Thoughts on Psalm 107, #1

 A Beautiful Song of Thanksgiving, Psalm 107:

I've been taking a slow tour through the Psalms. As one ought to do on a leisurely road trip, I've given myself permission to stop, get out, and ask questions about what interests me along my journey. When I started the trip, I knew I'd take some time walking around and looking at this psalm. 

So, here I am.

Especially since over the past ten years I've had more of an itinerant ministry, it has been my privilege to preach from Psalm 107 on several occasions. It is a "go-to" message on gratitude. Still, though I've grown somewhat familiar with this masterpiece, I've enjoyed wandering around and looking at this monument to God's Hesed. I'll come back to that in a moment. 

A Chat with King David and the Apostle Paul About Life, Death, and God's Glory

 

As I approach my 75th Birthday, I can't avoid some thoughts about mortality. If I were a gallon of milk, the storekeeper would move me to the front of the dairy case--short shelf-life. I'm not whining, just being realistic.

In my devotions today, I read Psalm 6. I'm reading the Psalms from the New Living Translation. Verses 4 and 5 really piqued my interest.

   Return, O LORD, and rescue me. Save me because of your unfailing love. 

   For the dead do not remember you. Who can praise you from the grave? 

At the risk of being jumped on by my Theological watchdog friends, I don't think all of David's prayers

are  good models for my prayer life. Yes, I believe the Psalms are part of God's inspired word and therefore are "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness" (2 Tim 3:16). Holy Spirit led David to record a poem about a time of struggle in his life. He was faced with formidable enemies (7 & 10). It appears that David was sick. He describes himself as being sick, in agony, and having blurred vision. 

Apparently, there was some sin in David's life. He speaks of God's rebuke and discipline. As I look through David's prayer, though, I don't see a request to be forgiven. In other Psalms, David freely confesses his sin and begs God to forgive him. Psalm 51:1-4 is a notable example. I can't be sure, but I think David had sinned. His sin placed him in a vulnerable position before his enemies and some bodily affliction had invaded David's life. Perhaps it was an illness that was directly sent from God in chastisement, or maybe what David describes is the general malaise that guilt and regret wreck on the health of sinners. At any rate, in the scenario that I think may be behind this psalm, David does repent and seek God's forgiveness, yet, as often is the case, the consequences of David's sin hang on. Sin can be like a nagging cold: "I feel fine, except for this nagging cough."

Don't think me arrogant, but I know more about sin and forgiveness than David. I am more sure of my status with the Lord than he was. I live on the other side of the Cross. I have the benefit of the New Testament. I can stand on this reality: "There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus" (Rom 8:1).

So, I come back to Psalm 6:4-5. Some may think that David was trying to make a deal with God. "Save me from this deadly distress and I'll praise You for the rest of my life." Perhaps, but I don't think so. I see in David's prayer a quality that I see in the Apostle Paul's musing and praying about life and death.

   “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake. Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,” (Philippians 1:21–25, NASB95)  

Within the minor-key song of the shepherd/warrior/king/song-writer of the Old Testament and the autobiographical thoughts of the Apostle who wrote much of the New, there is a basic truth that I need to hold to, live by, and pray in the light of--my life is not my own. It is God's. It needs to be lived for His glory and it ought to come to its end for the same purpose. 

So Lord, as I approach the fourth quadrant of a century of life on this earth, I ask that you will help me live for your glory. Use me as you choose. When I do come to death's door, may I approach that final transition holding onto the grace that has led me to this point. 

Whether by life or by death, be glorified, Lord.

An article worth reading, especially for those who preach the word, or try to:

 I am on Trevin Wax's mailing list, not his publicity team. :)
I do, however, find his weekly articles stimulating.

This one came to me at a time when I'm involved in some issues of "What does the Bible say about . . .?"
At first, I thought Trevin's excerpts from Augustine (I'm not a scholar on him) were too far in the direction

of being mushy, uncertain, or non-commital in one's hermeneutics. Looking a little more carefully, I think the article punches at errors on both sides.
Clearly the first article that Trevin references in his list which follows his own thoughts strives for an "avoidance of both the right and left ditches that run alongside the road of orthodoxy. I find the reference to Lewis's "Christianity-and" very helpful.

