Psalm 142
I have been wondering recently, partly due to a book I've been reading, if part of the reason we in the 'developed' part of the world have such a wishy washy relationship with the divine is because of our abundance. The Psalmist says that they have no refuge, they have no place to go, while we so often have place after place after place to go. We are never fully reliant on God because we think we don't have to be. Whatever issue is plaguing us has a multitude of solutions that have nothing to do directly with God.
Now, of course every possible solution or place of safety is indirectly tied to God, but we can easily overlook that fact. It is the doctor who performs our surgery, instead of the God given gifts that has been bestowed upon the doctor. It is the medicine that makes us feel better, instead of the miracle of our bodies that can speed up the healing process. It is the loan, instead of God's provision.
Saying all of that is not to say that we should turn a blind eye to the progress of our world, but rather that we should look at the progress with better eyes, seeing the God behind the convenience. Everything we receive is ultimately from God, we just need to cultivate the mindset to believe it is true.
+ How does your culture hinder your relationship with God?
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 141
Psalm 141
I wonder if Jonah knew this Psalm, I wonder if on his way to Nineveh it was on his mind. It brings up some imagery that would most likely be at the forefront of the mind of a prophet going into enemy territory, particularly enemy territory that the prophet may like to see destroyed. Of course, the interesting part of the story of Jonah is that the enemy decides to repent and follow God as opposed to continuing on the path of evil and potential destruction. Which of course leads to the famous ending of Jonah where he curses his own existence because of the grace that God shows those whom Jonah hates. Which brings me to the point I want to make in conjunction with this Psalm, which is that it might be better for us to hope for the salvation of our enemies as opposed to hoping for their destruction, because Jesus implies that there will be people in heaven that we may not expect to be there.
Of course this means that our presence in heaven may surprise some people also. It also means that we should probably do what Jesus commands and not judge people, because we may be judging ourselves out based on someone who will get in. It's funny, in a way, the vast difference in mindset between hoping for the destruction of the enemy and praying for their salvation. On one hand you hope that someone gets what you believe they have "coming to them" and on the other you hope that the grace that has been extended to you may also be extended to them, its the difference between wanting good or evil for them, which is the difference between whether you yourself are good or evil. Which goes right back to whether or not you judge them in the first place, which leaves me to wonder if Jonah had this Psalm on his mind as he journeyed to Nineveh.
+ How hard do you find it to hope for your enemies salvation as opposed to their destruction? What has proved helpful to you in the attempt?
I wonder if Jonah knew this Psalm, I wonder if on his way to Nineveh it was on his mind. It brings up some imagery that would most likely be at the forefront of the mind of a prophet going into enemy territory, particularly enemy territory that the prophet may like to see destroyed. Of course, the interesting part of the story of Jonah is that the enemy decides to repent and follow God as opposed to continuing on the path of evil and potential destruction. Which of course leads to the famous ending of Jonah where he curses his own existence because of the grace that God shows those whom Jonah hates. Which brings me to the point I want to make in conjunction with this Psalm, which is that it might be better for us to hope for the salvation of our enemies as opposed to hoping for their destruction, because Jesus implies that there will be people in heaven that we may not expect to be there.
Of course this means that our presence in heaven may surprise some people also. It also means that we should probably do what Jesus commands and not judge people, because we may be judging ourselves out based on someone who will get in. It's funny, in a way, the vast difference in mindset between hoping for the destruction of the enemy and praying for their salvation. On one hand you hope that someone gets what you believe they have "coming to them" and on the other you hope that the grace that has been extended to you may also be extended to them, its the difference between wanting good or evil for them, which is the difference between whether you yourself are good or evil. Which goes right back to whether or not you judge them in the first place, which leaves me to wonder if Jonah had this Psalm on his mind as he journeyed to Nineveh.
+ How hard do you find it to hope for your enemies salvation as opposed to their destruction? What has proved helpful to you in the attempt?
Friday, May 26, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 140
Psalm 140
This Psalm flows from the end of 139 nicely, if by nicely we mean that the anger that ended the previous Psalm flourishes in this one. It makes me think about people who say that the Bible is a consistent book, one that doesn't contradict itself. Do you realize that the Bible is literally a portable library? Do you realize that it consists of 66 different books compiled and bound together? Do you really realize that? I mean, not just the knowledge of it, but what it means about the fact that each book of the Bible was originally meant to be read by itself, standing on its own? Instead we have turned it into an anthology series, like Harry Potter or 50 Shades of Grey, reading it as if the next book will automatically agree with and build upon the previous book, and this is simply not the case. The books aren't even in chronological order, so you will read something in one book and then the next may be written years before it, this gets especially tricky with Paul, whose books [letters] are arranged by length [and in addition are only incomplete conversations]. Reading Paul in chronological order you see a progression of theology, but instead we read them as if they all must be written at the same point in time and agree, and are all actually written by the same person, which is quite possibly not true.
I say all of that because we can't read every word of every book and think that we must act like this person or that person. Nor can we read it and judge one point in time on another point in time. For instance, I can't read the Psalms and then go and hope for the destruction of my enemies, because I live on the other side of the Gospels, nor can I blame David for thinking that way, because he lived before them. All I can do is realize that I am called to something different that David was. I am called to a life that is supposed to be from hate and the need for vengeance. I am called to do good to those who do me harm, to pray for those who persecute me, to go two miles, give my all, and allow myself to be slapped twice, should my attacker want to dishonor him/herself. I am called to feed, clothe, and take care of the needy. I am called to remember that even my most hated foe is my neighbor and I should love them as such.
I read the Bible through the lens of Jesus, because Jesus says that he is the clearest representation of the character of God. In other words I read the Bible from the pinnacle of Jesus, the pinnacle of the Gospels, wherever the rest of the Bible is in agreement with how Jesus shows himself to be I must be in agreement and wherever the rest of the Bible is in contrast to the ways of Jesus I must choose the ways, actions and beliefs of Jesus rather than the ways, action or belief of any other person.
+ How do you understand the Bible?
+ How do you read the Bible?
p.s. want a good book on the Bible? Check out Rob Bell's new book What is the Bible? How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything.
This Psalm flows from the end of 139 nicely, if by nicely we mean that the anger that ended the previous Psalm flourishes in this one. It makes me think about people who say that the Bible is a consistent book, one that doesn't contradict itself. Do you realize that the Bible is literally a portable library? Do you realize that it consists of 66 different books compiled and bound together? Do you really realize that? I mean, not just the knowledge of it, but what it means about the fact that each book of the Bible was originally meant to be read by itself, standing on its own? Instead we have turned it into an anthology series, like Harry Potter or 50 Shades of Grey, reading it as if the next book will automatically agree with and build upon the previous book, and this is simply not the case. The books aren't even in chronological order, so you will read something in one book and then the next may be written years before it, this gets especially tricky with Paul, whose books [letters] are arranged by length [and in addition are only incomplete conversations]. Reading Paul in chronological order you see a progression of theology, but instead we read them as if they all must be written at the same point in time and agree, and are all actually written by the same person, which is quite possibly not true.
