Book Update

I recently took a short working vacation, performing pastoral duties in Arlington, Virginia, and visiting a friend in Montclair, New Jersey. It was all very nice, but one of the best things were two books I "read" (i.e. I listened to the audiobooks) on my trip. They both ended up rolling high numbers.

Rating: ⚅

The first one was the latest by Yann Martel, the author of The Life of Pi. Entitled The High Mountains of Portugal (New York: Spiegel & Grau, 2016), it's really three stories in one book. Though the sections cover at least a century and are totally separate, they are closely connected in a marvelous way. 

The first section made me think about the doctrine of original sin. We are effected by sin, and we feel ourselves the victim. But we also participate in the sin of the world, and in our innocence we, too, are perpetrators of pain. 

Martel's fiction combines the mundane with the fantastic, and it's the middle section that does this best. What seems to be a boring New Year's Eve ends up being something altogether different. As I read this section, I knew it was unreal, but I couldn't avoid being touched by its depth and the way it gave added meaning to the first section.

The final section is a story unto itself, returning first to the middle section to retrieve some meaning, and, finally to the first section. This section was as much about community as it was anything else—how we're part of one even when we don't know it. 

I felt Portugal was a novel about how death changes us, and how death helps us give meaning to life. In the end, there is both atonement and healing.

There is one aspect of the book that gave me pause before I read it. It involves an ape on a crucifix. I was sure I would find this blasphemous and I suspected it would force me to stop reading the book. This wasn't the case, however. I've no doubt that a fundamentalist Protestant or a conservative Roman Catholic would loudly condemn this plot feature. But I did not find it objectionable—in fact, the reference to it in the middle section was nothing short of beautiful.

Portugal compared very favorably to Pi. It rolled a ⚅.

Rating: ⚅

The second book was a bit less cerebral and contained nothing of the fantastic. It was Benjamin Alire Sáenz's Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2012). I don't know if I'd have bothered with it if it hadn't been for the narrator: Lin-Manuel Miranda. If he could get behind it, then obviously there must be something to it, I thought. And I was right.

Secrets is a coming of age romance, and the two main characters are Mexican American kids from El Paso who explore not only the meaning of love but, even more importantly, the concept of identity. This aspect is threefold: discovering what it means to be gay, to be Mexican American, and to be part of a family. The overall feel of the book is overwhelmingly positive, yet it's filled with serious stuff—even violence. The fact that the bad doesn't take control of the narrative is in and of itself a triumph of good writing.

And I wasn't disappointed by the narration. Miranda gave the text light and life. Since the book was about students, it was especially humorous when Miranda gave voice to Aristotle's complaint about how boring it was to learn about Alexander Hamilton in school.

Secrets rolled a ⚅, and I think that would've been the case had I just read it without Lin-Manuel Miranda. But I'm glad I listened to it. It was much better than TV.

Three More Fingers

I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.

—Psalm 38:18

I have to admit that I find it a bit tedious when the psalmist protests her or his innocence, all the while pointing fingers at the wicked. "Help me, God, because I'm righteous," I read over and over again. But here suddenly we have Psalm 38, in which the psalmist points the finger at the very one doing the complaining. "I've done this to myself. I confess my sin. I'm sorry."

The Bible makes it abundantly clear that the righteous can judge the wicked for their wickedness. If this weren't the case, no prophet would ever arise, no works of justice would ever be carried out, no wrongs would ever be righted. But the Bible also makes it clear that no one is altogether righteous. As Mark Knopfler put it in the song Solid Rock (1980): "When you point your finger 'cause your plan fell through, you got three more fingers pointing back at you."

Before I point fingers, Lord, show me a mirror. Help me by your grace to get my own house in order, and then work through me to help order the world according to your love; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Never to Give Up Hope

But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

—Psalm 38:15

There's something to be said for hope. And, as I've said recently (see my morning devotion for May 6) waiting and hoping are closely tied together, both theologically and linguistically. To wait can be boring and tedious and angst-ridden. But to truly wait for God is active and hopeful. In commenting on today's verse, John Calvin said, "Certainly, the human mind will never be framed to gentleness and meekness, nor will it be able to subdue its passions, until it has learned never to give up hope."

Help me, O God, to wait for you; help me never to surrender to despair. Amen.

Like a Cedar

 

Towering like a cedar of Lebanon

I have seen the wicked oppressing, and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.

