.
Waters will continue to roar, nations will continue to totter, and wars will continue to rage around us. We will be impacted by these events directly and indirectly. We will know people who are in the way of devastating events. Some of us will know people who are responsible for the terrors that surround us. We can get caught up in the seriousness of all that is going on and feel the hope drain out of us as things spiral down and all seems lost. We may begin to wonder where God is in the midst of these trials. Is God cause or cure of the hardships of life?
Being still and knowing that YHWH is God gives us a long perspective. In the midst of all the suffering, we see God as a refuge from rather than the cause of all the devastation around us. In both life and death God will be with us in a way that is impossible for anyone or anything else. God will stand with us when we are able to stand up to, ‘the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.’ God will sit with us when our energy has faded and we are overwhelmed by the tiniest thing. “The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.”
December 3, 2018
LCM
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