Griefs Accepted

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me.
O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol, restored me to life from among those gone down to the pit.
Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy Name.
For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.

—Psalm 30:1-5

From the Expositor's Bible (1892):
A double antithesis moulds the beautiful image of the last clause. Night and morning are contrasted, as are weeping and joy; and the latter contrast is more striking, if it be observed that 'joy' is literally a 'joyful shout,' raised by the voice that had been breaking into audible weeping. The verb used means to lodge for a night, and thus the whole is a picture of two guests, the one coming, sombre-robed, in the hour befitting her, the other, bright-garmented, taking the place of the former, when all things are dewy and sunny, in the morning. The thought may either be that of the substitution of joy for sorrow, or of the transformation of sorrow into joy. No grief lasts in its first bitterness. Recuperative forces begin to tell by slow degrees. 'The low beginnings of content' appear. The sharpest-cutting edge is partially blunted by time and what it brings. Tender green drapes every ruin. Sorrow is transformed into something not undeserving of the name of joy. Griefs accepted change their nature. 'Your sorrow shall be turned into joy.' The man who in the darkness took in the dark guest to sit by his fireside finds in the morning that she is transfigured, and her name is Gladness. Rich vintages are gathered on the crumbling lava of the quiescent volcano. Even for irremediable losses and immedicable griefs, the psalmist's prophecy is true, only that for these 'the morning' is beyond earth's dim dawns, and breaks when this night which we call life, and which is wearing thin, is past. In the level light of that sunrise, every raindrop becomes a rainbow, and every sorrow rightly--that is, submissively--borne shall be represented by a special and particular joy.

—Alexander Maclaren

Come to me in the nighttime of my fear and of my pain, O God, and grant me the joyful dawn of new life in Christ. In his Name I pray. Amen.

Wrong As Rein

The Mayflower

I’m doing something with this morning’s sermon that’s quite a departure from what I normally do. I’m going to start out in one place, go someplace completely different, then decide I was wrong and somehow end up back where I started. Okay, so maybe that’s not so different from what I normally do. But bear with me anyway. It might end up being interesting despite me.

The Mayflower

So let’s start out with a little history. It’s never a bad idea to learn about our heritage during the interim, and though I’ve preached a few sermons that talked about UCC history, I really haven’t done as much as I’d planned. So let’s talk a little about the beginnings of the Congregational Way in North America. Specifically, let’s talk about the people who first brought it here: the Mayflower Pilgrims.

The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in 1620. They were (at least most of them) very devout Christians, so it’s not too much of a stretch for us to assume that they brought Bibles with them on the Mayflower. And since they arrived thirteen years after the publication of the Bible translation authorized by King James, we might naturally assume that that was the Bible they brought with them. But if we stretch things that far, we’d be wrong.

Over Mighty Waters

Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his Name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.

The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters.

The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.

The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.

He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.

The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.

The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.

The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!”

The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!

—Psalm 29

Like many Christians, I associate the 29th Psalm with the gentle and life-giving rite of baptism, since it is appointed for the First Sunday after the Epiphany (the Baptism of the Lord). But this psalm is actually much wilder and much more primitive than just about any other. So what do I do with those dueling first impressions?

The water images of life and refreshment are overwhelmed here by their destructive powers. And that's the aspect of baptism we try to avoid thinking about. But life and death are both integral parts of baptism.

Therefore we have been buried with him  by baptism into death,

so that,  just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of

the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.       —Rom. 6:4

Just as Christ was crucified before he was resurrected, before we can experience new life, sin within us must undergo death. 

So just as the 29th Psalm invites us to remember that the God of life has the power of both creation and destruction, so the baptism God gifts us with has the capacity to destroy one part of us even as it gives life to the rest. In the end, "let us be assuredly persuaded, that since God's power is infinite, we are defended by an invincible fortress" [John Calvin].

God of mystery and power, open my eyes to your power even as you open my heart to your love. Amen.

But He Got Ran Over 🙁

The pet section of Craigslist usually runs the gamut from cute to tragic. This one is more tragic than most, but the author somehow amazingly incorporated the ludicrous into their ad.

Be Their Shepherd

O save your people, and bless your heritage; be their shepherd, and carry them forever.

—Psalm 28:9

Where the NRSV has "be their shepherd" in this verse, the Geneva Bible and the King James Version translate this as "feed them." The actual Hebrew uses "shepherd" as a verb, so either is acceptable. But in this case, the more modern translation helps bring home the rôle God plays in our lives. A shepherd doesn't just feed, but also guides and protects.

Good Shepherd of the sheep, by whom the lost are sought and guided into the fold; feed us and we shall be satisfied, heal us and we shall be whole, and lead us that we may be with you, with the Father, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

—A New Zealand Prayer Book

Working Toilet

From Huntsville Craigslist, Free section: If the toilet is indeed a working toilet, shouldn't they have placed it behind one of those cabinets for just a bit of privacy?