Again I passed by, and they were no more; though I sought them, they could not be found.

—Psalm 37:3-36

I love the phrase "wicked oppressing"—probably because of the hymn We Gather Together. But I especially like the verse it comes from in context: I've seen the wicked oppressing, and they seemed to me bigger than life. But then, when I returned to the same spot a while later, there was no sign of them. 

The message is that the thing that scares me is only temporary. The person that seems invincible now is, in fact, quite vulnerable if their values are petty, if their goals are counter to God's will. The humble person with integrity is, in fact, much stronger than the wicked oppressing who lord their wealth and their lust for power over others.

We all do extol thee, thou leader triumphant,
and pray that thou still our defender will be.
Let thy congregation escape tribulation;
thy Name be ever praised! O Lord, make us free! Amen.

—Thedore Baker (1894)

Memorial Day

As he died to make men [sic] holy, let us die to make them free.

Book Update

I recently updated my Sweet 16 Current or Recent Reads, and most additions were mediocre or just plain bad. But one rolled the highest rating.

Rating: ⚅

Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (Chapel Hill: Algonquin, 2014) tells the story of a man whose future destroyed his future. It's a novel about the meaning of life and the importance of community, seen mostly through the eyes of the family(!) living above a small local bookstore. The ending is bittersweet, but you'll love it, as well as the interesting twists and turns that got you there. Fikry rolled a ⚅.

Rating: ⚀

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness (Candlewick, 2010) is a haunting book. I suppose that sounds more positive than I intended. Perhaps I should've said I am haunted by how bad and how ugly this book was. I truly wish I hadn't read it. It is unnecessarily cruel, and if you have an iota of love for dogs, you must not pick up this book. Also, it's part of a series, and is anything but a stand-alone-novel. Having no redeeming qualities, Knife rolls a ⚀—but only because I can't find a dice with no numbers on it.

Rating: ⚁

There was a time when I loved Clive Barker, but for some reason I hadn't read his Books of the Art. It's supposed to be a trilogy, but the third book hasn't been written yet. So I suppose I've read the complete non-trilogy, having finished The Great and Secret Show a little while back. Everville (HarperCollins, 1994) is a worthy sequel to Show, but that's not saying as much as one might hope. Hidden somewhere in all the mayhem, I think there may have been a plot—I'm almost sure I sniffed one on the wind (or, in this case, on the maelstrom)—but it was all so confusing. And it was just too ugly for my tastes. I suppose the older I get, the less unpleasantness I can handle. But here's an example of why I probably will never pick up another Clive Barker novel: In the midst of all this rack and ruin, a couple to whom the reader is kindly disposed makes love in the sea. And that's fine. It's just that one of them had just had his genitals mutilated, and possibly the very last thing on earth I ever wanted to hear about was how his mangled penis bled when he had sex, bloodying up the water they were in.

It didn't roll the lowest possible rating, because Barker really is a decent writer in the end. But Everville wasn't for me.

Rating: ⚂

Somebody named "Cardeno C." wrote McFarland's Farm (Romance Authors, 2014) as part of a trilogy called the Hope Collection (named after the semi-fictional town* in Arizona where the action takes place). It was a pleasant enough romance, but it was in reality a short story that needed to be treated as a novel. Even so, had it been fleshed out more, it probably couldn't have rolled above a ⚃. As it is, I gave it a ⚂. The romance is pleasant, the characters likable, and the backstory deep enough that I might read the other two "books" in the series... but that's only because I can do so for free through my Amazon Unlimited® account.

Rating: ⚁

The cover of Kerstin Gier's Ruby Red (NY: Henry Holt 2011) claims that it's an international bestseller. I can believe this only if I consider the fact that there are millions upon millions of people on earth who don't speak English and had no idea what they were reading. Those of us who do speak English, however, regretted having been sold this book. The plot can be characterized by one word and one word only: formulaic. The characters are whiny and shallow, and the ending totally predictable. If there was a single plot twist in there, I didn't notice it. In the end, Ruby rolled a ⚁ only because it wasn't interesting enough to cause the nightmares of a ⚀.

________________________________________

 

* There really is a place in Arizona called Hope (basically an R.V. park with a church). It seems unlikely that the author of this series realized that (though a very quick check with either Google maps or Wikipedia would've informed him) but anything's possible.

A Spring That Cannot Be Drained

I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.

They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing.