I say all of that because we can't read every word of every book and think that we must act like this person or that person. Nor can we read it and judge one point in time on another point in time. For instance, I can't read the Psalms and then go and hope for the destruction of my enemies, because I live on the other side of the Gospels, nor can I blame David for thinking that way, because he lived before them. All I can do is realize that I am called to something different that David was. I am called to a life that is supposed to be from hate and the need for vengeance. I am called to do good to those who do me harm, to pray for those who persecute me, to go two miles, give my all, and allow myself to be slapped twice, should my attacker want to dishonor him/herself. I am called to feed, clothe, and take care of the needy. I am called to remember that even my most hated foe is my neighbor and I should love them as such.
I read the Bible through the lens of Jesus, because Jesus says that he is the clearest representation of the character of God. In other words I read the Bible from the pinnacle of Jesus, the pinnacle of the Gospels, wherever the rest of the Bible is in agreement with how Jesus shows himself to be I must be in agreement and wherever the rest of the Bible is in contrast to the ways of Jesus I must choose the ways, actions and beliefs of Jesus rather than the ways, action or belief of any other person.
+ How do you understand the Bible?
+ How do you read the Bible?
p.s. want a good book on the Bible? Check out Rob Bell's new book What is the Bible? How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything.
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 139
Psalm 139
Ok, if I'm honest, and I do try to be in these posts, I wanted to spend this time complaining about this particular Psalm.
I wanted to do that for two reasons:
1) the 180 David does from talking about how God knows him better than anybody else, including himself, and yet is never far from him and then ends it by talking about God's destruction of the wicked. When I read it I almost get the feeling that it was added at a later time, or even by a different writer, maybe it is, if I spent time reading commentaries along with these posts, maybe I would see that it possibly was.
2) the vast usage of verse 23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts" without the use of the context of it coming in such a hate filled stanza, when we are called to love people instead.
But, if I'm continuing to be honest, and again I do try, I have to admit that sometimes I can let my anger overtake my praise. Maybe that is what is happening in this Psalm, maybe David really wants to praise God, he wants to use that praise to overcome his base feelings about those who want to do him, and those whom he cares for, harm. Maybe that's what he wants to do but finds that he can't do. That is a place I can understand, that is a place I can imagine, because I have been there. Anger has always been an issue for me, I was born with a pretty good temper and I have always had difficulty controlling it, coincidentally this is an issue that I can see my son having to deal with also.
One of the ways I try to diffuse my anger is trying to see people through the eyes of God, and maybe that is what David is doing, by reminding himself how well God knows him, how close God follows him he can remember that the same is true for "the wicked". I put quotation marks around that because wicked is a matter of opinion, who I see as wicked God still sees as child. I try to see them through God's eyes, but sometimes my vision gets blurred by the wave of anger that is still just below the surface. I take some amount of comfort that David potentially dealt with the same issue, because it means that even in my failings I may still be "a man after God's own heart."
+ When you read the Psalm where do you find your focus?
+ Have you ever had anger, or some other feeling, overcome your ability to praise, or pray, or read the Bible?
Ok, if I'm honest, and I do try to be in these posts, I wanted to spend this time complaining about this particular Psalm.
I wanted to do that for two reasons:
1) the 180 David does from talking about how God knows him better than anybody else, including himself, and yet is never far from him and then ends it by talking about God's destruction of the wicked. When I read it I almost get the feeling that it was added at a later time, or even by a different writer, maybe it is, if I spent time reading commentaries along with these posts, maybe I would see that it possibly was.
2) the vast usage of verse 23 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts" without the use of the context of it coming in such a hate filled stanza, when we are called to love people instead.
But, if I'm continuing to be honest, and again I do try, I have to admit that sometimes I can let my anger overtake my praise. Maybe that is what is happening in this Psalm, maybe David really wants to praise God, he wants to use that praise to overcome his base feelings about those who want to do him, and those whom he cares for, harm. Maybe that's what he wants to do but finds that he can't do. That is a place I can understand, that is a place I can imagine, because I have been there. Anger has always been an issue for me, I was born with a pretty good temper and I have always had difficulty controlling it, coincidentally this is an issue that I can see my son having to deal with also.
One of the ways I try to diffuse my anger is trying to see people through the eyes of God, and maybe that is what David is doing, by reminding himself how well God knows him, how close God follows him he can remember that the same is true for "the wicked". I put quotation marks around that because wicked is a matter of opinion, who I see as wicked God still sees as child. I try to see them through God's eyes, but sometimes my vision gets blurred by the wave of anger that is still just below the surface. I take some amount of comfort that David potentially dealt with the same issue, because it means that even in my failings I may still be "a man after God's own heart."
+ When you read the Psalm where do you find your focus?
+ Have you ever had anger, or some other feeling, overcome your ability to praise, or pray, or read the Bible?
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 138
Psalm 138
My first thought was, I'm not sure I got a praise Psalm reflection in me right now. Then I read it again, and again and on the third reading I was struck by something. While the first two stanzas seem to be praise in the moment for the blessings of the moment, the final stanza seems more like clinging to hope that God will show up, though whether or not God is here currently may feel up for debate. I say may feel up for debate because I know, as I have repeated often in these reflections, that God is always here, always in the moment, but even though I have that head knowledge, and occasionally that knowledge flows to my heart and soul, I still sometimes question whether God is there. It's those atheist moments that I think we all have, those moments when we cry out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me".
Part of me feels like I should apologize for using the term atheist as something that someone who believes may occasionally feel, but I'm not going to. If I'm honest there are times when God does not seem particularly close, moreso, there are times when I wonder if I'm just spinning my wheels on the hamster wheel of faith. If you don't ever feel that way, you have my permission to stop reading right now, not that you need it, you are here by your own free will after all. But, if you do know what I am talking about, if you do feel that way from time to time, let this be good news to you that you are not alone, you never have been and you never will.
The thing about faith is that it is a belief in things unseen, which means sooner or later you may question the fact that you aren't seeing what you are believing. What's interesting is that Jesus references us in the Gospels when he says that greater faith have those who have not seen and yet believed. The other interesting thing is that Jesus says that it only takes a little faith to move a mountain, so even if you feel that your faith is miniscule, it can still do mighty things, among them it can move the mountain of your disbelief. Weird, isn't it? Faith can cause you to doubt and faith can turn your doubt away, this is the beauty and the trouble with faith in the first place.
If you find yourself stuck in the middle of an atheist moment, don't despair this is not the end, if you don't want it to be.
+ Do you have atheist moments? How do you handle them?
My first thought was, I'm not sure I got a praise Psalm reflection in me right now. Then I read it again, and again and on the third reading I was struck by something. While the first two stanzas seem to be praise in the moment for the blessings of the moment, the final stanza seems more like clinging to hope that God will show up, though whether or not God is here currently may feel up for debate. I say may feel up for debate because I know, as I have repeated often in these reflections, that God is always here, always in the moment, but even though I have that head knowledge, and occasionally that knowledge flows to my heart and soul, I still sometimes question whether God is there. It's those atheist moments that I think we all have, those moments when we cry out "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me".
