Psalm 25: Teach Me Your Ways

June 10, 2012              Psalm 25:  Teach Me Your Ways

1 Samuel 8:4-11, 16-20           Psalm 25          2 Cor. 4:13-5:1            Mark 3:2-35

As you sow, so shall you reap.

Beware the yeast of the Pharisees.

Consider the lilies.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

Every valley shall be exalted and every hill laid low.

Fear not.

Give and gifts will be given to you, good measure, packed together, shaken down and overflowing.

Happy are the poor in spirit, the kingdom of heaven is yours.

Into your hands, I commend my spirit.

Justice and peace shall kiss.

Know that I am with you.

Love thy neighbor as thyself.

Many that are first, shall be last.

Now is the kingdom.

Only in God is my soul at rest.

Peace I leave with you, peace that the world cannot give.

Quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

Rest in the Lord and wait patiently.

Seek ye first the kingdom of God.

Take no thought for tomorrow.

Under his wings you find refuge.

Victory through our Lord, Jesus Christ.

You alone are Lord.

Zeal for your house will consume me.

We are in the midst of graduation season, with ceremonies filled with speakers trying to pass on words of wisdom to help the graduates live their lives from this way forward.  Often speakers will use catch phrases or pithy sayings or quotes.  What you have above is a rough form of an acrostic of Scripture passages, words worth passing on to graduates.  The older I get, the more steeped in Scripture, the more I find these words, written thousands of years before I was born, to be a source of help and inspiration.  Recently, as I listened to accounts of more scandals in the Vatican, in the Catholic Church, I remembered Jesus’ words, “Do everything they (the Pharisees) tell you, but do not act like they do.”  In other words, just because religious leaders do not live up to their teachings, it doesn't mean the teachings are worg.  Timely words, all these years later.  If there was a perfect church out there, I guess I would consider joining, but I’ve yet to find that perfect church so I stick with the imperfect church that we have, following Jesus’ words and actions. 

Our psalm for today is an acrostic lament.  Acrostic poems in Hebrew literature take a variety of forms.  The most common form is to begin each line with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  Some forms might have couplets or three verses each beginning with the same letter of the alphabet then progressing through the alphabet.  Psalm 119 is a masterpiece of acrostic poetry as there are 22 stanzas, within each stanza every line begins with the same letter of the alphabet.

In choosing an acrostic format, the writer is limited in some aspects, as with other forms of poetry.  While the psalm is a lament with a focus on repentance and forgiveness, the verses do not fit tightly together with a unifying theme.  In many ways it is like a collection of wisdom sayings joined loosely together through the acrostic format and under a general theme of repentance and trust in God. 

Another aspect of some acrostic psalms is the addition of an extra verse at the end, beginning with the letter pe, as we see in this psalm.  This way the psalm begins with aleph, in the middle at the 11^th. verse is lamed and ends with pe, creating aleph, another literary device, found in Psalm 34 as well.  However Psalm 25 is not a perfect representation of this form of poetry.  One letter waw, is missing.  Perhaps it was corrupted in translation over the centuries, still it is close enough to warrant the name acrostic.  (if you noted in my “acrostic” I took liberty to leave out X – no words beginning with x in Scripture, following example of this psalm.)

It’s a literary device lost in translation for we have nothing comparable.  If I were to teach a class on Hebrew poetry, I would assign students to write an acrostic using our alphabet, as I attempted.  Acrostics were often used as a teaching device.  Since the written word was not common at that time, Hebrews relied on memorization of verses. This is a mnemonic/memory device making it easier for students to remember.  Often it may be used to connect a variety of wisdom phrases.  While the overall tone of our psalm is a lament, you can see aspects of wisdom material in the passages. The reason for the lament is not evident.  The psalm is more of a general one to be used by anyone in a time of distress seeking God’s help.  It can be divided into three parts:  verses 1-7 speak of the writer’s personal relationship with God; verses 8-15 deals with God’s relationship with people; then in verses 16-21 it reverts back to the individual relationship and his petition.  Verse 22 is inserted to connect the psalm to Israel.

At the heart of the psalm to me is verse 4 – teach me your ways, Lord.  Who is wise?  He who would be led by God, who has the humility to be teachable, to admit he may not always know everything.  Such are the wise.  Unfortunately sometimes before we can know the right path, we first have to see the wrong path.  Our readings for today give us ample examples of wrong paths, of those who think they are wise, but are not.