Depart from evil, and do good; so you shall abide forever.

—Psalm 37:25-27

I am bothered by this portion of Psalm 37, since among those who go hungry in the world are some of the righteous and their children. I see, however, that I am in good company, since a commentator no less respected than Calvin himself found this verse perplexing. He goes on to relate verse 27 to verse 25 in this way:

Although daily experience shows us that the children of God do not as yet inherit the earth, yet, according to the measure of our faith, we feel how efficacious the blessing of God is, which, like a spring that cannot be drained, flows continually.

If you're intent on proving the Bible to be untrue, then this will do nothing to convince you otherwise. But for me it is sufficient to know that temporal and spiritual blessings are unequal when compared to each other. It is a greater blessing to be nourished by the body of Christ than enjoy a royal banquet in Buckingham Palace.

Perhaps if I ever find myself begging for bread I will change my mind. But I'll pray not to.

Keep me satisfied with what little I have, O God; make me generous in sharing the blessings you have given me; and keep me true to your word, that I will no matter what desire to delight in your will above all other things. Amen.

Borne of the Spirit

The wind blows where it chooses, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.

—John 3:8

Introduction: Nick at Night

We all know the story of the first part of John 3. Parts of it we know better than just about any other chapter of the Bible. It’s a story that finds Nicodemus visiting Jesus after dark. One of the first things about Nicodemus that might catch our eye is the fact that he’s a Pharisee. Having been taught all our lives that Pharisees are horrible hypocrites, it might be difficult for us to wrap our minds around the fact that here’s one that actually sought out a real theological discussion with Jesus—maybe not in broad daylight, but still, he was willing to receive what Jesus offered. Because Nicodemus visited  Jesus after dark, I have always referred this story as Nick at Night.

So let’s put Nick at Night in its broader context today. I hope we all remember that John’s Gospel opens with a beautiful prologue in which Jesus is identified as the divine Word—the Word that was spoken at creation, and through which creation was brought about. It’s almost a mirror image of Genesis 1, a Greek explanation of the Hebrew story of the origin of all things. John then proceeds to speak of Jesus’ baptism, the call of the first disciples, and then the wedding at Cana in Galilee where Jesus performed his first miracle (turning water into wine). When this miracle story is told, John states explicitly that even those present at the wedding didn’t know that the wine was a miracle of Jesus.

Made Firm by the Lord

Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way;
though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand.

—Psalm 37:23-24

So how can my steps be made firm, even though I might stumble? Here once again I find I need to change my definitions. The first casualty of my literal interpretation must certainly be the word step, since I doubt the psalmist is talking about physically walking in this brief passage. My steps are the way I make my way along the path I am taking. And if I am on the right path, then my steps are firm. If I take off after something that catches my eye but shouldn't, my steps will no doubt weaken. I can't fall, however, because I am on God's path, hedged about on the right and on the left by the Christ who walked it ahead of me.

"For God, who is rich in mercy, according to his unchangeable purpose of election does not take his Holy Spirit from his own completely, even when they fall grievously. Neither does he let them fall down so far that they forfeit the grace of adoption and the state of justification, or commit the sin which leads to death (the sin against the Holy Spirit), and plunge themselves, entirely forsaken by him, into eternal ruin." *

Keep me on your path, O God. Lead me by your light, follow me with your protection, and may your presence by my side lift me up should I begin to fall; in Jesus' Name. Amen. 

*Canons of Dort 5.6

Their Bows Shall Be Broken

The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to kill those who walk uprightly; their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.

—Psalm 37:14-15

Bows and swords may have been the weapons used to bring down the poor and needy in biblical days. Today's weapons are less physically violent, but no less injurious to life and spirit. In the 21st century, the wicked use tools such as credit bureaus, the force of law, and lobbyists to take what little the poor have and make it their own. As we watch more and more wealth rise to the top, the majority of people are sidelined as their job security, affordable housing, nutrition, access to healthcare, and their children's access to education disappear at an alarming rate. Far from doing something to protect them, the nation's leaders utilize congress, the courts, and governmental agencies to ransack the country and steal from those who have the least.

Yet the psalmist promises that the very tools that are used to abuse the poor will be the downfall of their persecutors. What is happening now is not forever. The power of the selfish rich will indeed be broken. But when?

Help me not simply to observe the problems that surround me, O God, but to act on behalf of those with whom my Savior identified, for it is in his Name I pray. Amen.

