A Fresh Text

The Skating Minister, Henry Raeburn (ca. 1795)
An excerpt:
In many instances the sermons prepared during the first few years of a ministry served for all its subsequent continuance, with perhaps some modifications or additions suggested by the altered circumstances of the time. It used to be said of some clergymen that they kept their sermons in a barrel, which when emptied was refilled again with the old manuscripts. Dr. Hanna, the biographer of Chalmers, used to tell of one such minister who had preached the same short round of sermons for so

My Teacher

He established a decree in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our ancestors to teach to their children; that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and rise up and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments; and that they should not be like their ancestors, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Psalm 78:5-8
George Santayana, though an atheist, said something that pertains to a great deal of scripture—especially the psalms which recount the history of God's people:  
Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.  
He may have originated that well-known phrase, but it was Israel who first put forward the idea behind it. And of all the psalms, Psalm 78 is perhaps

August 30 Worship

This is the tenth installment of my Bible Study on Romans. Today I cover Romans 12:9 - 13:8. Here's the order of worship:
  • 00:00 Chimes
  • 00:27 Prélude

The Root of Truth

I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old...
Ps 78:2

"Once upon a time..." When these words are spoken, we know a story has begun. We often call these stories myths, and in the modern age the word myth has come to be synonymous with lie. But in reality, a myth is the deepest of truths; it is the truth at the root of reality as a people understands it. The sharing of myths through the ages has taught children, encouraged adults, and bonded societies. And so when we see the ominous words of Psalm 78:2, that is how we should receive them: What I am now going to hear is the truth at the root of all other truths; it is my people's raison d'être. And then the psalmist begins to recount Israel's struggles and victories, and

God's Way

Thy way, O God, is in the Sanctuary: who is so great a God, as our God! 
Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.
⚜︎ Ps 77:13, 19
⚜︎
Today's meditation is a bit of a departure, in that I'm dealing with two non-consecutive verses: vv 13 & 19 of Psalm 77. I'm using the Geneva Bible, because modern translations all seem to agree on a grammatically impossible interpretation of the Hebrew בקדש—the ב at the beginning being the preposition in, which makes קדש its object. It might make sense to say, "Your way, O God, is in holiness," but a literal translation places God's ways in a place, and that place is the sanctuary. If it is to be interpreted beyond its literal meaning, then instead of in the sanctuary, I might say, "Your way is in heaven" (which is, after all, what the sanctuary represents).

It is similar, I think, to the opening of the prayer our Lord taught us: "Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowèd be thy Name..." And the two prayers

Become Vulnerable

I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints.
You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
“Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?”
✛ Ps 77:1-9

The first half of Psalm 77 is the prayer of the pitiful, the prayer of the sore oppressed. But at the end of this half—that is, in the middle of the Psalm (if

Embraced by God

Human wrath serves only to praise you, when you bind the last bit of your wrath around you.
☁︎ Ps 76:10
 ☁︎
This is a rather odd verse at first glance, and I don't like the modern translation, because it seems to have the binding in reverse—I read the Hebrew as God surrounding the wrath, not the wrath being around God. Maybe I might interpret it this way: Human wrath shall acclaim you; you'll even embrace our fury until none of it's wasted.

To make sense of this verse, a Christian need only think of the crucifixion, the ultimate in human wrath. Nailed to a cross, the recipient of all the wrath humanity could muster was embraced by God. His death was transformed into death's defeat; the grief of the graveside became the joy of new life. Psalm 56 speaks of God putting our tears in a bottle. Thus, every last bit of

We May Not See Her King

Glorious are you, more majestic than the everlasting mountains.
Ps. 76:4

What soul can gaze upon majestic mountains and not be moved? Believers look at such sights, and are reminded of the One who created them. It's hard, however, to remember that the Unseen is more majestic and glorious than the thing we're seeing. An English patriotic hymn, originally called The Two Fatherlands, helps me with this, however. The first stanza is a vow to give all for love of country. But then the second stanza puts love of nation into perspective:
And there's another country, I've heard of long ago,
most dear to them that love her, most great to them that know;
We may not count her armies, we may not see her King;
her fortress is a faithful heart, her pride is suffering;
and soul by soul and silently her shining bounds increase,