Part of me feels like I should apologize for using the term atheist as something that someone who believes may occasionally feel, but I'm not going to. If I'm honest there are times when God does not seem particularly close, moreso, there are times when I wonder if I'm just spinning my wheels on the hamster wheel of faith. If you don't ever feel that way, you have my permission to stop reading right now, not that you need it, you are here by your own free will after all. But, if you do know what I am talking about, if you do feel that way from time to time, let this be good news to you that you are not alone, you never have been and you never will.
The thing about faith is that it is a belief in things unseen, which means sooner or later you may question the fact that you aren't seeing what you are believing. What's interesting is that Jesus references us in the Gospels when he says that greater faith have those who have not seen and yet believed. The other interesting thing is that Jesus says that it only takes a little faith to move a mountain, so even if you feel that your faith is miniscule, it can still do mighty things, among them it can move the mountain of your disbelief. Weird, isn't it? Faith can cause you to doubt and faith can turn your doubt away, this is the beauty and the trouble with faith in the first place.
If you find yourself stuck in the middle of an atheist moment, don't despair this is not the end, if you don't want it to be.
+ Do you have atheist moments? How do you handle them?
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 137
Psalm 137
And now we come to one of the worst verses in the entire book, a statement that is so heinous it can only come from a place of great pain. "Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!", how hurt and angry must someone be to write those words? How much pain must they have endured to want such horrors visited on another. Too often we wish for vengeance, but praying that one might come to kill the children of another, that is a whole other level of vengeance.
Derek Webb has a song that contains the lyric, "I know a way out of hell We raise all our enemies' children After they've murdered ours We affix all their scars to our walls So there's heartbreak for everyone" and while I am not sure if it's a perfect solution I do think that it would help us all to understand that a child of an enemy is still a child. It might help us to understand that an enemy is still a parent and a son and a friend and a lover. Because the first step to wanting this level of violence brought upon another is to dehumanize them. If they are just a religion, just an ethnicity, just a caricature it is much easier to not care what might be done to them. But, when we understand them as people, as those who love and lose just like us, then we can begin to move them from 'enemy' to 'child of God'. When we make that move we understand that the one who would dash their babies against rocks are not our friends, they are not working on our behalf, but rather are living in hate.
One last thing, we once again see the outcome of believing that God has a distinct location, because the author questions how they can sing praises to God in the midst of a foreign land. As I've mentioned multiple times now, God can be found anywhere, everywhere, so you can praise God at any moment, in every moment, if you so desire.
+ What is the angriest you've ever been? What did you say to the person who angered you, or what did you say about them?
And now we come to one of the worst verses in the entire book, a statement that is so heinous it can only come from a place of great pain. "Happy shall they be who take your little ones and dash them against the rock!", how hurt and angry must someone be to write those words? How much pain must they have endured to want such horrors visited on another. Too often we wish for vengeance, but praying that one might come to kill the children of another, that is a whole other level of vengeance.
Derek Webb has a song that contains the lyric, "I know a way out of hell We raise all our enemies' children After they've murdered ours We affix all their scars to our walls So there's heartbreak for everyone" and while I am not sure if it's a perfect solution I do think that it would help us all to understand that a child of an enemy is still a child. It might help us to understand that an enemy is still a parent and a son and a friend and a lover. Because the first step to wanting this level of violence brought upon another is to dehumanize them. If they are just a religion, just an ethnicity, just a caricature it is much easier to not care what might be done to them. But, when we understand them as people, as those who love and lose just like us, then we can begin to move them from 'enemy' to 'child of God'. When we make that move we understand that the one who would dash their babies against rocks are not our friends, they are not working on our behalf, but rather are living in hate.
One last thing, we once again see the outcome of believing that God has a distinct location, because the author questions how they can sing praises to God in the midst of a foreign land. As I've mentioned multiple times now, God can be found anywhere, everywhere, so you can praise God at any moment, in every moment, if you so desire.
+ What is the angriest you've ever been? What did you say to the person who angered you, or what did you say about them?
Monday, May 22, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 136
Psalm 136
God created the world out of love, think about that for a moment.
Every tree out of love.
Every flower out of love.
Every cloud out of love.
Every star out of love.
Every rock out of love.
Every color out of love.
Every scent out of love.
Every note out of love.
Every breath out of love.
And, perhaps most of all, every moment out of love.
Now, think about how grateful you are, and how grateful you should be.
Think about the times you whine and grumble. Think about the times you wonder if there is a god. Think about the times when you question God's love for you. Think about the times when you have a bad day and wonder if God has it in for you. Think about your focus on the pain that passes. Think about your preoccupation with the storms.
God created the world out of love. God created you out of love.
Every moment is a gift, because the whole of creation is a gift. Every breath is a gift, every heartbeat a gift. May you remember that in this moment, no matter what this moment is bringing to you, because even in the pain and sorrow you are still breathing, your heart is still beating and God is still loving you.
+ Do you believe that God created out of love? Why or why not?
+ How can you praise God in this moment?
God created the world out of love, think about that for a moment.
Every tree out of love.
Every flower out of love.
Every cloud out of love.
Every star out of love.
Every rock out of love.
Every color out of love.
Every scent out of love.
Every note out of love.
Every breath out of love.
And, perhaps most of all, every moment out of love.
Now, think about how grateful you are, and how grateful you should be.
Think about the times you whine and grumble. Think about the times you wonder if there is a god. Think about the times when you question God's love for you. Think about the times when you have a bad day and wonder if God has it in for you. Think about your focus on the pain that passes. Think about your preoccupation with the storms.
God created the world out of love. God created you out of love.
Every moment is a gift, because the whole of creation is a gift. Every breath is a gift, every heartbeat a gift. May you remember that in this moment, no matter what this moment is bringing to you, because even in the pain and sorrow you are still breathing, your heart is still beating and God is still loving you.
+ Do you believe that God created out of love? Why or why not?
+ How can you praise God in this moment?
Thursday, May 18, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 135
Psalm 135
We've talked about praising God. We've talked about idols. We've talked about the Exodus. We've talked about violence. In light of all of that I guess it's time we talked about science.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
he makes lightnings for the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
First, let's clear up an assumption that some people have about the Bible, while it contains truth it does not contain ALL truth, nor is every word of it universally true. What I mean is that the Bible talks about God and humanity and various topics connected between God and humanity, but it is not meant to be a textbook covering every topic ever. In particular, for this subject, the Bible is not a science textbook. Here is what we can hold to scientifically based on the Bible, God created the world. But even that is a statement of faith, not fact. The Bible tells us that God created because God wanted to create, the world did not come about because of some struggle between gods or by accident, it was made so that it would be made.