In our reading for 2 Samuel, Israel is at a critical juncture.  They have been led by judges, appointed by God, but now they want a king.  They go to Samuel and ask him to appoint a king to rule over him.  Samuel is affronted by their request, perhaps because he is worried about his sons continuing after him, or perhaps out of a genuine concern that they are being disrespectful of God.  Samuel is not blameless in this.  Samuel has led well but his sons have not, they have taken bribes and were more concerned about their own personal gain than justice.  The people did not want to be ruled by them, with good reason.  We have already seen in 1 Samuel another example of children not following their father’s example.  Eli’s sons were corrupt; hence Samuel was appointed judge over the people. 

Samuel goes to God and complains about the people’s request.  God tells Samuel to give them what they want, but to let them know what they are in for if they have a king.  Neither Samuel nor the people show themselves to be wise.  The position of judge was not an inherited one; judges were chosen by God to lead.  Samuel gave positions of power to his sons who proved unworthy of his trust.  The fact of being born to a judge did not mean they would be worthy to lead.  Samuel could have learned from the situation with Eli and removed his sons from power, and looked for individuals more worthy to lead, but he didn’t.  The people, for their part, instead of asking for a king whose sons would inherit, could have simply asked God for other judges, but they didn’t.  Instead they looked around at other nations and thought they wanted what these other nations had, a king, instead of appreciating what they did have.  The grass is always greener . . .  Little did they realize what they were asking for.

In our gospel from Mark, we see more lack of wisdom.  Jesus’ own family is unable to recognize who he is or accept him.  He is drawing attention to himself and causing embarrassment to them.  They try to get him back into the fold, calling him crazy, but Jesus, unlike Samuel, doesn’t give into his family, following God’s will first and foremost.  As Jesus, the great Teacher tells us today, “whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.”

The scribes, religious leaders, said Jesus was possessed.  They who were steeped in Scripture study, were unable to accept Jesus—all their learning was a liability, keeping them from knowing God.  As one commentator states, “The fact is, when we become ‘at home’ in our religious assumptions, when we become convinced we know who God is and what God is about in this world, we are in danger  of being incapable of fresh perception of God’s new directions in our midst.  Sick religion is worse than no religion at all.” (Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, After Pentecost 1, p. 52)

True wisdom is open to how God might be working now in our lives, not in the past.  Knowledge of how God has worked in the past may be helpful but can also get in the way, as it did for the scribes who were incapable of believing anything new, accepting Jesus.

True wisdom recognizes that the things of this world are but transitory, that even though this earthly tent may be destroyed we have a heavenly dwelling that can never be destroyed.  True wisdom is not discouraged even as our body may seem to be wasting away with age, as Paul tells us in Corinthians.

We learn from the past but we live in the present.  True knowledge is always seeking out God’s ways, seeking to follow his path even when it takes you down a road you did not expect, recognizing that “all the paths of the Lord are faithful love.” And so it is good to wait for the Lord, as our psalm instructs, to humbly ask God to be our teacher, leading us in right paths until He leads us home to him.

Copyright June 2012, Robertson

Psalm 29: The Voice of the Lord!

June 3, 2012    Psalm 29:  The Voice of the Lord!

Isaiah 6:18                   Psalm 29          Romans 8:12-17          John 3: 1-17

The voice of the Lord is over the water,

The voice of the Lord is power;

The voice of the Lord is splendor;

The voice of the Lord cracks the cedars;

The voice of the Lord strikes with fiery flame

The voice of the Lord rocks the desert;

The voice of the Lord twists the oaks and strips the forest bare!      

How many of you have been in a tornado?  Most, I would guess.  We don’t live in the tornado belt but we have certainly seen our share of storms.  I remember one summer when my children were small and we were staying at my parents’ cottage in Houghton Lake.  We had gone over to my brother’s cottage, a simple A-Frame on Lake St. James, for the afternoon to swim when a storm approached.  There being no basement, I gathered my three children around me and sat against the middle wall where we could look out the sliding doors and watch the storm.  We watched the dark clouds and the crashing lightning and heard the clash of thunder all around us.  It was a source of wonder.  When the storm finally passed, we packed our car and went back to my parents’ cottage.  On the way we had a chance to see the full damage of the storm.  Even though the radio announcer claimed no tornado had been sighted, still we saw trees torn up by the roots, up-ended, power lines knocked down.  It took almost a week before power was restored.  I was reminded of this event as I reflected on today’s psalm.  The voice of the Lord cracks the mighty cedars, the voice of the Lord up-ends the mighty oaks of Michigan, it twists the maple and the birch leaving them stripped of leaves.  Such is the power of the voice of God.