Be Strong

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!

“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek.

Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!

If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.

Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.

Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!

—Psalm 27:7-14

At first glance, it looks like the Psalmist is in trouble and advocates doing nothing as a solution. She or he seems to take the saying, "Faith is the answer," to the extreme. But that's not really what's going on here.

Calvin ends his discussion of this Psalm by reminding us of Isaiah 30, where God makes a beautiful promise: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength. God says this to a people who have instead placed their trust in oppression and deceit, and when their world starts to fall apart around them, they flee the scene in terror.

And so we see that, far from doing nothing in the face of trouble, to stand firm and wait for God is an active stance. Faith here is anything but passive. It is courage and strength when everyone around about is predicting the worst, running away, or giving up. Juxtapose this to the psalmist who looks forward to seeing God's goodness, who stands firm, and who keeps the faith.

I believe, Lord, that your goodness exists in this world, even when all around is nothing but discouragement. Help me to wait for you in confidence, that I may see your victory. Grant me courage and patience in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Guernica

Guernica, by Pablo Picasso (1937)

On this day in 1937, the Germans began testing their Luftwaffe on the small, non-beligerant town of Guernica in Spain's Basque region. The attack began in broad daylight, lasted for hours, was totally unprovoked, killed hundreds of civilians, and destroyed the town. Spanish leader Franco approved the attack.

Pablo Picasso's work commemorating this tragic event was completed two months later.

The One Thing

One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.

—Psalm 27:4-5

What would be the one thing I'd ask of the Lord? Material blessings? Health? Love from other people? When I think about it, I'd probably that I'd never be touched by trouble.

But in the 27th Psalm, I'm taught to ask to live in God's presence my whole life long. Why? Not so trouble won't touch me, but so that I'll have a place to turn when trouble comes my way.

Help me to set my priorities, O God, that you may come first. Remind me that my Savior was crucified, so why should I expect a life of ease? Teach me instead to know I can turn to you when I'm in trouble. If arrows are flying, may I hide in your tent. If the waters rise, may you be the rock that holds me up; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Where Does God Live?

O Lord, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides.

—Psalm 26:8

Where does God live? What is this house I love? Is it heaven? That's where most people seem to think God lives, after all. But no reliable authority actually teaches that the heavens are "God's house" and that we should gaze up there longingly. In fact, Luke says the opposite (Acts 1:10-11)—at least about the gazing part.

In the Hebrew Bible, God's house seems to be the Temple. And perhaps that's what the psalmist meant when s/he wrote, "I love the house in which you dwell." But when that Temple was dedicated, Solomon—the king who built it—prayed, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Even heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you, much less this house that I have built!" And anyway, that Temple has been destroyed. Twice. Surely God was not left homeless!

The New Testament has other ideas. Two, specifically. And both of them offer very good objects for my love. First, Paul wrote to the Colossians that in Christ "the whole fullness of Deity dwells bodily." And Jesus himself referred to himself as the Temple of God in John 2:18-21. So when a Christian prays Psalm 26:8, we are referring to Christ as the place where God is at home and where God's glory dwells.

But the New Testament also reminds us (and this is the second thing) that the church is the body of Christ, and that its members are the receptacles of the Holy Spirit—together, the very Temple of God. To love God's dwelling place is to love the church—not the institution, and certainly not the building, but the people of God.

Help me, O God, to look to Christ as your home, and the body of Christ as your dwelling place. May I look for your glory in the faithfulness of your saints. Amen.

Good-bye, Barbara Bush

Laura Bush, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, and Melania Trump standing behind George H.W. Bush after his wife's funeral.

Happy St. George's Day

Examine My Reins

This devotion was the inspiration for my April 29 sermon.

Prove me, O Lord, and try me: examine my reins, and mine heart.

—Psalm 26:2 (Geneva Bible 1560)

Wow. Now this is interesting. What the NRSV translates as "test my heart and mind," the old Geneva Bible rendered "examine my reins and mine heart." At first glance, neither seems to be a literal translation of the Hebrew, which asks God to "refine my kidneys and my heart." But it turns out the Geneva Bible actually is. That's because rein, which to us is a strap that connects horse and rider (or driver) is also an archaic word for kidney (something a bit more obvious in French*). "Heart and kidneys" is symbolic language for my inner self. So I suppose it's just a happy accident that I understand the word rein in a different sense today.

I live in the 21st century, so it's not part of my everyday experience; but I would imagine that testing the reins is especially important when traveling by horse and buggy. Testing the reins would help guarantee that I could get where I'm going in one piece—it would ensure that my horse was properly hooked up to my carriage, and that I would be able to direct the horse once we were underway.