The Bible, for its holiness, was written by people that only had the knowledge that they had at the time. Hence the Psalmist can speak of God making the lighting for the rain because they do not have an understanding about static electricity and the other ins and outs of lighting. Hence the Psalmist can speak of God having a storehouse for the winds, because they must come from somewhere and he/she has no understanding of wind patterns. Elsewhere in the Bible it can speak of the Sun standing still, because they have no understanding of the way the universe works, or that there is a universe in the first place.
In all these cases, the Bible is not the problem, we are. Because the Bible has to fit inside the loops that we create. Let us let the Bible be what the Bible is, that is more than enough for all of us, and let us stop making it be something that it is not.
Last but not least, a quick word on Science itself. People of faith should not be afraid of science, because every scientific inquiry should simply show us how magnificently complex and beautiful the world that God created really is.
+ Have you tried to make the Bible be something other than what it is meant to be?
+ Have you feared science? why or why not?
We've talked about praising God. We've talked about idols. We've talked about the Exodus. We've talked about violence. In light of all of that I guess it's time we talked about science.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
he makes lightnings for the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
First, let's clear up an assumption that some people have about the Bible, while it contains truth it does not contain ALL truth, nor is every word of it universally true. What I mean is that the Bible talks about God and humanity and various topics connected between God and humanity, but it is not meant to be a textbook covering every topic ever. In particular, for this subject, the Bible is not a science textbook. Here is what we can hold to scientifically based on the Bible, God created the world. But even that is a statement of faith, not fact. The Bible tells us that God created because God wanted to create, the world did not come about because of some struggle between gods or by accident, it was made so that it would be made.
The Bible, for its holiness, was written by people that only had the knowledge that they had at the time. Hence the Psalmist can speak of God making the lighting for the rain because they do not have an understanding about static electricity and the other ins and outs of lighting. Hence the Psalmist can speak of God having a storehouse for the winds, because they must come from somewhere and he/she has no understanding of wind patterns. Elsewhere in the Bible it can speak of the Sun standing still, because they have no understanding of the way the universe works, or that there is a universe in the first place.
In all these cases, the Bible is not the problem, we are. Because the Bible has to fit inside the loops that we create. Let us let the Bible be what the Bible is, that is more than enough for all of us, and let us stop making it be something that it is not.
Last but not least, a quick word on Science itself. People of faith should not be afraid of science, because every scientific inquiry should simply show us how magnificently complex and beautiful the world that God created really is.
+ Have you tried to make the Bible be something other than what it is meant to be?
+ Have you feared science? why or why not?
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 134
Psalm 134
There are times that I sleep like a baby. There are other times when I don't sleep well at all. There are nights when my wife gets mad at me that I fall asleep so quickly, and there are nights when I hear the birds before I close my eyes. There are nights when I close my eyes and don't open them until the alarm or the child shock me awake. There are nights when I wake every hour. And when I wake sometimes I can get back to sleep, unless my mind starts thinking about something, anything then I am as wide awake as if someone hit my in the face with a water balloon. It's almost as if my sleep pattern has ADHD and just can't find its own internal rhythm for any sort of extended time.
I wonder if the writer of Psalm 134 was a bit like me, or they could have been a true insomniac, someone who truly commits to not being able to sleep, unlike a wishy washy one like myself. Or they could have been awake at night for a particular reason, perhaps they were on the night watch, or the night shift. Although, now that I think about it, the night is longer than the portion we sleep through so maybe they were merely up late, or it was just a few minutes before their bedtime. But for whatever reason they were awake and the sky was dark.
Some people fear the dark, they worry about what is behind the shadows, I have plenty of experience and can say that 99 times out of a 100 it is just more shadows. The truth is that the dark is no more evil than the light, after all during the Exodus God moved with the Israelites through the day as a pillar of clouds and through the night as a pillar of fire. The truth is that the dark is no more evil than the light, after all according to Isaiah the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. The truth is that the dark is no more evil in the light, as long as you don't fear the dark. Fear is the true enemy, not the darkness, not the pain, not the experience, not the storm.
+ How do you sleep?
+ How do you feel about the dark?
p.s. On a completely separate note, isn't rhythm the weirdest spelled english word of all time?
If not what do you think is?
There are times that I sleep like a baby. There are other times when I don't sleep well at all. There are nights when my wife gets mad at me that I fall asleep so quickly, and there are nights when I hear the birds before I close my eyes. There are nights when I close my eyes and don't open them until the alarm or the child shock me awake. There are nights when I wake every hour. And when I wake sometimes I can get back to sleep, unless my mind starts thinking about something, anything then I am as wide awake as if someone hit my in the face with a water balloon. It's almost as if my sleep pattern has ADHD and just can't find its own internal rhythm for any sort of extended time.
I wonder if the writer of Psalm 134 was a bit like me, or they could have been a true insomniac, someone who truly commits to not being able to sleep, unlike a wishy washy one like myself. Or they could have been awake at night for a particular reason, perhaps they were on the night watch, or the night shift. Although, now that I think about it, the night is longer than the portion we sleep through so maybe they were merely up late, or it was just a few minutes before their bedtime. But for whatever reason they were awake and the sky was dark.
Some people fear the dark, they worry about what is behind the shadows, I have plenty of experience and can say that 99 times out of a 100 it is just more shadows. The truth is that the dark is no more evil than the light, after all during the Exodus God moved with the Israelites through the day as a pillar of clouds and through the night as a pillar of fire. The truth is that the dark is no more evil than the light, after all according to Isaiah the light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it. The truth is that the dark is no more evil in the light, as long as you don't fear the dark. Fear is the true enemy, not the darkness, not the pain, not the experience, not the storm.
+ How do you sleep?
+ How do you feel about the dark?
p.s. On a completely separate note, isn't rhythm the weirdest spelled english word of all time?
If not what do you think is?
Tuesday, May 16, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 133
Psalm 133
How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:20-21
Unity is of the utmost importance, that much can not be argued. Unity is of the utmost difficulty, that much also cannot be argued. We let ourselves be torn asunder by the most meaningless of things. Don't believe me? I have known churches that have been torn apart over the color of the carpet. I pastor a church that once had a split over whether or not meals should be eaten in the fellowship hall, and it has a kitchen. I have known churches that have split over the most ridiculous things. And that is only looking at local churches.
Looking at the bigger picture over the past 2000 years we have created about 30,000 various denominations within Christianity, that comes to 15 new denominations every year during Christianity's existence. Churches have split because of the communion, baptism, sacraments, prayer, music, membership, preaching style, and the list goes on and on and on. We can't keep the global church together, we can't keep the particular denominations together, we can't keep the local church together. We have failed to live up to the hope that Jesus had for us.
Which means we need some sort of course correction before the road ends. We can still become one, but it will require the church to agree with only the bare bones of Christianity, perhaps if we can get to that we might be able to be one. Unfortunately that road will be a difficult one, even in the case of single solitary hearts, even a heart like mine. I say this because just yesterday I passed a church that had a sign that read something fairly innocuous that set my soul a flame in anger. I almost posted about it on Facebook, I almost told people face to face, I almost want to put my anger in black and white, but what would that solve? In order to become one we must set aside our petty differences by acknowledging that they are petty differences in the first place. Maybe then we can start the process to becoming, what Jesus asked us to be way back when, one.