Psalm 29 is likely to be an early psalm, reflecting on the majesty of God in nature, especially the storm.  It begins with an introduction calling all to worship:  Give to the Lord the glory due his name; it calls to all creation, especially all of the heavenly beings.  Then it expands on the wonders of our God whose voice is so powerful that all say, “Glory.”  The KJV translation says that the voice of the Lord causes the hinds to calf, to give birth out of fear (9) such is its power.  The psalm ends with the reminder that our God is in the heaven, all is right in the world.  Despite the fearsomeness of the storm, God’s people need not fear. 

I imagine this as a dramatic reading with clanging cymbals and drums each time the priest declares “The voice of the Lord.”  The psalms are dramatic words of God’s people.  They are not meant to be read in a lifeless monotone.  While I did not see any indication of such a dramatic acting out of the psalm in the commentaries I read, I don’t think it’s much of a stretch to imagine that David who danced before the Lord, Miriam who danced with timbrel and tambourine, might not act out this reading with great dramatic force as re-enacting the sound of thunder and the storm.  The priest would read with great effect, stirring the people to wonder at our God who commands the wind and the rain and the storm, and yet feeling safe within God’s temple, as I hope my children felt safe within my protecting arms during the storm.  The voice of the Lord is proclaimed seven times.  This is no chance occurrence.  Seven is the perfect number in numerology, representing the perfection of God.  It is a combination of four, the four ends of the earth, and three, the Trinity.

In our reading from Isaiah we see another rendering of God’s glory and majesty, such that Isaiah was only able to catch of glimpse of God’s hem.  Then Isaiah saw angels, seraphims surrounding God.  Our reading is the call of Isaiah, however it follows a different pattern than other calls where God commands and the prophet objects.  In this case, Isaiah overhears a question posed by God and unhesitating, responds, “send me.”  Inspired by the sight he has just seen, Isaiah rushes in and volunteers, a common occurrence during a religious experience.  We are so caught up in the experience that we are ready to give up everything without counting the cost.  It was only later that Isaiah hesitates, asking “How long?” 

In response to the vision Isaiah cries out, “Woe is me, I am doomed!  For I am a man of unclean lips, living among a people of unclean lips.” (6:5)  At the sight of God, Isaiah recognizes the state of the world, a state of sinfulness, and his own state of sinfulness before God.  His sinfulness is purged through a glowing ember touched to his lips.  The world is in a state of sin.  We have separated ourselves from our God through original sin in the Garden.  As one commentator states, “But sin in this case is more like the notion of pollution than specific human actions, even though human action might have prompted the pollution in the first place.  The result of our actions is that we and our everyday world are polluted, and, furthermore, we have evolved in such a way that we actually need a polluted environment to maintain our lives.  God, on the other hand, is not polluted and hence is fundamentally separate from us and our world.”  (Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year B after Pentecost 1, p. 21)   God is holy but did not abandon the world, rather God entered back by way of the Temple in Hebrew thought.  But it is dangerous, this mixing of the holy and the unholy; they are not compatible.  “Thus the holiness of God is dangerous for anyone and anything in the profane world, and the Temple with its liturgy is meant to provide a means by which the dangerous presence of God can be channeled safely into our world.” 

Fire is an important theme in this passage.  It is fire that purifies, just as we see fire in our psalm.  But where the passage from Isaiah emphasizes the separateness of God from impure humanity, our psalm looks at the presence of God.  We are to look for God, not in nature, but in worship, in the safety of the Temple.  From the safety of the Temple we can hear God’s word.

Our God is far too awesome for us to imagine.  God is found in nature, in worship, in the wind of the Spirit, in Jesus, God in human form as we are reminded in our gospel for today – for God so loved the world.  Today we focus on the mystery of God as Trinity, three in one.  God as creator whose voice sounds through the storm, God in human flesh, God as Spirit, uniting God and Son, the go-between or middle.  All are reminders of the mystery that is God. 

John Donohue, in his book Beauty:  the Invisible Embrace, finds beauty in music, color, dance, imagination, attraction, even death.  He explores the forms of beauty found in places, things, events and experiences.  In the end he states it is not a question of what is beauty, but “who” is beauty, for God is beauty.  He states, “At the heart of beauty must be huge care and affection for creation, for nowhere is beauty an accidental presence.  Nor is beauty simply its own end.  It is not self-absorbed but points beyond itself to an embrace of belonging that holds everything together.” (p. 193)  Beauty pulls us beyond ourselves; it gladdens our heart yet makes us lonely as we long for that “Other” that is beyond us.  It both is God and points to God.  As Augustine said, “our hearts shall know no rest till they rest in Thee.”