So when I ask God to "examine my reins," I might be asking that my connection be checked: Am I living in God's presence or outside God's presence? Is there healthy communication from my end, or am I disregarding the Divine in my workaday life? And I'm also asking if I'm taking direction properly. Am I studying the word and other things that are edifying? Am I allowing for holy silence, inviting God not just into my thoughts, but into my thinking process?

Examine my reins, O God: Strengthen the connection between me and you, and give me the grace of having you direct my path. Amen.

*The French word for kidney is rein.

Other Sheep

When New Testament scholar N.T. Wright discusses today’s passage from John’s Gospel, he opens by talking about the world of business—specifically what a businessman friend said to him:

N.T. Wright

The trouble with so many business leaders today is that they’re only in it for their own quick profit. Once people were really concerned about making something worthwhile, about building up a business, about looking after their workers. They would hope that their children would carry on the business after them, and go on contributing to the well-being of the local community. Now they don’t care. They can close a factory in one town and open another one a hundred miles away. As long as they get their bonus and share options they don’t worry about anything else.

Wright says that this made him think about what Jesus was saying in John 10, that a true shepherd isn’t in it to make a quick buck, but is more interested in the good of the flock. And you can tell whether a shepherd is genuine or not by what they do in the face of danger: “The false shepherd saves his prospects at the cost of his reputation. The true shepherd shows who he is by being prepared to die for the sheep.”*

Good Shepherd Sunday

The setting of Psalm 23 used as the theme song for The Vicar of Dibley.

Pastoral Prayer for the Fourth Sunday of Easter

We praise you, O God our Creator.
You made us and you provide us
with both daily bread and living water.
Like a shepherd you guide us along the right paths,
forgive us when we go astray,
and bring us back to the way.

We praise you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Whether we go down the right paths or the wrong,
you do not leave our side.
When the road we follow leads us through the shadows,
when we must face challenge or pain or even death,
we need not fear, for you are with us:
the wood of your cross lifted high above us,
we know that there is nothing you have not yourself faced,
no place where you are unprepared to defend us.

We praise, O Holy Spirit.
You unify us around your table,
freeing us to include both friend and foe
in our perception of your infinite love.
You anoint us to be children of the Most High;
our lives overflow with your good gifts.

We praise you, O God, Three-in-One.
Just as you lead us,
your goodness and your forgiving love follow us wherever we go.
Thank you that in you we are at home forever more. Amen.

Earth Day

Draw Me Out

The sorrows of mine heart are enlarged: draw me out of my troubles.

—Psalm 25:17 (Geneva Bible 1560)

It's nice to read the scriptures in a variety of translations. Sometimes it's not so much about which translation is truest to Hebrew or Greek idioms, but which one can help me understand things in a way that I can relate to. I am especially fond of Psalm 25:17 in the old Geneva Bible (the translation the Pilgrims brought with them on the Mayflower). For in my own life, the roots of distress usually lie not with exterior causes, but with my own tendency to worry. Yes, there are genuine sorrows in my life, but they too often become bigger in my heart than they should. I feel cornered, or I flee (usually emotionally, not physically) to a place of safety.

And safety's great, but I can't always function from such a place, and I can almost never grow when I'm unchallenged.

And so like a frightened dog cowering under a bed, I need to be drawn out by a loving Master. That's what it's like sometimes when I let God help us deal with my troubles: God often does it bit by bit so that I don't even realize what's happening. But in the end, I find that I've been drawn beyond my preoccupations—maybe even drawn beyond our own selves—into a broad place of safety and freedom.

My worries have been magnified until I feel that I am in trouble, Lord: Draw me out of my trouble; grant me safety; grant me freedom, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

The Friendship of the Lord is for Those Who Fear Him

For your Name’s sake, O Lord, pardon my guilt, for it is great.

Who are they that fear the Lord? He will teach them the way that they should choose.

They will abide in prosperity, and their children shall possess the land.

The friendship of the Lord is for those who fear him, and he makes his covenant known to them.

My eyes are ever toward the Lord, for he will pluck my feet out of the net.

—Psalm 25:11-15

Fearing God, as theologian Rob Bell once noted, is like sitting on a surfboard just offshore and finding a huge whale surfacing beneath you. The immensity of the event causes awe and respect and, yes, a certain fear as you are lifted. Whales are gentle but still wild, and in the vastness of the sea, encountering such a giant can’t but leave you breathless. And you love it.

That’s fearing and loving God.

Fearing God is like listening to the quiet after a large snowfall. Everything has changed and there is immense power in that. And yet, everything is more beautiful—even if it’s all just a little more complex. And you love it.

That’s fearing and loving God.

—Tim Brown, Living Lutheran

Imprint upon my heart, O God, that because I belong to you no one can pluck me from your hand, and because I fear you I need fear no other. Amen.