I Will Still Be Upheld

When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants, it is I who keep its pillars steady.
Ps 75:3

Hebrew words have roots. And prefixes and suffixes are added to those roots to give new or enhanced meaning. So the word the NRSV translates as totters is נְמֹגִים is built around a root that includes the letters מ and ג, and might have originally meant melt—but might also have implied agitation. The question of the root's real meaning is evident in older translations (Geneva & KJV) of Psalm 75:3, which use the word dissolve. But whether the true meaning is totter or dissolve, the implication here is similar to what we saw in the 46th Psalm, where we find the psalmist trusting in God despite earthquakes and tsunamis.

Of Psalm 75, Calvin believed that it predicted the coming of Christ. Specifically, he said, it predicted the destruction of the old creature, who is immediately replaced by the new creation. It is, Calvin wrote (and I'm

A Tale of Two Multitudes

Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild animals; do not forget the life of your poor forever.
▫︎ Ps 74:19
▫︎
The Hebrew of Psalm 74:19 is probably beyond my ability to translate it. The word חַיַּת (it sounds sort of like the English word heat, but pronounce the h gutterally) occurs twice in this verse, and is interpreted to mean two very different things. So it's basically an oxymoron:
▫︎
Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the חַיַּת, do not forever forget the חַיַּת of your poor.▫︎
▫︎
So. There appear to be three meanings to the word חַיַּת: life, multitude, and beast. and the NRSV (above) has ignored the possibility of multitude in both clauses. But here's an instance where I think the Authorized (King James) Version actually gets it right—or at least right-er than my favorite modern

August 23 Worship

Below, you'll find the video of the ninth installment of my Bible Study on Romans. It covers 12:3-13. Here's the order of worship:

Humble Faith

Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you.
But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works.  
▻  Ps 73:27-28
▻ 
Fewer and fewer people in the world express faith in God. Even fewer express that faith in a way that estranges them from earthly power and material wealth. Churches that preach not just faith, but humble faith, are few and most often small in membership. And yet, for those of us who profess such a faith, we know what nearness to God means to us. It is enough in this life to experience it and to fearlessly preach the gospel of the One who wandered the earth without a roof over his head, with no possessions save the clothes he wore, and who did not fear what the powerful could do to his body, for his soul belonged to God.

Keep me true to your word, Lord, and keep me close by your side. It is a lot to ask, but I ask for nothing beside. In Jesus' Name, who taught me to pray: Our Father...

Invitation to the Table


Come to the banquet!

At this table,
    we rejoice together with those who celebrate;
    and we weep together with those who despair.

For it is at this table
    that we find the One who understands our humanity,
    who forgives our wrongdoing,
    and who offers us new life.

So know that you are not alone:
In God you are part of something greater than yourself.
In Christ you are understood—

My Portion Forever

Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 
▻ Ps 73:25-26
▻ 
When they stand alone, these words from near the end of Psalm 73 are beautiful. But their meaning is made that much deeper in context. The psalmist has just admitted to being jealous of those who have left no room in their lives for God. Such people seem always to be healthy, wealthy, and respected by others. But as the psalm draws to a close, the writer sees clearly that we all come to the same end, and as that end draws near, it draws forth terror in those who have lived for this life only. But for the

God's Awesomeness

All in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
For all day long I have been plagued, and am punished every morning.
If I had said, “I will talk on in this way,” I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.
But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.
Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin.
How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors!
They are like a dream when one awakes; on awaking you despise their phantoms.
When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart,
I was stupid and ignorant; I was like a brute beast toward you.
Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me with honor.
Ps 73:10-24

I suppose I might look at this part of Psalm 73 as a threat: destruction will be the lot of those who disregard God and/or live selfish lives. But I don't think it's like that at all. The end is before all of us. We can cower in terror before it, or we can trust God that the end as we perceive it will be but a new beginning. To fear God (i.e. to respect God and to be aware of God's awesomeness) is to be relieved of terror. Absent that fear, we lack wisdom—