The voice of the Lord is powerful.  His word is a fire that burns, that can destroy or purify, that can bring new life.  His voice is also gentle as a summer breeze bringing healing and comfort; it is the caring words of a father or mother over a child as Paul tells us in Romans. 

The end of the psalm reminds us that God is king, God rules over the world, then there is a blessing prayer:  “May the Lord give strength to his people!  May the Lord bless his people with peace!”  The voice of the Lord strengthens us, but his final word is peace, more powerful than thunder and lightning, a peace the world cannot give, only God can give.  And so we pray for peace, for in the end it is peace that will prevail.  Everything else will pass away but God’s word will not pass away.  May the Lord bless you with his peace.   

Copyright, May 2012, Robertson

Psalm 24: The Earth Is the Lord's

May 27, 2012                          Psalm 24:  The Earth is the Lord’s!

Ezekiel 37:1-14           Psalm 24          Acts 2:1-21                 John 15:26-27, 16:4b-15

“Dem Bones, dem bones, dem dry bones, now hear the word of the Lord!”  In the Ezekiel reading about dry bones, we hear how God will breathe life back into dried out bones, wonderful imagery, a field of skeletons getting up and dancing a macabre dance as God brings them back to life and puts flesh onto their bones. God asks the prophet, “can these bones come to life?” Of course, we all know that dry bones cannot be restored to life, however, the prophet, in true wisdom, put the question back to God, “you alone know that.”  And God proceeds to surprise by doing the impossible and bringing life out of death.

It has only been recently that science has begun to explore the spiritual realm, trying to put “God” under the microscope, study religious phenomena using scientific method.  One area of research has been near death our out of body experiences.  In these experiences individuals are technically dead, brain activity and breathing has ceased, and they leave their body and proceed on a journey until sent back into their bodies.  Science has tried to quantify these experiences, come up with some explanation.  They suggest that what the individual sees and experiences are just the brain shutting down, including a review of their life as the brain waves spark and go out.  However some of these individuals relate what happened around them at the time they were technically dead in great detail, with great accuracy.  In one such case, the person related being out of their body, leaving the operating room and flying above the hospital where she saw a tennis shoe on the roof of the hospital.  Upon returning to her body and relating what had been seen, staff went on the roof and found the shoe.

One aspect of these experiences that I find comforting is that in leaving behind broken bodies, their bodily spirit is whole; the blind could see again, the deaf hear again, the lame walk.  What a wonderful confirmation of what Scripture tells us about life after this life.  Our bodies are restored like new flesh being put back on dry bones, life being brought out of death.

Our psalm for today reminds us that the Earth is the Lord’s, it’s not ours; we are but temporary residents of the earth.  Written in three parts, it is meant for a procession, something that would be very appropriate for the celebration of Pentecost.  Some churches celebrate this day with a procession with red banners and flags, symbolizing the coming of the Spirit upon the apostles.  First section is comprised of the first two verses, reminding the listener of the God of creation who first brought forth life upon the earth when God’s spirit swept over the water and God breathed life into creation.  All creation belongs to God for God is the creator.  He founded the earth and established it. 

It’s not us who created God, contrary to what some may say, but God who created us.  The evidence for God is everywhere.  Some scientists point to discoveries and claim them for their own, but they are only finding what God has planted upon the earth.  As one commentator states, “Science is a sort of treasure hunt, with scientists as the hunters—all honor to them; but the originator of the treasure is God.”  (Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 4, p. 133)  They would never have been able to discover anything had God not made it.

The second section, verses 3-6, recounts who the true worshipper is.  It asks the questions, who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?  Who shall stand in his holy place? Reminiscent of Psalm 15:1-2ff where the answer to this question is, “He who walks blamelessly and does what is right, and speaks truth from his heart. . .”  The answer here is simpler, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to what is false, and does not swear deceitfully.” (vs. 4) Those whose hands are not stained by murder or theft, or taking a bribe or other sins; those who do not sin with their hands or hearts shall enter the Temple.  Such a person will be blessed by God, his cause will prevail.  In a ritual setting, the priest might pose this question about who is worthy of entrance into the Temple, then conclude that those gathered possess these qualities, “such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob.” (vs 6)           

The procession moves on to the gates of the Temple where the people call out for the gates to be opened, singing back and forth in an antiphonal song where one side sings one verse and the other the next.  In triumph, at the words “Who is the King of Glory?  The Lord of hosts!”  The gates are lifted so that all may enter.  And what are the gates that need to be lifted?  Perhaps the gates of unbelief.  The procession is complete and all those who are worthy, who believe in God the creator, shall enter in.