Do Not Fret

Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.

—Psalm 37:8
 

I am good at fretting. I know firsthand that fretting leads to ingratitude, unholy worry, acrimony, unspoken accusations. Indeed, fretting leads only to evil: the kind of evil that is chronic and insidious. I thank God that I am quickly delivered of fretting through the grace of forgiveness received and given. I thank God that I'm not good at finishing what I start... at least in the case of fretting.

Deliver me from the evil of fretting, Lord. Make me grateful, grant me empathy, keep me from worry; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Like the Noonday

Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.

He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.

—Psalm 37:5-6

If I commit my way to God, then my way and God's way are one. Only then can my cause ever be vindicated: not because it's my cause, but because it's God's will.

May the path I follow this day be your path, O God. May my desires and priorities align with your will. Thus may your light, shining in and through me, give guidance to others; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

The Desires of Your Heart

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

—Psalm 37:4

The second half of this verse is the part that catches my eye. I want God to give me the desires of my heart. On the surface, I think about how easy my life would be if that happened. But of course I shouldn't really read the second half of the verse until I've given thought to the first half. Those who live lives of ease or selfish pleasure are not generally not those who "take delight in the Lord." Clearly, then, if I truly delight in God, then the desires of my heart will not be the things that characterize the rich and beautiful and famous (though wealth and beauty and good looks do not of themselves prevent people from having spiritual priorities). If my delight is in God, then my heart's desire will be in serving God, making peace, working for justice, and sharing unconditional love and forgiveness.

Make me delight in your Name, O God, and may my deepest desire be the doing of your will; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Twofold Knowledge

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.

They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.

For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

—Psalm 36:7-9

Since the Lord first appears not only in the creation of the world but also in the general doctrine of Scripture—first as a Creator, and then as a Redeemer in Christ—a twofold knowledge of God thus arises. And although our mind cannot conceive of the Divine without worshiping, it will still not be sufficient simply to believe that he is the only Being worthy of adoration and worship unless we are also persuaded that he is the fountain of all goodness, and that we must seek everything in him, and in none but him. 

—John Calvin, Institutes 1.2.1 (alt.)

In your creative power, you are the fountain of life, O God; and in the light of your redemptive power in Christ, I perceive all other light. Amen.

Together in One Place

When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

—Acts 2:1

Waiting. It’s not something we’re usually all that good at, but it’s something the Bible makes a big deal of. How many times is waiting made into a virtue? One of our best-loved verses is found at the end of Isaiah 40: Those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint. This is the same kind of waiting that’s found throughout the psalms. One of my favorite instances is Psalm 31:24, which says, Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.

Waiting and hoping are two very different words in Germanic languages, such as English. But in Romance languages, they’re the same word. Esperar, for example, in Spanish. And so those two concepts—waiting and hoping—are much more closely related in some minds than in others.

You Have Seen

You have seen, O Lord; do not be silent! O Lord, do not be far from me!

Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defense, for my cause, my God and my Lord!

Vindicate me, O Lord, my God, according to your righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me.

Do not let them say to themselves, “Aha, we have our heart’s desire.” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed you up.”

Let all those who rejoice at my calamity be put to shame and confusion; let those who exalt themselves against me be clothed with shame and dishonor.

Let those who desire my vindication shout for joy and be glad, and say evermore, “Great is the Lord, who delights in the welfare of his servant.”

Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long.

—Psalm 35:22-28

"You have seen..." When the ungodly look, what they see is opportunism. How can I take advantage? How can I take revenge? How can I make myself look good? How can I humiliate? How can I profit? But "God also sees and takes notice of the cruelty and malice of those who feel a pleasure and gratification in seeing others afflicted and in trouble" [Calvin].

Throughout the psalms, there's a contrast drawn between those in whose view the vulnerable are brought down, and God whose viewpoint brings wholeness to the downtrodden.

See me, Lord, and know my pain. And give me eyes to see in others not an opportunity for gain, but an opportunity for sharing; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

In the Great Congregation

Then I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.

—Psalm 35:18

"I can commune with God much better alone in nature than I can in a church with all those hypocrites." I can't tell you the number of times I've heard that one. And indeed it's nice to be alone. In nature, even. But to use one's own moral superiority as an excuse not to attend congregational worship is the height of arrogance, and displays the very hypocrisy decried in the opening statement.