—A New Zealand Prayer Book

Mickey Making Coffee

All the Paths of the Lord

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.

All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees.

—Psalm 25:8-10

If it is the humble that God leads in the right direction, then is it possible to extrapolate? Can we assume that those who are characterized by extreme pride—those who utterly reject humility—are being led astray? The real problem here, of course, is that the proud often end up in positions of leadership and are endowed with the power to lead others (sometimes entire nations!) along the wrong path.

Those who genuinely pray to be led down what Psalm 23 calls the paths of righteousness cannot simply be silent bystanders as many so-called Christians endorse both prideful disobedience and complete disregard for the downtrodden. Whether anyone will listen or not, we are called to bear witness to the Crucified One who was willing to pay the price rather than place himself above God's own word.

Forgive my silent complicity in my nation's situation, O God: teach me both humility and courage, and show me how the two are not mutually exclusive; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

To Whom Does Tomorrow Belong?

I'm intentionally posting this video (from the 1972 musical Cabaret) today to ask to whom tomorrow (April 20) belongs. It portrays what appears to be a lovely song sung by an innocent boy. But we are quickly disabused of the notion of the boy's innocence, and soon thereafter learn the sense of the song. As chilling as the boy's singing is, the response of the audience is the truly frightening part.

This notion of false innocence is even more pronounced, for we have seen and continue to see the same thing happening in our own country: A perception of ethnic nationhood losing its integrity in order to embrace the promise of power—the hope for redemption from a source that cannot redeem, only destroy.

We know where Germany's ultra-nationalism led and what it took to destroy it. Has the United States learned that lesson? The stakes in the 21st century are much higher than they were 75 years ago, and the destruction that can be wrought is much greater than we can imagine. We have seen how diversity and understanding can lift up. Are we really that desperate to tear it down?

The Sins of My Youth

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness’ sake, O Lord!

—Psalm 25:6-7

Once God has forgiven a past transgression, it is forgiven. But sometimes old sins arise in my mind and threaten its peace. Psalm 25 reminds me that if I have to dwell on the past, then it is God's forgiving love, and not my own inadequacy, that I should remember.

When Satan tempts me to despair 

and tells me of my guilt within, 

upward I look and see him there 

who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died

my sinful soul is counted free,

for  God  the  just  is  satisfied 

to look on him and pardon me.

—Charitie Lees Bancroft

  

When I lie awake at night remembering my past wrongs, O God, remind me that you love me still, and that when you forgive you also forget; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Can You Picnic?

Can you surry, can you picnic?

—Laura Nyro

Teach Me Your Paths

Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.

—Psalm 25:4

If the scriptures are to be taken literally, why is the prayer to be taught God's ways so frequent in the psalms? If I can simply read the words and know that they mean what they say, why not a frequent prayer for the strength to follow the path that I can see so clearly because I take the words of the Bible literally? 

The Bible is not a book simply to be taken literally, but collection of books written by a community and interpreted by and in a community. To imply that we can read its messages in privacy and out of their context and be blessed with knowledge of the mind of God is both dishonest and a disservice to persons seeking faith.

Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all day long. Amen.

—Psalm 25:5

I Lift Up My Soul

To you, O Lord, I lift up my soul.

O my God, in you I trust; do not let me be put to shame; do not let my enemies exult over me.

Do not let those who wait for you be put to shame; let them be ashamed who are wantonly treacherous.

—Psalm 25:1-3

What's it mean to "lift up my soul"? My soul is what makes me human. It is that part of me which lives on, even after my body has become dust. Lifting it up to another being (or Being) is an act of offering my entire and eternal self. It is the ultimate act of vulnerability. 

In the 25th Psalm, the writer is clearly already feeling quite vulnerable. I don't know who their foes are, but they're beset. But in their danger, they make a choice: If I am to be exposed, then I will open myself up to God; if I belong to God, then those who mean me harm cannot take possession of me.

I offer myself to you, O God; let those of ill will say or do what they want. As long as I am yours, nothing else can overtake me or take me over. Amen.

Strong in the Struggle

Lift up your heads ye gates, and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in. Who is this King of glory? the Lord, strong and mighty, even the Lord mighty in battle.

—Psalm 24:7-8 (Geneva Bible 1560)

It's a common belief among biblical scholars that the God of Israel, Yahweh, was originally one of many near eastern gods acknowledged by the people that later became the Hebrews, and that he was the one who led them in battle. It wasn't until later that Yahweh was thought of as the Creator of the universe, and even later that the existence of all other gods was denied.

In our current way of thinking, God is the God of peace, and so it's not en vogue to think of God as a warrior. But sometimes I like to think of God that way, and my own personal paraphrase of this part of Psalm 24 refers to God as "strong in the struggle," because when people of faith have battles to fight, it's good to know that God is there in the thick of things.