In our reading from Acts of the Apostles, the apostles are hidden behind locked door out of fear, their own gates that need to be lifted.  With the coming of the Spirit, the doors are opened.  The Spirit breaks through the locked doors, it can’t be kept out.  Filled with the Spirit the apostles open their doors and Peter begins to preach.  It’s as if a light has been turned on, Peter and the others have been changed in a way that frees them from fear.  They see the world in a vastly different way thanks to God’s Spirit.

Part of the nature of an encounter with God’s spirit is that it changes us.  As Barbara Bradley Haggerty notes in her book, Fingerprints of God, after examining numerous studies of religious experiences: “I began to perceive a theme.  Simply put, when you bump against the spiritual, something changes.  First, your brain begins to operate differently, even at resting state.  Second, your interior life is transformed.  Your priorities and loves, how you choose to spend your time and with whom you choose to spend it—all that changes in blink of an eye.”  (pp. 276-7)

According to scientist Dean Radin, 96% of the universe is “dark matter” or “dark energy.”  We don’t know what it is.  This means that all of our theories and supposed knowledge is based on just 4% of the observed universe.  And yet there are those who claim emphatically that there is no God.  Foolishness.  They think themselves wise when they are not. Myself, I prefer to leave room for mystery, acknowledging that what I do not understand far exceeds what little I do. If there are mysteries to be discovered, it is because our God put them there at the beginning of creation.  Not only is 96% of our universe dark matter, much of our brain is.  We only use a small portion of our brain.  If we used all of our brains, what wonders might we experience. 

Jesus tells the disciples in our reading from John how they cannot understand what he is saying but when the Spirit comes they will understand.  It’s like a light bulb waiting to be plugged into a source of power.  When the Spirit comes, the light goes on and the apostles are changed in ways they couldn’t have imagined before this.  There is still so that we don’t know, don’t understand.  There is so much that is dark matter, so much within our own brains waiting for God to light it up as he did at the first

Pentecost. 

This weekend, besides being the Christian celebration of Pentecost, we remember those who have died that we might have the freedoms we enjoy.  Our readings for today are messages of hope, that there is more to this life than we know, that God can restore our loved ones, if not in this life, then in the next when he will breathe the Spirit back into dry bones.  No-one who lives a life of service and love, whose heart is pure, is lost.  Their sacrifices are not forgotten, were not for nothing.  They have entered the gates of the Temple.  For the rest of us who continue on this procession through life, may God’s healing love keep us on the way that leads to you until that time that we stand at the gate and knock, confident that are God will open to us.

Copyright May 2012, Robertson 

Psalm 21: Queen for a Day

May 13, 2012, Mother’s Day              Psalm 21:  Thou dost set a crown of fine gold

Acts 10:44-48             Psalm 21                      1 John 5:1-6                John 10:9-17

“Would you like to be queen for a day?”  Remember Queen for a Day?  Old tv show, beginning of America’s obsession with big winning game shows.  Four women were selected out of the audience and told their hard luck stories.  One who received most applause won the title along with a dozen roses and many prizes.  Show ended with host saying, “Wishing we could make every woman queen for every single day.” 

Well, what would you say if I told you, you already are queens and kings, not just for one day, but every day?  All of you in retirement with your silver hair and long life!

Psalm for today is another royal psalm.  Psalm 20 was the prayer of a king going into battle.  Psalm 21 is prayer of celebration after the king’s victory.  The two could possibly refer to the same event.  Written in two parts, verses 1-7 addresses the Lord, verses 8-12 are addressed to the king.  The psalm starts with the king rejoicing.  “You have given him his heart’s desire,” the psalm continues.  God gave the king everything he desired; he gave him many blessings, a crown of gold, and long life.  Verse 3 states you met him with goodly blessings – image of returning warrior being greeted by cheering throngs and then having a crown or other symbol of success placed on head.  An old Gaelic saying states that “he is a king who is well.”  The crown could be a symbol of God’s blessing through good health.  As one commentator states, “Morally, health is holiness; to be well is to be ‘good all through.’ That crown of pure gold is within the reach of all of us poor ‘slaves that would be king.’” (Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 4, p. 113)  The king asked for life (vs. 4) and God gave it to him, length of days.  Each of you, having made it to 80, 90 and beyond, have that length of day.  Even more than that, God makes him most blessed forever, making him glad with the joy of his presence (vs. 6) – the promise of life with God forever in heaven where we will wear a heavenly crown.