Envious of the Arrogant

Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart.
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people.
Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.
Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth.
Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them. 
And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 
Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.
Ps 73:1-12
✣ 
I love the 73rd Psalm. It speaks as directly to the human condition in the 21st century as it did thousands of years ago. The psalmist acknowledges the truth of God's will, but then admits to looking around and noticing how good life is for the arrogant and wicked. Like so many of us since these

God Alone

Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
Blessed be his glorious Name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.
Ps 72:18-19

The 72nd Psalm extols the king nearly from beginning to end. I say nearly, because at the very end, we read words that put the king's glory into perspective. No matter how great the earthly ruler, God alone is the worker of wonders, and is the source of any greatness to which humans might aspire. The psalmist, therefore, "with good reason prays that the glory of the divine Name may fill the whole earth, since that kingdom was to be extended even to the uttermost boundaries of the globe, and that all the godly, with earnest and ardent affection of heart, may unite with him in the same prayers, there is added a confirmation in the words, Amen, and Amen."

So I will pray not only for myself, that I may see in God the source of all

Good Leadership

For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.
He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.
Ps 72:12-14

Calvin said of these verses that "the psalmist again affirms that the kingdom which he magnifies so greatly will not be tyrannical or cruel. The majority of kings, neglecting the well-being of the community, have their minds wholly engrossed with their own private interests. The consequence is, that they unmercifully oppress their miserable subjects; and it even happens that the more formidable any of them is, and the more absorbing his rapacity, he is accounted so much the more eminent and illustrious. But it is far different with the king here described. It has been held as a proverb by all [humankind], 'That there is nothing in which [people] approach nearer to God than by their beneficence'; and it would be very inconsistent did not this virtue shine forth in those kings whom God has more

A New and Blessèd Realm

Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son.
May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.
May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.
In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
Ps 72:1-7
Psalm 72 is painful for me to read. It is very much a messianic psalm, and Christians see in it a prayer for the reign of Christ. But it also points to the biblical ideal for what a ruler should be—and this is an idea that has not only been rejected by my own people, but most specifically by the very people who claim to derive their faith from the words of the Bible.

Righteousness, justice, peace—these are the themes of biblical leadership. The people, the poor, the needy—these were the emphases of David and

August 16 Worship

This is the eighth installment of my Bible Study on Romans. It covers the opening of Romans 12, and includes a word study on the Greek word often translated as perfect. Here's the order of worship:
  • 00:00 Chimes
  • 00:26 Prélude: Faith (Mendelssohn)
  • 04:02 Welcome
  • 04:56 Call to Worship: Psalm 100
  • 05:30 Opening Prayer
  • 05:55 Lord's Prayer
  • 06:27 Scripture Reading: Romans 12.1-2
  • 07:04 Bible Study
  • 16:55 Song: They'll Know We Are Christians 
  • 19:22 Prayer (incl. Communion Prayer)
  • 23:22 Fraction
  • 24:10 Benediction
  • 25:06 Response: Go Now in Peace
As always, it's best to watch the video in full-screen mode.

The Problem of Pain

You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again. I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued.
Ps 71:20-23

Psalm 71:20 is very much about resurrection, for I can easily imagine the cross and the empty tomb when I read these words. But I must remember that this psalm is also for me all through the course of my life. To paraphrase Calvin:
If I enjoy nothing but a uniform course of prosperity, I'll no doubt have good reason to be happy. But in that case I would never experience what it is to be delivered from destruction by the stupendous power of God. I must be brought down even to the gates of death before I can see God as my deliverer.
I know that to some this is a poor explanation for the problem of pain. But I have to admit that it works for me. It's not the only explanation. It's not even the best explanation. But it's a good explanation, because even somebody

The Wisdom of Age

Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
Ps 71:9

Look, I get it. Congregations want younger people. A church that has no young people may have to shut its doors in a generation. But that doesn't mean I like seeing the blurbs in my denomination's employment opportunities section stating explicitly that a particular congregation wants a pastor who can "attract young families" without making mention of loving the elderly, too.
Most older people also like seeing younger people in the church. But let's not cast our seniors off in the process. It was often their vision and hard work that built the community of faith into something substantial, and it's even

It Was God or Nobody

In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your righteousness deliver me.
✜ Ps 71:1-2a