When the storms of life are raging, Lord, stand by me. Amen.

Witnesses

There once was a man on a witness stand who kept shaking his head No and nodding for yes—responses which the court reporter couldn’t record, of course. And so the judge instructed him quite firmly, “Sir, all your answers must be oral.” So then, when the prosecuting attorney asked him, “Mr. Smith, were you at home the night of the burglary?” He answered, very distinctly, “Oral.”

✑

Speaking of court reporters, one once recorded the following exchange between a defense attorney and a coroner:

• Dr. Jones, when you performed the autopsy on the patient in question, did you check for a pulse?
• Yes, sir, I did.
• Did you check to see if she was breathing?
• Yes, I did.
• And did you check for any muscle reflexes?
• Yes.
• But is it possible that the patient was still alive when you began the autopsy?
• No.
• And how can you make that determination?
• Because her brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
• I see. But could the patient have been alive nevertheless?
• Well, I suppose she might have been alive and practicing law in this courtroom.

✑

On another occasion, in a paternity case, one of the lawyers involved asked the mother, “Ma’am, what was the date of conception.”

“October 15, 2015,” she said.

Come and Dine

Though this song is based more on John 21:9, it also reminds me of today's gospel reading (see Luke 24:41-42). I first learned it in Vanceburg, where we sang from the little Ruggles song book on Sunday nights.

Your Only Comfort

The earth is the Lord’s, and all that therein is; the world and they that dwell therein.

—Psalm 24:1 (Geneva Bible 1560)

Question:

What is your only comfort in life and in death?

Answer:

That I am not my own, but belong—body and soul, in life and in death—to my faithful Savior, Jesus Christ.

He has fully paid for all my sins with his precious blood, and has set me free from the tyranny of the devil. He also watches over me in such a way that not a hair can fall from my head without the will of my Father in heaven; in fact, all things must work together for my salvation.

Because I belong to him, Christ, by his Holy Spirit, assures me of eternal life and makes me wholeheartedly willing and ready from now on to live for him.

—Heidelberg Catechism  (Lord's Day 1, Question 1)

I thank you, God, that I am not my own, but that I belong to you, now and forever. Amen.

Heaven & Hell...

According to Grace & Frankie*

*or at least according to an ex-priest who knows their ex-husbands.

Guide Me Through

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.

—Psalm 23:4-6

Until we have reached that haven, the slightest breeze will make us tremble; but as long as the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall walk without fear in the valley of the shadow of death.

❦ John Calvin

As you are with me in the sunshine, be with me in the shadows, Lord. Guide me through and bring me home, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Not for Ease That Prayer Shall Be

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;

he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.

—Psalm 23:1-3

Hear, O God, the prayer we offer—
not for ease that prayer shall be,
but for strength, that we may ever
live our lives courageously.

Not forever in green pastures
do we ask our way to be,
but the steep and rugged pathway
may we tread rejoicingly.

Not forever by still waters
would we idly rest and stay,
but would smite the living fountains
from the rocks along our way.

Be our strength in hours of weakness,
in our wanderings be our guide;
through endeavor, failure, danger,
be the shepherd at our side.

✙ Love M. Willis, 1859 (adapted by SG)

I prefer this tune adapted by Ralph Vaughan Williams for this hymn. 

If you voted for Trump..

You knew this is what you were voting for. 

So why did you?

Earth of the Atevi

from C.J. Cherryh's Foreigner series

Eat & Be Satisfied

From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.

The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever!

All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.

For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations.

—Psalm 22:25-28

This psalm, prayed by Christ on the cross, started out, 'My God, why have you forsaken me.' And somehow we've moved from there to praise and the promise that the poor will be lifted up. It is amazing that there are Christians who can't see the Bible's emphasis on social justice. Even the saddest, most dejected episode in either testament becomes not only an occasion for praise, but a reminder that God loves the poor. 

Even in sadness, remind me that I will again praise you, O God. And even in praise, remind me that my good fortune isn't mine alone, but that you intend for all your people to share in your blessings. Amen.

L'Osservatore

From sometime in 1958

Life in the Face of Death

Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me; they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled;
I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me; they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots.
But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid! Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog! Save me from the mouth of the lion! From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me. I will tell of your Name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 
You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 
For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him.

 —Psalm 22:12-24 

Two realities: one human and one divine. The human reality is pain—even as we see in the life of Jesus the pain of crucifixion. The divine reality, however, sees beyond the pain. The One who created time is not bound by time when experiencing pain, but can also the experience the reality of answered prayer, of freedom, of resurrection.

Give me hope where there seems to be none, O God: Grant me the mind of Christ that I, too, can experience healing in the midst of pain and life in the face of death. Amen.

Gone, Gone, Gone

by Phillip Phillips

God Has Plans for Me

But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people.
All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
'Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—let him rescue the one in whom he delights!'
Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.