At verse 8 the psalm shifts its focus and addresses the king, proclaiming more victories, not only over his enemies but their descendants as well.  The verses are problematic in their violence and vengeance, creating a challenge for the reader.  You won’t find these verses in the common lectionary for such verses are routinely avoided.  Walter Brueggemann, speaking at a conference at Western Theological Seminary encouraged listeners to wrestle with such difficult passages rather than avoid them.  All of Scripture is helpful and thus worthy of our attention.  So how do we deal with such difficult passages? 

For some insight, let’s look at our passage from Acts of the Apostles.  This passage is often referred to as the second Pentecost as the spirit comes to the Gentile community.  In order for this to happen there needed to be some changes.  In verses preceding, there are two visions.  First Cornelius, a devout and God-fearing man, has a vision of an angel who told him to go to Joppa to a man called Peter.  Peter then has a vision of a large sheet filled with all types of animals.  Peter was told to slaughter and eat.  Peter resisted saying he had never eaten anything profane or unclean.  The voice responded, “What God has made clean, you are not to call profane.”  This happened three times.  While Peter was still pondering the vision, the servants Cornelius had sent to find Peter, appeared at the door of his house.  The Spirit instructed Peter to go with them and so Peter journeyed to Cornelius home where he stayed despite Jewish law against Jews associating with Gentiles.  “You know that it is unlawful for a Jewish man to associate with, or visit, a Gentile, but God has shown me that I should not call any person profane or unclean.”  Thus the stage was set for the conversion of the Gentiles.  The issue here is not is about whether food is clean or unclean.  Rather it is about contextualizing the gospel, “and the need for Christians to see the saving activity of God in cultural contexts that are unfamiliar to us.” (Preaching the Revised Common Lectionary, Year B, Lent/Easter, p. 152) 

Why do we resist passages that do not reflect our own worldview?  Because of cognitive dissonance.  Cognitive dissonance is a psychological term that basically addresses the brain’s tendency to dislike contradictory messages.  The brain is a cognitive miser, meaning it likes to conserve energy, doesn’t want to work any harder than it has to.  These contradictory messages means the brain has to work to understand them and may even be forced to change its opinion.  So sometimes, rather than do this, we will simply dismiss information that we don’t like, or, we believe what we want to believe.  It can be hard to break through this resistance.  In the case of Peter in Acts, it took a profound vision from God to get him to be open to possibility that Gentiles can also be saved.  Profound religious experiences have a way of getting us to see reality in a different way, change long held beliefs.

So let’s look at the cultural context of our psalm.  Second portion of psalm could be interpreted in a variety of different ways.  People are praying for the king.  They are praying for a complete conquest, one so complete that the king’s enemies would be wiped off of the face of the earth, it would extend to their children and their children’s children.  Early Hebrew nation had little concept of an afterlife.  They did speak of Sheol as this shadowy place, but for most part, focus is on the here and now, this life.  Immortality for the Hebrew community lies in the community, not in a life after death, which makes Jesus’ resurrection even more profound.  A common Hebrew blessing would be for children and children’s children for countless generations, hence God promised Abraham that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars.  And so, a Hebrew curse would be that there be no generations, thus no immortality for enemies.  While it sounds terribly harsh to us, especially within the context of a prayer, it would not seem that way for the Hebrew community.

Another way to look at it would be in terms of God as the king and the last judgment when the wheat will be separated from the chaff.  God is the one to destroy evil from the face of the earth, wipe out all of the seeds of evil, even to the last generation.  The fiery furnace could be the fires of Gehenna.  In this sense they are praying for God to prevail and wipe out all evil from every generation. 

In a spiritual sense, if we are to free ourselves of sinfulness, we must not only root out the big sins, murder, adultery, theft, but even the smaller ones, the off-spring of sin, thoughts that lead to un-kind and evil actions.   In this sense we pray that God will put all evil thoughts to flight.  Psalm ends with a confirmation of the writer’s belief in the strength of God to do all these things and praise of God.

Our gospel from John picks up where we left off from last week with the vine and the branches.  Jesus tells us to abide in him, or remain in him.  What does it mean to abide in Jesus?  Many of you know my friend Marcy who is currently under Hospice care.  When another friend asked her if she had any new insights as she faces her final journey, especially in light of her years of ministry and being with others during similar times, she said, “I don’t know that I have any great insights.  God’s abiding love is with me.”  What a great gift, to not only know God loves us, but to experience that love, feel it.