Psalm 70 ended with a very impatient prayer: "Don't delay." And about the opening verse of Psalm 71, Calvin says that the one "whose mind is in a state of constant fluctuation, and whose hope is divided by being turned in different directions, in each of which he is looking for deliverance, or who, under the influence of fear, disputes with himself, or who obstinately refuses the Divine assistance, or who frets and gives way to restless impatience, is unworthy of being succored by God." 
But wasn't "restless impatience" the whole point of Psalm 70:5?
I suppose the answer is Yes and No. Impatience, yes. But the impatience was single-minded. It was focused on God alone. If the prayer were not

Hurry Up

But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay!
Ps 70:5

There are lots of hymns that use the phrase, "Do not delay." But in every case, the words are directed at people coming to God. For example:

Let ev’ry heart leap forth and rejoice;
and let us freely make him our choice;
do not delay, but come. 
 ❧ G. Root
Oh, sinner, come, do not delay,
but come to God, no longer stay. 
W. Mahone
If you from the Savior have wandered away,
return to him quickly, O do not delay. 
E. Barnes

Here in Psalm 70, however, these same words are directed at God. This is a double surprise: Usually we're told not to delay in going to God, and just as often we're told to wait for God. So why is this situation different?

What I note here is called register. We speak in different registers to different people, depending on our relationship with them. The way I speak to a small child differs from how I speak to an adult. The way I speak to someone I went to school with differs from the way I might speak to the Queen of England (if I ever actually spoke to her). I speak in a different register depending on where I stand on the social ladder compared to where the person I'm speaking to stands. I might tell my sister or an old friend to hurry

Aha!

Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!” turn back because of their shame. 
Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!”
Ps 70:3-4
✙ 
In Hebrew, Aha! is הֶאָח  (pronounced hey-ach, the second part rhyming with Johann Sebastian Bach), and every time it's used in the Bible, it's directed outwardly as an expression of derision.
✙ 
In English, of course, we might also use it as a way to verbally point at someone. Aha! Now I've caught you—you are as bad as people say you are! And this is pretty much what's going on at the opening of Psalm 70. The psalmist is being persecuted and held in derision. Everything they do is used as evidence of the fact that their cause (which here is equated with God's cause) is wrong.

But we have a different kind of Aha! in English, and I think that's what we see implied in verse 4. This type of Aha! is directed inwardly, and is usually a very good thing. It's an expression of realization—maybe even an epiphany: Aha! I never knew that before! I've just connected two dots, and this finally makes sense! And since seekers have an epiphany in Psalm 70:4, I think it's

Speaking with God's Voice

I will praise the Name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 
This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs.
Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive.
For the Lord hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds.
♒︎ Ps 69:30-33
♒︎ 
It's very common among those who claim to take the Bible literally to believe that the Bible speaks with one voice. But the best argument against such literalism is that same Bible, for there are times when it debates itself. In some places in the Bible (e.g. Ezra 10), outsiders are thought of as an impurity, and blessing is promised to Israel if foreign spouses and children are sent away. In others (e.g. Isaiah 56), foreigners are specifically included among God's people. Another example of a debate being carried out within the pages of the Bible is adherence to God's law. I'm not talking about a debate going on between the Hebrew and Christian scriptures, but within the Hebrew scriptures themselves. In the Pentateuch (the first five books), ritual

Be Not Afraid

You shall cross the barrenn desert but you shall not die of thirs. You shall wander far in safety though you do not know the way.
I hereby command you: Be strong and courageous; do not be frightened or dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. —Joshua 1:9 

This particular performance of this particular song is the very definition of what it means to be people of faith: Love of God and neighbor, trust despite danger, and unity despite forced separation—these are just a few of the concepts that Christians universally understand. It's definitely worth a listen (and look)...

If I Strive

But I am lowly and in pain; let your salvation, O God, protect me.
Ps 69:19-29

When commenting on this little verse, Calvin reminds me that David "assures himself that the very thing which others considered as a ground for despair, would prove to him the cause of his salvation."