Worship with others is not really optional. In worship, we're exposed to others' ideas. We're led to realize our own wrongdoings—things that, left to our own devices, we might not realize are harmful to ourselves or other people. Our spirits are lifted up in song and prayer. We get to be around people we want to be around, and those we might otherwise avoid. All of these things are necessary for the person of faith... or the person seeking faith. Otherwise we remain simultaneously unsupported and unchallenged. The former leads to discouragement; the latter to stagnation.

Only the already perfect can be excused from "the great congregation." But then again, wouldn't an important part of human perfection be the willingness to share one's wondrousness with the hoi polloi?

Thank you, Lord, for calling your people out of the world and out of nature and into a church. Thank you even more for the opportunities you give me to praise you in the midst of and as a part of the body of Christ. Amen.

Bewitched

Elizabeth Montgomery (b. 4/15/33) died of cancer on this date in 1995. She was 62.

If Bones Could Talk

Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his deliverance. 

All my bones shall say, “O Lord, who is like you? You deliver the weak from those too strong for them, the weak and needy from those who despoil them.”

—Psalm 35:9-10

If bones could talk, what would mine say? The psalmist's faith is so deep, that her or his bones extol God. Not just in body, but in the very frame that upholds the body, the psalmist praises the Defender of the weak and needy.

Today's faithful seem very far removed from the words of this psalm. We are taught to expect blessings that the vast majority of the people on earth cannot dream of. We pray for benefits for ourselves alone. And yet the songbook of our faith, the Book of Psalms, teaches us that at the core of his or her being, the person of true faith cannot help but glorify the One who ministers to the poor.

You created me in your image, O God. So forgive me for all the times I dishonor that image by ignoring the needs of the vulnerable, for reveling in the ways I profit from their need, for asking for that which I don't need. Make me more like you, that at the core of my being, I may praise you with integrity; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

The Lord Delivereth

Great are the troubles of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.

—Psalm 34:19 (Geneva Bible, 1560)

I wonder what the "name-it-claim-it" preachers of the prosperity gospel do with this passage? It's nice to believe in deliverance from difficulties. But if I actually deny the existence of the difficulties, then what exactly am I being delivered from? Or if I believe the difficulties occurred in the first place due to a lack of righteousness or faith, then what makes my deliverance any difference from a wicked person experiencing a run of good luck?

Troubles are real. And so is God's deliverance. To deny the existence of one is to render the other pointless at best, and nonexistent at worst.

Sometimes, Lord, I feel that I need to thank you for life's difficulties. Without them, I would need no faith; without them, there would be no need to look to you for salvation. Bring me through my troubles, and deliver me in Jesus' Name and for his sake. Amen.

The Lord Is Near

The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves the crushed in spirit

—Psalm 34:18

We ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" But the Bible answers a different question. As Eugene Peterson wrote: "the wicked experience suffering as utter despair, the complete destruction of all that is important; the righteous experience it in nearness to God, who preserves his children through every adversity." *

In other words, "good" people shouldn't expect only good things to happen. But the twofold promise of God is that we (and seriously, how dare we call ourselves good?) will never experience them alone, and that they will never be our downfall.

I ask not to avoid suffering, Lord. I ask instead that when it comes, I feel you near; in Jesus' Name. Amen.

*in Praying with the Psalms (HarperSanFrancisco 1993), March 14.

Tell It Slant

Tell all the truth but tell it slant—
Success in Circuit lies
Too bright for our infirm Delight
The Truth's superb surprise
As Lightning to the Children eased
With explanation kind
The Truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind—

Emily Dickinson died on this date in 1886.

Stardust [revisited]*

…so that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, in which you shine like stars in the world.

—Philippians 2:15

Introduction: 1969

I came upon a child of God—
he was walking along the road.
And I asked him, 
'Where are you going?'
This he told me:
I’m going down to Yasgur's Farm; 
gonna join in a rock and roll band.
Got to get back to the land 
and set my soul free.' [1]

Nearly fifty years ago, a singer and songwriter named Joni Mitchell was planning to perform at an obscure music and arts festival in Upstate New York. But her agent told her that it would be better for her career if she appeared on The Dick Cavett Show instead. And so that's just what she did. The festival she missed was named Woodstock, and they say that she wept when she saw the reports on television of what it was that she missed. Her boyfriend, Graham Nash, was there, and he told her all about it. So she sat down and wrote a song, and named it Woodstock after the event she wished she’d gone to. This song has been acclaimed by one 21st century author as “the most popular and influential poem written in English” in the past forty years. [2]

A Prayer for Ascension Sunday

Creator God,
we thank you for filling
the vastness of the universe and the inhabited world
with creative power
and for sustaining it with your immeasurable goodness.
We pray for Christians of all churches:
Grant them the courage
of a faith that believes you govern the world,
let them hear your liberating word,
and move them to act on others’ behalf.