How do we experience that love?  Through others and the love we feel for them.  To be loved, to be aware of God’s abiding love, surely that is the greatest gift of all, the greatest crown to wear.

Each of us already has a crown waiting for us in heaven.  It is a crown of love.  In that we have loved and been loved, there is a crown awaiting us.  There are cheering crowds in heaven above, waiting to welcome us home and place this crown on our heads.

Today we celebrate mother’s day.  Our mother’s have an important role to play in making us the people we are, in helping us be open to God’s love.  In that we have been loved well as children, we will be able to love as adults, both receiving and giving and growing in God’s abiding love.  And so, let us wear our crowns well.  Wishing we could make every woman, and every man, queen or king for every single day.  We can!

Robertson, copyright May 2012 

Psalm 20: What's in a Name?

May 6, 2012                Psalm 20:  We boast of the name of the Lord

Acts 8:26-40               Psalm 20                      1 John 4:7-21              John 15:1-8

What’s in a name?  A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.  So what’s in a name?  Our psalmist would beg to differ with this statement.

Psalm for today, 20, is a royal psalm (other royal psalm 2, 28, 45, 72, 101, 132, 144).  Format is similar to a lament.  A king is about to go into battle, he makes a request of God (vs. 1-5) then thanks God already in his confidence that God has heard him and will grant his request.

Psalm starts by calling upon the name of the God of Jacob, not Baal, not Zeus, the God of Jacob.  It makes a difference.  In early times it was thought that divine names had power, i.e. the name of Yahweh, I Am, was not to be spoken.  Later names became regarded as representative of God, almost a second self.  And still later it was considered a mediator.  The name, God of Jacob, identified him as Israel’s God, the God who had delivered his people and whom the king expected to deliver a victory today.  “In biblical thought a name is not a mere label of identification; it is an expression of the essential nature of its bearer.  A man’s name reveals his character.”  (Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 3, p. 500)  “As such, a name is regarded as possessing an inherent power which exercises a constraint upon its bearer:  he must conform to his essential nature as expressed in his name . . . Hence a change of name accompanies a change in character.” (p. 501-502)

“To know the name of God is to know God himself as he is revealed.” (p. 502) no light matter.  It made a difference what name we use – remember shouts of “Heil Hitler” in nazi Germany? It is important that we call upon the right name.

In vs. 2-3 we see that the king is offering burnt offerings in the sanctuary, the king goes to the Temple to present his cause before God.  As one commentator states, “The only causes, therefore, for which we may fight are those which we can take into God’s house; the only swords we can draw are those which we can lay on the altar.  We cannot expect help from the sanctuary if what we bring to the sanctuary is hateful to the Lord of the sanctuary.”  (Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 4, p. 109)  A helpful guide for those who would go into war – is this truly a just cause?  Is this a fitting cause to present before our God?

Verse 4 in KJV reads “Grant thee according to thine own heart and fulfill all thy counsel.”  In the New American Bible, “Grant what is in your heart, fulfill your every plan.”  Not my will, or the king’s will, but your will, the king prays. A prayer of abandonment to divine will.  The king humbly asks that God’s will be done.  An interesting prayer for a king going into battle, shows him to be a man of great faith and trust in God.

Verse 5 we see name of God again.  We are to set God’s name on our banners to indicate that we are marching under the banner of God.  Soldier going into battle go under the banner of their king or country.  Our soldiers go under the banner of the American flag.  It’s important to know whose banner we are marching under.  Ignatius in his spiritual exercises asks us to make a choice – are we under God’s banner or Satan’s.  Important choice to make for as we chose, our actions will follow.

Verse 6 shifts to thanking God in advance for victory.  Everything that could be done, has been done, the king is ready for battle.  Now it is up to God.  Reminiscent of saying, “Act as if everything depended on you, pray as if everything depended on God.”  The king puts his trust in God, so much so that he thanks him in advance.  The king surrenders to God’s will.

In verse 7 we see how some put their trust in, or rely on chariots and horses, but we trust in God.  Revised Standard translation says they boast on their chariots and horses, but we boast of the name of the Lord, relying on God’s name again.  As Paul tells us in 2 Cor. 10:17, “whoever boast should boast in the Lord.”  The king puts his trust in God, that the enemy will eventually collapse and fall.  Even if we fall, we will get back up again.  Psalm ends with a final, confident appeal to God.