—Psalm 22:6-11

I am being dehumanized. To others I am a nobody. Even my faith is being mocked. Yet to God, I am a beloved child. God has plans for me.

Trouble is near, O God; it's obvious that no mortal can help me: Don't be far from me. Amen.

Congratulations, Sen. Duckworth

I haven't read the BBC article yet, but I hope it lists the male senators who have given birth in office on other days of the week. 🤞🏻 #fingerscrossed

A Real Fan

Spoken, Yet Unspeakable

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.
Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.

—Psalm 22:1-5

Most people are familiar with the 22nd Psalm only because Jesus prayed it—or at least its opening words—from the cross. I have always felt that the gospels recorded the first line, but that Jesus prayed the complete psalm, either aloud or silently. The two opening verses are a cry of pain—spoken, yet unspeakable. But this bitterest of psalms moves rather quickly from agony to trust.

What can this psalm—the one that Jesus prayed during the crucifixion—teach me about God's presence in my pain?

When I feel abandoned, O God, may your Spirit lead me to complain to you. But may you not stop there, but remind me of what you have done in the past, and what you can do now and in the future; in the Name of the One who felt forsaken on the cross. Amen.

1945

I want us to think this morning about a Sunday 73 years ago. Most of us probably can’t remember it, but I reckon a few of you might have some memories of the year 1945. Interestingly enough, Easter fell on the same day in 1945 as it did this year: April 1. It was a momentous year, because our nation had been involved in a huge war on two fronts. And in April of that year, people were feeling that the war in the Pacific was going to be won, and that the war in Europe was as good as over. Nobody in this country was left untouched by the war. It seemed that just about every family had somebody who’d served, and many had had a family member killed or wounded in action. But by Easter Sunday, people were filled with hope for the future.

People in this country, that is. War isn’t one-sided, however, and if one side was poised to be the victor, another was about to lose.

Doubting Thomas

This is the only version of this song I could find for the Second (Doubting Thomas) Sunday of Easter.

The King Trusts in the Lord

In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord, and in your help how greatly he exults!
You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah
For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold on his head.
He asked you for life; you gave it to him— length of days forever and ever.
His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you bestow on him.
You bestow on him blessings forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence.
For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.
Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them like a fiery furnace when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them.
You will destroy their offspring from the earth, and their children from among humankind.
If they plan evil against you, if they devise mischief, they will not succeed.
For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows.
Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power.  

—Psalm 21

Psalm 21 is another royal psalm, extolling the faith of the king and the power of God to uphold him. I think I could easily gloss over this particular psalm without too much thought, but suddenly it occurs to me that that would be dangerous. I live in a time and place where my own country's leader is being extolled by supposed believers as though he were somehow anointed by God for the job he's been given. Can this psalm be used to justify such hero worship?

But no, it certainly cannot. Though others might claim a divine mandate for a crude and faithless leader simply because he grants them access to the halls of power and upholds some of their own goals, God's blessing here is contingent upon the leader's own faith. This psalm has 13 verses, and so verse 7 lies at its numerical center. I might argue that it lies at the center of its theological message as well: For the king trusts in the Lord...The psalm culminates in the exaltation of God, and so should my life, whether I am great or small, rich or poor, powerful or humble. 

Be exalted, O God, in your strength, and may my strength depend on you, may my trust be in you alone, and may blessings be dependent solely on my faithfulness to you. Amen.

Give Me Your Hand

He greeted him, and said to him, “Is your heart as true to mine as mine is to yours?” Jehonadab answered, “It is.” Jehu said, “If it is, give me your hand.” 

—2 Kings 10:15 

(John Wesley famously employed this verse as the jumping off point for his standard sermon, A Catholic Spirit)

Some Take Pride in Chariots

May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your plans.

May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the Name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.

Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand.

Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the Name of the Lord our God.

They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.

Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call.

—Psalm 20:4-9

God forbid that I should read this psalm as though it were somehow patriotic. The proper place to thank God for one's nation is not in a military parade, but rather in the solemnity of a worship service. And such a worship service should not and cannot focus on the nation, but on the Name of the God who created it and all other nations. 

Forgive me my goosebumps at anthems and marches, O God. Grant instead that I be moved by the love of your Name. In times of victory and defeat, may I thank you for your presence. For in Christ I know that defeat is no less triumphant than the longest victory march in the world. Amen.

Support from Zion

The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The Name of the God of Jacob protect you! May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion.  

—Psalm 20:1-2

Psalm 20, taken in its entirety, is a prayer of blessing for the king. But it begins specifically as a prayer for protection during troubled times. That first verse is followed by a context, a place to look for that help, and that place of origin is the sanctuary/Zion—i.e. the temple.