I like this. We are taught that meekness is bad—that we must put ourselves forward in order to succeed. Our culture does not teach us that patience and kindness and humility might do our spirit good. And yet the message of the scriptures we claim to believe in is quite different. It is not the proud that God takes note of, but the humble. After all, the proud need no salvation: they think they can save themselves. Those who are in pain and who know they're unable to save themselves—those who go unnoticed by the world—they are God's little ones, those whom God protects, the ones to whom Christ came, with whom

August 9 Worship

In the seventh installment of my study on Romans, I look at how Christ's story becomes our story, then I invite Phoebe and Joey to help me explain the human condition. Here's the order:

Some Little Death of Hope

Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the pit close its mouth over me.
Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
Ps 69:15-16
Sometimes the psalmist describes a situation which is beyond my ken. Here we have David saying that he's being threatened with annihilation—and since David fought verifiable wars against flesh-and-blood enemies, I have to believe the threat is real. I suppose I can only relate to Psalm 69 in a figurative sense.

But as shallow as my comparison may seem, the fact that any of us can relate to it all is important. For in this era of constant communication and easy contact, I encounter people every day who feel like they're on the verge

Buyers and Sellers

It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
♥︎ Ps 69:9 ♥︎
Early in John's Gospel, it was this verse from Psalm 69 that the disciples remembered when Jesus drove the merchants and the money changers from the temple: "He told those who were selling the doves... 'Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!'" His disciples then realized that Jesus was fulfilling the scripture passage that said, "Zeal for your house will consume me.”  (John 2:16-17)

If the first part of Psalm 69:9 referred to the cleansing of the temple, then the second part might well have been a prophecy of the outcome of that action. This is because Jesus' attack on the economic status quo—that is, the temple marketplace on which so many business interests depended—was one of the reasons he was arrested and ultimately crucified. If God couldn't be insulted by turning the temple into a tasteless bazaar, then the One who drove out the buyers

Annual Fight Song Post


It's that time of year again, so I have once again ranked the principle fight songs of the Louisville Cardinals and their opponents this fall. In all honesty, I rather suspect that the football season will be canceled, but I'll leave this post up for posterity's sake regardless of what happens. And, we're off...

1. A recent poll was taken among people whose opinions count the most in these matters, and coming in at first place is everybody's favorite, Fight! UofL, Louisville's Greater Fight Song (that's my name for it—the Lesser, which is actually even better, is called Hail UofL... see below). It is nothing if not worthy of the red birds and white squirrels which it so ably promotes. So with the rest of the civilized world, I shout, Go Cards!

2. Pittsburgh is one of those schools whose main fight song is difficult to determine. I gave them the benefit of the doubt, however, and chose Hail to

A Bully's Negative Energy

Rebuke the wild animals that live among the reeds, the herd of bulls with the calves of the peoples. Trample under foot those who lust after tribute; scatter the peoples who delight in war.
Ps 68:30
This verse is a difficult one to translate. But it's thought that the "reed animals" (חַיַּת קָנֶה) mentioned at the beginning are probably a metaphor for soldiers with spears. This is reïnforced by the "herd of bulls" mentioned in the next clause, which are likely to represent strong people. They're fighting for reasons of greed, and are for that reason to be debased.

But what inspires me here is the dissipation or scattering of those who delight in attacking others. Yes, the most obvious offenders here are warmongers. But are there not warmongers who set their sights, not on well-

¡Ojalá!

Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. 
Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
Ps 68:19-20

Arabic speakers say something quite frequently that I can't help but admire: إِنْ شَاءَ ٱللَٰه, or inshallah. It means "God willing," which is an expression that exists in English. But unfortunately, we usually only use it these days in the rather silly expression, "God willing and the creek don't rise."*

The Spanish use the expression on a daily basis, probably without realizing it. The word ojalá, which means hopefully—or, more emphatically, especially when used alone, I wish!—is actually a corruption of the Arabic. This is more

The True Source of Blessing

Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad; you restored your heritage when it languished; your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.
☂︎ Ps 68:9-10 ☂︎

In talking about rain as a way God's providence is made known, the psalmist, I think, is reïnforcing the notion that God—not humans, and not even the cycles of nature—is the true source of blessing. Rain comes down from heaven and is beyond our control. The people did not restore themselves, nor was the land responsible. It was God. Those who depend on God are then described as God's flock—a perfect description of those who are loved by God and who depend on God. So how else can we describe God's people than as "the needy"—for those who truly depend on

God's Identity

Sing to God, make melody to his Name! Rejoice before him who makes of the heavens a highway—Jah is his Name, and rejoice before him. Father of the fatherless and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
Ps 68:4-5

God is security to those on whom society as turned its back. God is a Parent to children who need a parent. That's what Psalm 68:5 is telling us. And it's message that I need to hear now more than ever, for more than at any time during my life, there are vulnerable people in the world... in my country... in my own community.