Like me, several of you in this email will be teaching and/or preaching God's word this weekend. Our world needs that--we need that! Give it your best, but know that's not enough, so let's pray for power, wisdom, and skill that goes beyond us.

https://mailchi.mp/f60e8083f6cd/theological-debates-need-less-pride-more-augustine?e=cbe6cfd979

Trevin Wax on doubt and surety, Thanks, Trevin

 I remember a while back, probably a couple of decades ago, when the "emerging church" was a thing. I read Blue Like Jazz, and the other book by that author, about a long trip in an old VW. I read Brian McLaren's book, "A New Kind of Orthodoxy," or something like that. I thought Blue Like Jazz was a

marvelously beautiful, skillfully written book, that in the end was a waste of great talent. I got so mad at McLaren's book that I wanted to throw it across the room. (That was in my pre-digital-book time.) I think a friend of mine did give the volume a heave.

It seemed that the books and the movement in general gloried in doubt. The "seemed" in that last sentence is not an expression of doubt. It's an attempt at humility. The authors bragged about being less sure than anybody else. Reading Trevon Wax's article. Reminded me of those days. I could feel Trevin's hand patting me on the back. "You were right, Howard. Hang in there." I love it when people tell me I'm right--except when I'm not. :) Then, if they are a credible corrector, I listen and, if need be, make the necessary corrections. I hate it when someone with absolute surety tells me I'm wrong just for thinking I'm right, and they act as if they are totally sure about that.

Thanks, Trevin.

You are right.

The rest of you would be right to read what Trevin says.

Treven's article: https://mailchi.mp/e3afdd6f30a1/enough-with-the-valorization-of-doubt?e=cbe6cfd979 

On the Eve of the Inauguration:

 When I put my ear to the cultural-ground I hear a mix of sounds. As one who has the privilege of being a "Minister of the Gospel" (I think that's what my ordination certificate says) I need to make sure that I listen to what I hear and speak truth into this cultural moment with wisdom, compassion, and proper tolerance. Here are some things I'm trying to remember. Perhaps they'll jog your thinking as well.

1. Politics is always messy. By that, I mean that no candidate or government official is all good or all bad. From a Biblical perspective, some are in closer alignment with what is right, while others are seriously out of line. I need to resist the urge to "gush" over those with whom I agree and acknowledge that most of the time those with whom I disagree have some redeeming quality. I need to be cautious about joining the cheering crowd on the bandwagon and resistant to throwing people under the bus.
2. All people are God's special creation. They bear God's image and are therefore worthy of respect. While the saying, "Love the sinner but hate the sin," is often overused and wrongly applied, it's not a bad general guideline. 
3. Yes, a sovereign nation ought to control its borders, and laws need to be respected and enforced. There is growing agreement that sanctuary cities and states are a mistake. Mayor Adams of New York is at least a partial convert.
   But, I have to acknowledge that many immigrants who crossed our border illegally did so for reasons that resonate with me as a husband and father. There are those who were carried across the border as infants. Legally they have no right to be here. Ethically, do I have a right to demand their deportation to a country that is as strange to them as it is to me? I need to avoid overgeneralization on this matter. To quote Micah, I need to, "do justice . . .love kindness, [a]nd . . . walk humbly."
4. Going back to point 1, in politics, nobody is always right, and nobody is always wrong. Mussolini did make the trains run on time. I've had to repent of some of my criticism of the underdressed Senator from PA. Go figure.
5. As we try to teach our kids when they play sports, I need to win humbly and lose gracefully. The words of Republican President Gerald Ford shared at Democrat President Jimmy Carter's funeral are a great example. These men held political convictions that separated them. Ford's loss to Carter in the Presidential election could have made them lifelong enemies. Instead, they formed a friendship that extended past the grave. Lord, give me that kind of grace.
6. Chiefly, I need to, whenever I can, avoid doing or saying anything that will detract from my ability to minister the Gospel.

Lord, I need your wisdom,  compassion, and discernment, especially over the next few days. Amen.

Pondering: Thoughts on the Wonder of Christmas, #4

 Something amazing happened to me last night. 
I was just outside what I thought was my house, though it was very different than the house I have lived in for two-thirds of my life. A black bear was out in the yard. I don't know why I did this, but I let the bear into the house. Soon I found myself lying on the floor with the bear on top of me. Thankfully the bear seemed content to just lie there. I could feel it's weight and warmth. While lying on me the bear did what animals always do. It relieved itself, thankfully not on me. I heard the water hit the floor. Not long after that the lady of the house--it turns out it wasn't my house after all--approached. I recognized her. She is a woman from the other side of the world, where there are no bears. She simply grabbed the beast by the color--why does a wild bear have a collar?--called it "Queen," led it to the door, and sent it on its way.