We pray for our threatened and broken world:
Turn aside all powers that would destroy it.
Convict all who work
in the areas of science and technology, economics and politics
of their responsibility for advancing human worth.
Grant to all who are committed
to the peaceful coëxistence of persons and peoples
the assurance that their work is not in vain.

We pray for those to whom the heavens seem closed,
whose questions go unanswered, 
and whose lives are characterized by emptiness.
Help those who are bowed down to stand.
Take from the narrow-minded their fear of new horizons.
Open to those who covet the past a glimpse of your future.
Speak your word of atonement to the quarrelsome
that they may dare reconciliation.

We praise you, O God—Creator, Christ, and Holy Spirit—
for you care for all you have made,
your redeem our lives,
and you remain present in your world.
Hear these prayers,
for we offer them in the Name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
who with you and the Holy Spirit,
lives and reigns as one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Adapted from the German Reformed Liturgy

Always Give Thanks

I will always give thanks unto the Lord: his praise shall be in my mouth continually.

My soul shall glory in the Lord: the humble shall hear it and be glad.

Praise ye the Lord with me, and let us magnify his Name together.

—Psalm 34:1-3 (Geneva Bible, 1560)

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.

—G.K. Chesterton

For what I have received may the Lord make me truly thankful. And more truly for what I have not received. Amen.

—Storm Jameson

You Are Stardust

I'm not a very new-agey pastor. Not by a longshot. But I am rather new-agey when it comes to the Ascension. To me, the old message, "From dust you came and to dust you shall return," was updated on the fortieth day of Easter to, "You are stardust." And so this is the song I always think of on this day...

Ascension Day

Psalm 47. This is what church music is supposed to be:

Starry Night

I attended a painting class while in New Jersey. We did our own interpretations of Van Gogh's Starry Night. Like the master himself, however, I have yet to sell a painting in my lifetime.

Derby Day

By Derby Day Justify was the favorite, but I'd picked him before he was the favorite. Let's hope he can win the Triple Crown now.

A City Under Siege

I was beset as a city under siege.

O how abundant is your goodness that you have laid up for those who fear you, and accomplished for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of everyone!
In the shelter of your presence you hide them from human plots; you hold them safe under your shelter from contentious tongues.
Blessed be the Lord, for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me when I was beset as a city under siege.

—Psalm 31:19-21

I probably shouldn't compare myself to the psalmist, but in the modern era it's sometimes surprisingly easy to understand what the ancients meant when they refer to being "beset as a city under siege." The news that bombards us these days is constant. Much of it is broad in scope: a leader who colluded with a foreign power in order to get elected; science being ignored by the very government agencies who should be guided by it; campaign finance laws being ignored with impunity... and much of it can be quite personal:health, home or car repairs, finances—all these are things that weigh heavy on most people's hearts, and about which we might receive updates via snail or email on any given day.

There are many ways, it would appear, to be under siege, whether 3000 years ago or today; whether in a developing country or an industrialized society. So it can often be difficult to imagine myself in the shelter of God's presence. Yet in his commentary on this psalm, Calvin goes to great length to emphasize that not only is God's abundance a promise that will be kept, but that it is to be kept in this world, and not only in the next. 

Thank you, O God, that you shelter me from the things that beset me in this life. Help me to lean on you so that I am not blown over by that which doesn't matter. Amen.

May 4

May the Fourth Bee with Ewe.

Free Vermin

Okay, in Birmingham people are just giving away the house pests they catch. I understand not wanting to kill mice, but wouldn't the truly humane solution be to set it free? By the way, their description refers to only one mouse, but the picture has two.

Sin: A New Definition

Labor is the Superior of Capital

Labor is prior to and independent of capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration. 

—Abraham Lincoln

My Hometown

Ashland, Kentucky

On This Day...

Stuck on You by Elvis was the #1 song on the day of my birth.