How can you work to bring the churches back together?
How very good and pleasant it is
when kindred live together in unity!
I ask not only on behalf of these, but also on behalf of those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one. As you, Father, are in me and I am in you, may they also be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me. John 17:20-21
Unity is of the utmost importance, that much can not be argued. Unity is of the utmost difficulty, that much also cannot be argued. We let ourselves be torn asunder by the most meaningless of things. Don't believe me? I have known churches that have been torn apart over the color of the carpet. I pastor a church that once had a split over whether or not meals should be eaten in the fellowship hall, and it has a kitchen. I have known churches that have split over the most ridiculous things. And that is only looking at local churches.
Looking at the bigger picture over the past 2000 years we have created about 30,000 various denominations within Christianity, that comes to 15 new denominations every year during Christianity's existence. Churches have split because of the communion, baptism, sacraments, prayer, music, membership, preaching style, and the list goes on and on and on. We can't keep the global church together, we can't keep the particular denominations together, we can't keep the local church together. We have failed to live up to the hope that Jesus had for us.
Which means we need some sort of course correction before the road ends. We can still become one, but it will require the church to agree with only the bare bones of Christianity, perhaps if we can get to that we might be able to be one. Unfortunately that road will be a difficult one, even in the case of single solitary hearts, even a heart like mine. I say this because just yesterday I passed a church that had a sign that read something fairly innocuous that set my soul a flame in anger. I almost posted about it on Facebook, I almost told people face to face, I almost want to put my anger in black and white, but what would that solve? In order to become one we must set aside our petty differences by acknowledging that they are petty differences in the first place. Maybe then we can start the process to becoming, what Jesus asked us to be way back when, one.
How can you work to bring the churches back together?
Sunday, May 14, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 132
Psalm 132
I feel like I've said it before, but so has the Psalmists, God is not in need of "A PLACE" because God can be found in all places. I don't think that it is coincidence that Jesus uses the term footstool when talking about Earth. Here the Psalmist speaks of footstool as a solitary place on Earth, whereas Jesus considers the whole of Earth to the footstool. If you need a place to worship God, this is as good a place as any. If you need a place to pray to God, this is as good a place as any. If you need a place to find God, look around, this is as good a place as any.
I think that this whole preoccupation with finding God a place begins with the concept that God is our God. The Israelites believed themselves to be a capital C Chosen people, and so they needed to know that God dwelt among them. Because of the incarnation of Jesus and the subsequent rise of Christianity as a separate religion we have decided that we are now the capital C Chosen people. The problem with both them and us is that we have never been capital C, but rather lowercase c chosen people. We are chosen by God to show others the way to God. We are a city on the hill that shines light into darkness. We are the holy ones, set apart so that people may learn that there is a better way. It is way of love and mercy and grace and forgiveness and hospitality and charity and kindness and joy and it is that way which we are supposed to show others.
God did not choose us so that all others may burn in hell for eternity. God did not choose us so we could throw it in the face of non-believers. God did not choose us so that we could tell other how to live their lives, or more importantly how they are living their lives in sin. We are to be the positive example of another way of life. And in that positive example lies the truth that God is not only found in a Christian church, not only found in a Jewish temple, not only found in a Islamic Mosque, but rather that God can be found anywhere anyone is truly looking for God.
+ Where have you found God?
+ How have you been guilty of trying to own God?
I feel like I've said it before, but so has the Psalmists, God is not in need of "A PLACE" because God can be found in all places. I don't think that it is coincidence that Jesus uses the term footstool when talking about Earth. Here the Psalmist speaks of footstool as a solitary place on Earth, whereas Jesus considers the whole of Earth to the footstool. If you need a place to worship God, this is as good a place as any. If you need a place to pray to God, this is as good a place as any. If you need a place to find God, look around, this is as good a place as any.
I think that this whole preoccupation with finding God a place begins with the concept that God is our God. The Israelites believed themselves to be a capital C Chosen people, and so they needed to know that God dwelt among them. Because of the incarnation of Jesus and the subsequent rise of Christianity as a separate religion we have decided that we are now the capital C Chosen people. The problem with both them and us is that we have never been capital C, but rather lowercase c chosen people. We are chosen by God to show others the way to God. We are a city on the hill that shines light into darkness. We are the holy ones, set apart so that people may learn that there is a better way. It is way of love and mercy and grace and forgiveness and hospitality and charity and kindness and joy and it is that way which we are supposed to show others.
God did not choose us so that all others may burn in hell for eternity. God did not choose us so we could throw it in the face of non-believers. God did not choose us so that we could tell other how to live their lives, or more importantly how they are living their lives in sin. We are to be the positive example of another way of life. And in that positive example lies the truth that God is not only found in a Christian church, not only found in a Jewish temple, not only found in a Islamic Mosque, but rather that God can be found anywhere anyone is truly looking for God.
+ Where have you found God?
+ How have you been guilty of trying to own God?
Thursday, May 11, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 131
Psalm 131
Quieting ones soul is perhaps the most difficult thing to do in this life. In this life we are bombarded. Bombarded by stimuli. Bombarded by others. Bombarded by the media. Bombarded by politics. Bombarded by ourselves. Bombarded by entertainment. Bombarded by consumerism. Bombarded by the culture. Bombarded by the church. It is easy in every moment to have an unquiet soul, but to have one that is still is difficult. Luckily for us this Psalm lays out a few guidelines for how to go about quieting ours.
Step 1: Don't live with overly raised hopes - keep your emotions in check, if they climb higher than they should with every rise, they will inevitably fall further down with every drop
Step 2: Don't look upon things that are outside of your grasp - we need to keep correct perspective, on ourselves and on the things around us, the less we try to hold onto the less we HAVE to hold onto
Step 3: Don't spend time on thoughts beyond yourself - work on understanding God, but remember that God is God and you are not so there is no potential that you will ever be able to fully grasp God
Step 4: Do the work that it requires to quiet your soul - weaning a child from the breast, or from the bottle, or from the diaper, or from anything else is not especially easy, it takes time and effort and force of will, quieting the soul takes the same
Step 5: Keep your hope, trust, faith in God - if you have been able to quiet your soul keep trusting in God, if you have not been able to keep trusting in God, if you have been able to on occasion keep trusting in God, in essence always keep trusting in God.
+ What bombardment works on you the most? How can you fight against it?
+ If you have been able to quiet your soul from time to time, reflect on how it happened, when it happened, what you can do to make it happen again.
Quieting ones soul is perhaps the most difficult thing to do in this life. In this life we are bombarded. Bombarded by stimuli. Bombarded by others. Bombarded by the media. Bombarded by politics. Bombarded by ourselves. Bombarded by entertainment. Bombarded by consumerism. Bombarded by the culture. Bombarded by the church. It is easy in every moment to have an unquiet soul, but to have one that is still is difficult. Luckily for us this Psalm lays out a few guidelines for how to go about quieting ours.