Then I woke up.

If any of my readers are interpreters of dreams they should have a blast with this one. :)

Before I went to bed and met the bear, I was involved in another, this time, very real event. Our home church is presenting a public, outdoor event this weekend. It is centered around the marvelous story of Christ as told by the Gospel writer Luke. My part in the program is to portray a carpenter, Jaazaniah (Juh-az-an-i-uh), who now works in the carpenter shop in Nazareth, where Joseph and Jesus once built things that contributed to the lives of their neighbors.

You might make the case that this "Night to Remember" event is just another fantasy, a dream. Well, yes, there is no mention in the New Testament of a carpenter named Jaazaniah. But, it is also true that Luke investigated the story of Christ. He lived at a time when eye-witnesses of the words and acts of Christ were still alive. Reading the book of Acts--watch for the "we" sections--shows that Luke was in the areas where these eyewitnesses would have lived. Read Luke's plan here. If there was a carpenter who worked with Joseph and/or Jesus, Luke would have talked to him if he could.

Could it be that the reason Luke is the only one of the four Gospel writers who reports Jesus' words about the foolishness of starting a building project without counting the cost, goes back to a conversation Luke had with a builder who worked on a project that, to the chagrin of the patron, was never finished. Could it be that someone pointed out a half-finished tower, and told the story of a foolish real estate developer and that story led to Luke's further investigation, which led to an eyewitness who said, "Yeah, Jesus talked about that?

I don't know. I know it could be. I know that because, unlike my cuddly bear, Jesus really lived in the real world. If a real man investigated, he would find out real things that Jesus really did and said. The record is the Gospel of Luke, and the other gospels as well. Pure fantasy has a wonder to it. It can inspire, but how much more full-of-wonder is a story of a remarkable life, who did amazing things, and spoke words so profound that even unbelievers are forced to admit that he was a man of compassion, wisdom, and dedication to his mission--a person worthy of knowing better.

Such a man did live. His name is Jesus. If you read about Him, you will find that He is more than a man. He is God come in human flesh. You can join us for the Night to Remember event tonight or tomorrow. You can read the Book of Luke whenever you want to.

It's a wonder.

Pondering: Thoughts on the Wonder of Christmas #3

 Contemplating the wonder of the Christmas story, the indescribable gift of God's Son (John 3:16 & 2 Corinthians 9:15), is a wonderful exercise all by itself. However, considering a further reality takes the awe-inspiring narrative to a new level.

That reality is that all of us who follow Christ have a mandate to imitate what the Son of God did in His incarnation. Note the highlighted words below in this quotation from Philippians 2.

Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, ² make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. ³ Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; ⁴ do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. ⁵ Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷ but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. ⁸ Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹ For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰ so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, (Philippians 2:1–10)

Just a couple of brief comments:

• Verse 1 gives the basis of this mandate. It is based on these realities that all followers of Christ are privileged to enjoy.
• Verses 2-5 contain the Apostle Paul's command to the Christians in Philippi. There is nothing about the Philippian Christians that makes different than any other follower of Christ, wherever and whenever they life. It is legitimate to apply this command to all of us who follow Christ, today. Note the verbs that define this mandate. This series of commands flows from an attitude, or way of thinking. It is not merely outward, it is from the heart. One way--a big way--our attitudes are changed is through a consideration of the truth. Think of all that Christ has done for us (Romans 12:1-2). An old Gospel chorus sums it up well.
  
         After all He's done for me.
         After all He's done for me. 
        How can I do less,
        Than give Him my best,
        And live for Him completely?
        After all He's done for me.
  Not only does the reasoning make sense. It points to a wonderful privilege
•  The rest of the quotation is a summary of the work of Christ. Note that the first part of this is expressed as actions that Christ willingly took. Theologians call this the kenosis, Christ emptying Himself. The second part of this, Christ's exaltation, is expressed in actions that happened to Christ. These were done by His Father. Jesus' prayer in John 17, on the evening before His crucifixion, shows that Jesus depended on His Father to make this happen. He trusted.

The wonder of Christmas is not only that Christ came--God's gift to bring salvation to all who believe--but also that you and I, as followers of Christ, are privileged to participate in this marvelous, life and world-changing self-sacrifice and ultimate reward.

Have a WONDERFUL Christmas.