Ancient Israel had something very specific in mind when they prayed for help from the temple. But I, a 21st century Christian have my own ideas. The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed thousands of years ago, but I still think of the sanctuary as a place where I experience the Divine. This sanctuary might be the room in my church I refer to as the sanctuary. Or it might be a place in nature—also sometimes called a sanctuary—where I might encounter God in creation.

Then there's Zion, a Christian metaphor for God's people who make up the church. We are indeed the temple of the Divine, God's dwelling place on earth. 

And so when I pray for an answer from God, for God's protection, and when I look to the sanctuary or to Zion for my prayer to be answered, I am open to two possibilities:

1. That I might find God in the places where I have encountered God in the past, in places I consider to be holy.
2. Or that I might look to God's people—my brothers and sisters in Christ—for the help and protection I need. This is what priesthood is—sharing God with another person—and this is why the priesthood of all believers is such an important concept to Protestants.

Thank you, God, that I am not simply calling into the ether, but that you give me a setting for my prayers. May I seek you in places of holiness, security, and divine encounter, and may I look to your people for community, help, and correction; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Incarceration Rates Worldwide

An Acceptability Problem

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.  

—Psalm 19:14 

In discussing this verse, Calvin talked about our need to be "governed by the Holy Spirit." And this, I believe, is what Jesus was talking about in the Sermon on the Mount, when he made the connections between thoughts, words, and actions.* 

With the advent of social media, we can now see a need to include posts, tweets, and status updates in our prayers for  acceptability. For example, while God's will might be for me to go to church on Easter, if I spend the trip there and back tweeting vitriol against my neighbors, I might have to admit to an acceptability problem. Though my outward acts are intended to appear to be pious in nature, I am clearly not "governed by the Holy Spirit" in the aspects of my life that really matter.

I'll close with Calvin's paraphrase of the first part of this little prayer:

I beseech thee, O God, not only to keep me from breaking forth into the external acts of transgression, but also to frame my tongue and my heart to the obedience of thy law.  Amen.

*See Matt. 5:21-22, 27-28

That's Not All That'll Be Shortened

According to Religion News Service, a Phoenix woman named Sharron Dobbins was arrested on Easter for waking her teenage son up for church by tasing him. Ms Dobbins was nonplussed by her arrest: “I don’t think I did anything wrong because you’re supposed to put God first and that’s all I was trying to do is tell my kids to put God first. Nobody writes a book on the correct way of parenting,” Dobbins added. “I tell my sons to honor thy mother and thy father or their days will be shortened and that’s my favorite.”

Source

A Nice, Well-Rounded Breakfast

Dylan Schneider: You Heard Wrong

More Satisfying Than Sweets

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

—Psalm 19:7-10

It's pretty simple, actually: What are my priorities?

Two of my problems in this area are materialism and gluttony. And Psalm 19 addresses both of these in a way that's both poetic and to-the-point. God's word is to be prized more than money—even a lot of money. And it's also more satisfying than sweets.

And so, unless I can pray Psalm 19:10 with sincerity, I'm not yet where I need to be.

Help me to love your word more than material things, O God, and help me to hunger more for your will more than for the sweetest dessert. Amen.

I'm Significant

The Glory of God

The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.  

—Ps. 19:1-6

In the first verse, the psalmist repeats one thing twice, according to his usual manner. He introduces the heavens as witnesses and preachers of the glory of God, attributing to the dumb creature a quality which, strictly speaking, does not belong to it, in order the more severely to upbraid humans for their ingratitude, if they should pass over so clear a testimony with unheeding ears. 

—John Calvin, Commentary on Psalm 19:1

Forgive me, Lord, that I, who have been blessed with intellect and speech, should fail to articulate what dumb nature constantly and beautifully proclaims. Help me to speak the language of your praise, in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Deathly Junk

Found among the "free" listings of Craigslist Huntsville, I suspect these items might be horcruxes. I'm at least going to get them and destroy them and see if it doesn't weaken Trump a little bit.

My Faith It Is an Oaken Staff

My faith, it is an oaken staff,
the traveler’s well loved aid;
my faith, it is a weapon stout,
the soldier’s trusty blade.
I’ll travel on, and still be stirred,
by silent thought or social word;
by all my perils undeterred,
a soldier pilgrim staid.

I have a Guide, and in his steps
when travelers have trod,
whether beneath was flinty rock
or yielding grassy sod,
they cared not, but with force unspent,
unmoved by pain, they onward went,
unstayed by pleasures, still they bent
their zealous course to God.

My faith, it is an oaken staff,
O let me on it lean!
My faith, it is a trusty sword,
may falsehood find it keen!
Thy Spirit, Lord, to me impart,
O make me what thou ever art,
of patient and courageous heart,
as all true saints have been.