Step 1: Don't live with overly raised hopes - keep your emotions in check, if they climb higher than they should with every rise, they will inevitably fall further down with every drop
Step 2: Don't look upon things that are outside of your grasp - we need to keep correct perspective, on ourselves and on the things around us, the less we try to hold onto the less we HAVE to hold onto
Step 3: Don't spend time on thoughts beyond yourself - work on understanding God, but remember that God is God and you are not so there is no potential that you will ever be able to fully grasp God
Step 4: Do the work that it requires to quiet your soul - weaning a child from the breast, or from the bottle, or from the diaper, or from anything else is not especially easy, it takes time and effort and force of will, quieting the soul takes the same
Step 5: Keep your hope, trust, faith in God - if you have been able to quiet your soul keep trusting in God, if you have not been able to keep trusting in God, if you have been able to on occasion keep trusting in God, in essence always keep trusting in God.
+ What bombardment works on you the most? How can you fight against it?
+ If you have been able to quiet your soul from time to time, reflect on how it happened, when it happened, what you can do to make it happen again.
Tuesday, May 9, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 130
Psalm 130
Today we are going to take it stanza by stanza.
1-2: We begin with a cry for ears to hear, much like Jesus will say to us later. Which makes me wonder if Jesus is just calling out our hypocrisy since we often wonder why God doesn't listen to us, and then turn around and don't listen to God.
3-4: Then instead of a supplication the author praises God for giving forgiveness instead of keeping a record of our wrongs. Which reminds me of that popular illustration of how when we die we end up in front of a filing cabinet with every sin we've ever committed and then Jesus comes and marks his name instead. If God keeps no record of wrongs, if God flings our sins as far as the east is from the west, if God forgets our sins then there is no filing cabinet. Hallelujah!!!
5-6: Here we see the author proclaiming his attentiveness to waiting on the Lord, which is highly important. Which reminds me of all the times when I am impatient like Abraham, who took the matter of a child into his own hands instead of waiting on God's timing. Yet I can take solace that even though Abraham did that, he is still considered a member of the faith hall of fame found in Hebrews.
7-8: We finish with a call for Israel to hope in the Lord, and hoping requires waiting, and waiting requires believing that God will bring forgiveness rather than punishment, and believing that requires a belief that God will hear our supplications. To that end may we hope and wait and believe.
+ How has God shown you his capacity to forgive?
+ How have you shown God a capacity to listen to God?
Today we are going to take it stanza by stanza.
1-2: We begin with a cry for ears to hear, much like Jesus will say to us later. Which makes me wonder if Jesus is just calling out our hypocrisy since we often wonder why God doesn't listen to us, and then turn around and don't listen to God.
3-4: Then instead of a supplication the author praises God for giving forgiveness instead of keeping a record of our wrongs. Which reminds me of that popular illustration of how when we die we end up in front of a filing cabinet with every sin we've ever committed and then Jesus comes and marks his name instead. If God keeps no record of wrongs, if God flings our sins as far as the east is from the west, if God forgets our sins then there is no filing cabinet. Hallelujah!!!
5-6: Here we see the author proclaiming his attentiveness to waiting on the Lord, which is highly important. Which reminds me of all the times when I am impatient like Abraham, who took the matter of a child into his own hands instead of waiting on God's timing. Yet I can take solace that even though Abraham did that, he is still considered a member of the faith hall of fame found in Hebrews.
7-8: We finish with a call for Israel to hope in the Lord, and hoping requires waiting, and waiting requires believing that God will bring forgiveness rather than punishment, and believing that requires a belief that God will hear our supplications. To that end may we hope and wait and believe.
+ How has God shown you his capacity to forgive?
+ How have you shown God a capacity to listen to God?
Sunday, May 7, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 129
Psalm 129
While I don't necessarily like the fact that this Psalm is one that is a prayer for vengeance, I do think that it can remind us of a very important concept, and that concept is communal prayer. Communal prayer, or a prayer for and by the community, is something that we often lack within our Church families. You may disagree, but I think that the reason you disagree is because we seem to do it, but we don't actually do it. What we normally do is that someone, usually the pastor, gets up and says a prayer out loud. This prayer is usually some combination of blessing, request & praise, it may have other components that are either usual or random, but by and large that is the contents of the prayer. This prayer occurs somewhere within the confines of the worship service, it is scheduled and completed and then the worship service continues to the next line item.
I'm pretty sure that you are nodding right now, either in your head alone or in actuality. You are most likely thinking, 'yep, that's what we do, and it's all right with me.' I would like to say 'good', but alas I cannot. This is not actually a communal prayer, it is a pastoral prayer that is spoken in front of the community. I say this because these prayers usually lack any sense of community in them, we pray for individuals, we pray for the church, we may even pray for our city or country or world but we often do it in generic ways, lacking the specificity needed to say a true communal prayer.
Before I go on, I should mention that I am as guilty of giving pseudo communal prayers as much, or more so, than the next person in line. That said, here is where I think we all need to improve, in specificity and honesty. We can not hope to be the community until we are honest about the community. Honest about our successes, our challenges, and perhaps most of all, our failures. Only by recognizing how we have acted, in good and bad ways, can we begin to move into the direction that God has for us. Once we do that we should begin to reach into the community at times of prayer, the pastor is no more an expert on prayer than anyone else, so they [we] must open up the prayer of the church to those who comprise the body of said church.
[to be continued somewhere down the road]
While I don't necessarily like the fact that this Psalm is one that is a prayer for vengeance, I do think that it can remind us of a very important concept, and that concept is communal prayer. Communal prayer, or a prayer for and by the community, is something that we often lack within our Church families. You may disagree, but I think that the reason you disagree is because we seem to do it, but we don't actually do it. What we normally do is that someone, usually the pastor, gets up and says a prayer out loud. This prayer is usually some combination of blessing, request & praise, it may have other components that are either usual or random, but by and large that is the contents of the prayer. This prayer occurs somewhere within the confines of the worship service, it is scheduled and completed and then the worship service continues to the next line item.
I'm pretty sure that you are nodding right now, either in your head alone or in actuality. You are most likely thinking, 'yep, that's what we do, and it's all right with me.' I would like to say 'good', but alas I cannot. This is not actually a communal prayer, it is a pastoral prayer that is spoken in front of the community. I say this because these prayers usually lack any sense of community in them, we pray for individuals, we pray for the church, we may even pray for our city or country or world but we often do it in generic ways, lacking the specificity needed to say a true communal prayer.
Before I go on, I should mention that I am as guilty of giving pseudo communal prayers as much, or more so, than the next person in line. That said, here is where I think we all need to improve, in specificity and honesty. We can not hope to be the community until we are honest about the community. Honest about our successes, our challenges, and perhaps most of all, our failures. Only by recognizing how we have acted, in good and bad ways, can we begin to move into the direction that God has for us. Once we do that we should begin to reach into the community at times of prayer, the pastor is no more an expert on prayer than anyone else, so they [we] must open up the prayer of the church to those who comprise the body of said church.