I have been devastated by comments from persons in leadership positions who seem so willing to sacrifice senior citizens and those with serious health conditions. We seem perfectly willing to thrown them under the bus in the hope of jumpstarting an economy that has been ravaged by a pandemic. But

An Invitation to the Table

Welcome, Pilgrim!

Welcome to the Lord's Supper.
Christ has invited you
    from the east and from the west,
    from the north and from the south.
Regardless of where you come from,
    no matter who you are,
    or where you are on life's journey,
    you're welcome here.

If your heart is searching for God,
    this is your home—
    the place of eternal giving,
where we remember
    that on the night before he died,

God Has Blessed

Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.
Ps 67:5-7

Both traditional and contemporary name-it-claim-it theologians make false claims for this psalm. Charles Spurgeon, speaking specifically of Ps. 67:6 (in a sermon preached on July 5, 1868), is a good example: 
The Church of God needs to get into a better state with regard to her praising her God. When mercy is received, if we accept it silently and without gratitude, we cannot expect to have more. But when every drop of favor makes us bless the Lord who gives to such undeserving ones, we shall soon have more, and yet more, and more!
Yet I see nothing at all in Psalm 67 connecting the earth yielding its increase to the volume of—or even quality of—our praise. There's no conditional verb

August 2 Worship

Today's worship service features the sixth installment of my Bible Study on Paul's Letter to the Romans. I take what I hope is a modern look at the doctrine of original sin. Today we also discover what one of our favorite hymns has to do with human evolution. Here's the order of worship:
  • 00:00 Chimes
  • 00:27 Prélude: Simple Gifts
  • 03:10 Welcome
  • 03:33 Call to Worship: Psalm 65.1-4
  • 04:10 Opening Prayer
  • 04:26 Lord's Prayer
  • 05:17 Scripture Reading: Romans 5.15b-21
  • 06:40 Bible Study
  • 15:00 Song Intro
  • 16:59 Song: Praise to the Lord, the Almighty
  • 19:13 Pastoral Prayer and Communion Prayer
  • 21:48 Institution and Fraction
  • 22:34 Benediction
  • 23:42 Response: Go Now in Peace
As always, it's best to watch the video in full-screen mode.

Crossposted to chardon.church

Shine upon Us

May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
Psalm 67:1-2

The opening of Psalm 67 reminds me that to pray God's blessing on myself, or on the people close to me, or on my own church is an act of selfishness only if I desire to hoard God's blessing. Here we see an acknowledgment that God's blessing of the Hebrew people was a sign of trust that that blessing would be shared beyond the borders of Israel, and that through them, the knowledge of God would be given to all.

So I will pray for myself, my friends and family, my church. But I will also pray that all of us in our newfound wholeness can be a blessing to a world in crisis.

Thank you, God, for entrusting the knowledge of your Name to your chosen people in times past. And thank you that, through them, even I have come to know you. As I ask for your blessing on my life, I pray for the grace to make your saving power known to those who have yet to learn of it; in Jesus' Name, who taught me to pray: Our Father...

Audacity of Praise

I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue.
If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer.
Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.
Psalm 66:17-20


Two things are important: First, that I not shy away from being vocal in my praise. I'm using the NRSV this morning, but some translations translate the Hebrew more literally, saying "I called to him with my mouth," which, I suppose is a bit more elegant (according to the rules of Hebrew poetry) when paired with the expression in the clause that comes after it, "with (Hebrew 'under') my tongue." The point here is the physical expression of worship.

But then the psalmist throws a monkey wrench into my praise by reminding me that the physical expression is only part of the equation. In fact, it's not