—Thomas Lynch (1855)

Iranian Christians

Loudly proclaiming their Christianity, so-called Evangelicals even more loudly proclaim their support for the current administration, going so far as to say that Trump's affair with a porn star while his (third) wife was pregnant and his admissions of sexual assault do nothing to diminish their belief that he is God's choice for president. 

Yet, as surprising as their disregard for Trump's predatory sexual behavior is, even more shocking is their support of his policies that are so clearly in opposition to biblical justice. Case in point: Can any Christian imagine a more difficult place to practice her or his faith than in the Islamic Republic of Iran? And yet Iranian Christians, who during the Obama administration received asylum in the United States, are now stranded in Europe. The U.S. refuses to grant them asylum, despite the fact most of them have family already here.

It is time for Christians who support Trump to repent of their hypocrisy. And lacking that, for real Christians to name the brood of vipers that is masquerading as part of the flock of Christ.

The Lord Lives!

The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation.  

—Psalm 18:46

Today's psalm is a reminder that Easter is not a single day, but an entire season. It's called The Great Fifty Days, and it begins on Easter Sunday and ends on the Day of Pentecost. In fact, the word Pentecost comes from the Greek word for fiftieth. 

So here on Easter Monday, I am able to say, The Lord lives! with no less enthusiasm than I shouted He is risen! yesterday. 

You live, O Lord! You have conquered death and spread the promise of life through all creation! Blessed be the rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation! Amen.

Planted

An Easter Invitation

My former church had a Good Friday service of sacred music and readings the eleven years I was there, and I always included among the readings a poem that means a lot to me. Most people probably wouldn’t think of it as religious in nature, but the author of it, J.R.R. Tolkien, was deeply Christian, and the work it came from—the Lord of the Rings trilogy—is filled with religious imagery and metaphors. So to me, this poem is as spiritual as it gets.

We don’t have a Good Friday service here, so I included this poem at the end of the Maundy Thursday service. And I want to share it again, but this time to give the context:

The characters involved are the hobbits Samwise Gamgee and his employer and best friend, Frodo Baggins. Together, the two are on an impossible quest to rid the world of something unspeakably evil. And as they’re about to enter the heart of darkness, they are attacked by an enemy and it appears that Frodo, the bearer of the evil object, has been killed. And so Sam takes the evil upon himself, leaves his friend for dead, and sets off to destroy it without Frodo.

But he’s unable to do the deed alone, and so he goes back to where he had to leave Frodo, and finds that his body is missing. Overhearing two of the enemy talking, he comes to the realization that Frodo isn’t dead at all, but only appeared to be. But now the enemy has him locked up in an unassailable tower and Sam is but a small hobbit incapable of overpowering such a foe. And so in complete dejection and feeling himself a traitor to the one he loved, Sam sits down and waits for the end.

But for some reason he begins to feel that this is not the end. And he begins to sing some of the simple, pointless songs he remembers from his hometown in the Shire. Though he’s barely singing above a whisper, his music brings hope where there was none. And then, with a voice he did not know he possessed he begins to sing words he did not know he knew:

  In western lands beneath the Sun the flowers may rise in Spring,

  the trees may bud, the waters run, the merry finches sing.

  Or there maybe 'tis cloudless night and swaying beeches bear

  the Elven-stars as jewels white amid their branching hair.

Alleluia! Christ is risen!

The Lord is risen, indeed! Alleluia!

Against All Odds

By you I can crush a troop, and by my God I can leap over a wall.
This God—his way is perfect; the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all who take refuge in him.
For who is God except the Lord? And who is a rock besides our God?—the God who girded me with strength, and made my way safe.
He made my feet like the feet of a deer, and set me secure on the heights.
He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand has supported me; your help has made me great.
You gave me a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip.
I pursued my enemies and overtook them; and did not turn back until they were consumed.
I struck them down, so that they were not able to rise; they fell under my feet.
For you girded me with strength for the battle; you made my assailants sink under me.
You made my enemies turn their backs to me, and those who hated me I destroyed.
They cried for help, but there was no one to save them; they cried to the Lord, but he did not answer them.
I beat them fine, like dust before the wind; I cast them out like the mire of the streets.  

—Psalm 18:29-42

This passage from the psalter falls this year on Easter Sunday. So I am led to think of it in the context of the Resurrection. And what better example of the victory of God against all odds (such as the one recounted above) do we have than Christ's victory over death?

When I view Psalm 18 theologically, I cannot concentrate on the battle itself, but on the trust I must place in God when in dire straits. In his commentary on this passage, John Calvin said that "we will never have any nearness to God, unless he first come near to us by his word." And so, when I am led to despair because the odds are against me, I am assured that I can yet rest in God, and God's will will be done.

Draw near to me, O God, not only in the difficulties of life, but even in the extremity of death, that in life and in death, I may rest in you to whom I belong. Amen.