[to be continued somewhere down the road]
Friday, May 5, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 128
Psalm 128
This Psalm is a perfect example of how we can get Biblical interpretation wrong. The Psalmist write in absolutes, but it is still a Psalm, which means that it is a poem or a song lyric. I used to write a lot of song lyrics and I can tell you from experience that you often find yourself writing in terms that are black and white even if the reality is so much grayer. What this means is that when the Psalmist says "you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you" he doesn't necessarily mean ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately there are those Biblical interpreters that would tell you that is exactly what the Psalmist means, after all that is how its wrote, if you do this [fear the Lord] you will get this [blessed].
On the other hand our experience tells us that is not always the case. The Psalmist says that your wife [or husband as the case may be] will be like a fruitful vine, but I have known spouses who lie and cheat and hurt very godly people that they committed forever too. The Psalmist says that your children will be like olive shoots, but I have known very godly people whose son committed murder. I have known true believers who have lost everything in a fire or flood or tornado. I have known salt of the earth people who die from cancer or get alzheimer's. I have known those creating a city on a hill that have encountered what most of us might consider a curse.
Following God does not automatically equal happiness and blessing, anyone who tells you it does goes through life not paying attention. And Jesus tells us to pay attention, to have eyes that see and ears that hear. Life is, that's the way God made it, so don't forget your experience when you are reading the Bible. Realize that sometimes the author may not mean exactly what they are saying, and even if they do it still may not jive with reality.
+ How do you react when you come across a scripture that doesn't seem to be true in life?
This Psalm is a perfect example of how we can get Biblical interpretation wrong. The Psalmist write in absolutes, but it is still a Psalm, which means that it is a poem or a song lyric. I used to write a lot of song lyrics and I can tell you from experience that you often find yourself writing in terms that are black and white even if the reality is so much grayer. What this means is that when the Psalmist says "you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you" he doesn't necessarily mean ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately there are those Biblical interpreters that would tell you that is exactly what the Psalmist means, after all that is how its wrote, if you do this [fear the Lord] you will get this [blessed].
On the other hand our experience tells us that is not always the case. The Psalmist says that your wife [or husband as the case may be] will be like a fruitful vine, but I have known spouses who lie and cheat and hurt very godly people that they committed forever too. The Psalmist says that your children will be like olive shoots, but I have known very godly people whose son committed murder. I have known true believers who have lost everything in a fire or flood or tornado. I have known salt of the earth people who die from cancer or get alzheimer's. I have known those creating a city on a hill that have encountered what most of us might consider a curse.
Following God does not automatically equal happiness and blessing, anyone who tells you it does goes through life not paying attention. And Jesus tells us to pay attention, to have eyes that see and ears that hear. Life is, that's the way God made it, so don't forget your experience when you are reading the Bible. Realize that sometimes the author may not mean exactly what they are saying, and even if they do it still may not jive with reality.
+ How do you react when you come across a scripture that doesn't seem to be true in life?
Thursday, May 4, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 127
Psalm 127
Without the help of the Lord all is in vain. This is not to say that you can't accomplish things without God, people do it all the time. The Psalmist says that cities guarded without the help of the Lord is in vain which doesn't mean they can't be guarded, but rather what's the point in guarding them. What's the point in building a house or a household if you don't do it with the help of God? Seriously, what's the point? If my child is on his own once I stop breathing, what's the point? If I'm alone right now, what's the point? Isn't it all in vain if it's not done for something greater? If it is just my health and my wealth and my power, what's the point?
Some of those questions may seem a bit outlandish, and maybe some of them are, but do you get my point? We are made for something greater, to be something greater, to do something greater, but if we only seek after our own ends its like chasing down the wind, you can't catch it, and if if you do it stops being what you went after in the first place. That is true in a whole host of ways, if we chase after something for our own good we are seriously missing the point. The world's best mansion inhabited by a lone person is not a home. The fastest car driven by someone who has no friends can't take you anywhere. The world's highest paying job is meaningless if you have no one to spend the money on. So don't labor in vain, don't seek in vain, don't live in vain. Instead live for the Lord and those around you and whatever you have will be so much better because of it.
+ How have you labored in vain? How have you labored in the Lord?
Without the help of the Lord all is in vain. This is not to say that you can't accomplish things without God, people do it all the time. The Psalmist says that cities guarded without the help of the Lord is in vain which doesn't mean they can't be guarded, but rather what's the point in guarding them. What's the point in building a house or a household if you don't do it with the help of God? Seriously, what's the point? If my child is on his own once I stop breathing, what's the point? If I'm alone right now, what's the point? Isn't it all in vain if it's not done for something greater? If it is just my health and my wealth and my power, what's the point?
Some of those questions may seem a bit outlandish, and maybe some of them are, but do you get my point? We are made for something greater, to be something greater, to do something greater, but if we only seek after our own ends its like chasing down the wind, you can't catch it, and if if you do it stops being what you went after in the first place. That is true in a whole host of ways, if we chase after something for our own good we are seriously missing the point. The world's best mansion inhabited by a lone person is not a home. The fastest car driven by someone who has no friends can't take you anywhere. The world's highest paying job is meaningless if you have no one to spend the money on. So don't labor in vain, don't seek in vain, don't live in vain. Instead live for the Lord and those around you and whatever you have will be so much better because of it.
+ How have you labored in vain? How have you labored in the Lord?
Tuesday, May 2, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 126
Psalm 126
I take walks at the local State Park when I can and today I was struck by the beauty of the various wildflowers that just appear each spring. I assume that they are neither planted not cared for, yet the earth and the rain and the sun bring them forth every year like clockwork. I know this is only possible because of the world that God has created and I marvel at its intricacies and its beauties.
While I do marvel I was also reminded that the same earth and sun and rain can sometimes bring death and destruction to the world as well. I walked the trails over lunch, so I had a particular timeframe in which to walk and finish, because of that I decided that when I got to a particular area I would take a left turn and climb the 80 steps [yes I have counted] up from the riverbank instead of continuing on the trail for another half mile or so. When I got to that point in my walk I was confronted with a massive area of mud and fallen trees and limbs. We have had several days of storms recently, and here I was witnessing the midpoint in the clean up. I still wanted to take my short-cut so I made my way through the mud, only slipping a little bit twice.
I mention all of that to make the following point, sometimes the world takes care of it self, and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the flowers bloom through no work of our own, but often if we want something to bloom, or to harvest, we have to put in the work. Most times the trees grow through no real work of our own, but should the storm come there will be work to do. I say this because the Psalm ends with a request that those who go out with "seeds for sowing" will come back "carrying their sheaves" and while it is right and good to ask for such a blessing we must keep in mind that often the only way that we are blessed is if we do the work required for the blessing.
+ Do you pray and hope that God will come through, or when possible do you pray and then work your way through the request?
I take walks at the local State Park when I can and today I was struck by the beauty of the various wildflowers that just appear each spring. I assume that they are neither planted not cared for, yet the earth and the rain and the sun bring them forth every year like clockwork. I know this is only possible because of the world that God has created and I marvel at its intricacies and its beauties.
While I do marvel I was also reminded that the same earth and sun and rain can sometimes bring death and destruction to the world as well. I walked the trails over lunch, so I had a particular timeframe in which to walk and finish, because of that I decided that when I got to a particular area I would take a left turn and climb the 80 steps [yes I have counted] up from the riverbank instead of continuing on the trail for another half mile or so. When I got to that point in my walk I was confronted with a massive area of mud and fallen trees and limbs. We have had several days of storms recently, and here I was witnessing the midpoint in the clean up. I still wanted to take my short-cut so I made my way through the mud, only slipping a little bit twice.
I mention all of that to make the following point, sometimes the world takes care of it self, and sometimes it doesn't. Sometimes the flowers bloom through no work of our own, but often if we want something to bloom, or to harvest, we have to put in the work. Most times the trees grow through no real work of our own, but should the storm come there will be work to do. I say this because the Psalm ends with a request that those who go out with "seeds for sowing" will come back "carrying their sheaves" and while it is right and good to ask for such a blessing we must keep in mind that often the only way that we are blessed is if we do the work required for the blessing.
+ Do you pray and hope that God will come through, or when possible do you pray and then work your way through the request?
Monday, May 1, 2017
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 125
Psalm 125
One of the things I love about poetry and song lyrics in general is the various objects that are used to explain large concepts. In this Psalm, for instance, both the people of God and God are both compared to mountains. On one hand the people who follow God are a mountain that will not be moved. On the other hand as the mountains surround the people, so God surrounds the people.
When I was living in West Virginia I once asked why I heard about tornadoes but we never had tornado watches or warnings where I lived. I was told that the reason we didn't have tornadoes was because of the presence of hills and mountains, supposedly the air in higher elevations is cooler and more stable and because of that there are much less occurrences of tornadoes. I live in Indiana now, and I know a few people who might wish that Indiana had a few mountains of its own. I understand the protection of mountains, and how being surrounded by them could be a positive thing.
Of course the first illustration is more difficult for me to grasp, because rather than feeling like an unmoving mountain I sometimes feel more like a dandelion floret easily blown in a slight wind. That might seem like a knock, but sometimes I wonder if it might be better if we could be moved/changed a little more easily than we sometimes are. Too often it seems like people choose to die upon their hill rather than bend in their thinking or actions. After all, sometimes the truth is quite different than we have been led to believe.
+ What mental illustrations come to mind when thinking about yourself and your faith? How about when thinking about God?
One of the things I love about poetry and song lyrics in general is the various objects that are used to explain large concepts. In this Psalm, for instance, both the people of God and God are both compared to mountains. On one hand the people who follow God are a mountain that will not be moved. On the other hand as the mountains surround the people, so God surrounds the people.
When I was living in West Virginia I once asked why I heard about tornadoes but we never had tornado watches or warnings where I lived. I was told that the reason we didn't have tornadoes was because of the presence of hills and mountains, supposedly the air in higher elevations is cooler and more stable and because of that there are much less occurrences of tornadoes. I live in Indiana now, and I know a few people who might wish that Indiana had a few mountains of its own. I understand the protection of mountains, and how being surrounded by them could be a positive thing.
Of course the first illustration is more difficult for me to grasp, because rather than feeling like an unmoving mountain I sometimes feel more like a dandelion floret easily blown in a slight wind. That might seem like a knock, but sometimes I wonder if it might be better if we could be moved/changed a little more easily than we sometimes are. Too often it seems like people choose to die upon their hill rather than bend in their thinking or actions. After all, sometimes the truth is quite different than we have been led to believe.
+ What mental illustrations come to mind when thinking about yourself and your faith? How about when thinking about God?
The Heart's Cry: Psalm 124
Psalm 124
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
I have said it before, though I am not sure if it has been in one of these now 124 devotions, but sometimes I wonder what all God has saved me from. There are the obvious answers of course, those things that I have not done because I am walking the faith path in the first pace, the ultimate punishment that is due me for the sins that I have willingly and unwillingly committed. There are also less obvious ones, for instance the consequences that could have been from acts that I have done that have passed over me because of the presence of God in my life, perhaps even the accidents that could have come my way had God not being protecting me. Of course those less obvious answers lead to complicated theological paths. If God has protected me from certain things, why hasn't God protected me from others, or perhaps even more difficult, why hasn't God protected others from what I have been protected from?
You see, I believe in God and I believe that God is in the protection business, but I also understand that the reasons God does and does not protect us are quite beyond our understanding. It is that latter thought that has been on my mind recently, the vastness of God and the limitness of us. In other words we are merely human and we cannot fully comprehend God. That fact, and it is a fact, is a difficult one for me to accept, after all I consider myself a creature of logic and would much rather be able to explain God to myself at the very least. The problem with fitting God inside our logic is that it is placing God inside of a box, a box of human understanding. God is bigger than the box, this is true in all cases, but especially true if the box we are talking about is the human mind. The mind can no more contain God than this devotion can contain every thought that rattles around my mind. The Gospel of John ends saying that if every thing that Jesus did after his resurrection were written down it would fill all the books in the world, and while that may have been hyperbole it is definitely true about Godself, our pages aren't big enough, our boxes aren't big enough, our minds aren't big enough.
+ How has God protected you?
+ How has God shown Godself to you in ways that blow your box apart?
Our help is in the name of the Lord,
who made heaven and earth.
I have said it before, though I am not sure if it has been in one of these now 124 devotions, but sometimes I wonder what all God has saved me from. There are the obvious answers of course, those things that I have not done because I am walking the faith path in the first pace, the ultimate punishment that is due me for the sins that I have willingly and unwillingly committed. There are also less obvious ones, for instance the consequences that could have been from acts that I have done that have passed over me because of the presence of God in my life, perhaps even the accidents that could have come my way had God not being protecting me. Of course those less obvious answers lead to complicated theological paths. If God has protected me from certain things, why hasn't God protected me from others, or perhaps even more difficult, why hasn't God protected others from what I have been protected from?
You see, I believe in God and I believe that God is in the protection business, but I also understand that the reasons God does and does not protect us are quite beyond our understanding. It is that latter thought that has been on my mind recently, the vastness of God and the limitness of us. In other words we are merely human and we cannot fully comprehend God. That fact, and it is a fact, is a difficult one for me to accept, after all I consider myself a creature of logic and would much rather be able to explain God to myself at the very least. The problem with fitting God inside our logic is that it is placing God inside of a box, a box of human understanding. God is bigger than the box, this is true in all cases, but especially true if the box we are talking about is the human mind. The mind can no more contain God than this devotion can contain every thought that rattles around my mind. The Gospel of John ends saying that if every thing that Jesus did after his resurrection were written down it would fill all the books in the world, and while that may have been hyperbole it is definitely true about Godself, our pages aren't big enough, our boxes aren't big enough, our minds aren't big enough.
+ How has God protected you?
+ How has God shown Godself to you in ways that blow your box apart?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)