This psalm is a beautiful prayer of trust in God.  The king going into battle, does all he can to be prepared, he makes offerings at the Temple, then places himself under the banner of the name of the Lord, trusting in God to give him victory. 

So what’s in a name?  In our reading from Acts of the Apostle, we hear the story of the Ethiopian eunuch who is baptized by Philip.  Prompted by an angel, Philip goes to a road in the wilderness from Jerusalem to Gaza.  There he sees the Eunuch, seated in a chariot and reading from the prophet Isaiah.  The spirit further prompts Philip to go up the Eunuch and ask him if he understands what he is reading.  “How can I, unless someone guides me?” the Eunuch responds.  At this Philip proceeds to teach him about the gospel.  The Eunuch is so touched by Philip’s words that he wants to be baptized immediately.  And so Philip baptizes the Eunuch and goes on his way.  The early church baptized in the name of Jesus, thus testifying to the power of a name, the power of words, the power of the gospel.

In John’s gospel, we hear Jesus, the great I am, saying “I am the true vine.”  Last of seven "I Am" statements:  bread, light, gate (for the sheep), good shepherd, resurrection & life, way, truth and life, true vine.  All reveal an aspect of who Jesus is/who God is.   When Moses asked the burning bush God’s name, God’s response was “I am.”  Jesus’ use of this term would not be lost on those following him, it was why he was brought before Pilate and the Sanhedrin, because they claimed his was blaspheming in saying he and the father are one, claiming for himself the term “I Am.”  As Jesus says in John 8:58, “before Abraham came to be, I AM.” 

Jesus is the vine, we are the branches, the Father is the vinedresser who prunes back the branches lest they stray too far away and die.  The vinedresser knows just how deep to cut back the branches in order for them to bear the best fruit.  I’m no good at this.  When I prune back bushes in the yard, the best I do is a little off the top.  If we try to prune ourselves, we won’t cut deep enough.  As soon as it hurts we shout, “enough!”  We say, take away anything but that, God; that hurts too much.  We don’t readily give up that which we have become accustomed to, which we think we need.  But God, the good shepherd, knows what we need and so knows precisely what is necessary if we are to bear good fruit.  As branches, we need to stay close to the vine yet it is so easy to go our own way, stray off in various directions, we need to remain under the name of God.

In I John, John continues to speak of God’s love, saying that God, who is love, abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God.  “So we have known and believe the love that God has for us.” We see yet another name for God, another aspect of who God is – love.

If we are going to call upon a name, it’s important we call upon the right name.  If we are going into battle, it’s important we know under whose banner we fight.  Jesus is the God of Jacob, the God of Moses and Elijah, the great I AM.  And this God is love.  What’s in a name?  A lot.  So if we are to boast, let us boast of the name of the Lord..  Let us do everything under his banner, putting our trust in God, abandoning our own will for God’s will, staying close to the vine. What’s in a name?  Everything, for that name is Love.

Copyright, May 2012, Robertson

Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd

April 29, 2012             Psalm 23- The Lord Is My Shepherd

Acts 4:5-12                 Psalm 23          1 John 3:16-24            John 10:11-18

I don’t know about you, but personally, I’m not the best patient.  I’m not a bad patient, I’ve known worse, but I’m also not the best.  I have problems following orders.  I second guess and question and pretty much do what I want to do and find ways to justify this. Somehow I get by.  It must be frustrating though, being a doctor and knowing how poorly orders are followed.

If I were to tell you I had a prescription that if followed faithfully for only 7 days would radically change your life for the better, would you do it?  Dr. Charles Allen, a minister, in his book God’s Psychiatry, written in 1953 and reprinted repeatedly since that time, does just that.  His prescription is to read the 23^rd Psalm five times a day at different intervals for 7 days.  You can’t sit down in the morning and read the psalm five times at once and consider yourself done for the day, any more than you would take five pills at once if your doctor had ordered you to take them throughout the day.  It must be at different times, perhaps when you first wake up, at breakfast, lunch and dinner and then before you go to sleep.  I can’t say that I managed this myself.   Seems there is always some reason I forget or maybe it’s just because, as I already admitted, I’m not the most compliant patient.  But I can say that for the past twelve years that I have been chaplain here at Vista, every year during the Easter season the common lectionary readings feature Good Shepherd Sunday, including the 23^rd Psalm in the readings. 

Year, after year I have been challenged to come up with new ideas, new ways, to explore that mystery of God as shepherd.  Some years I have focused on sheep, the nature of sheep and how they needed a shepherd if they were to survive.  Sometimes I focused on the shepherd’s voice and how the sheep know it.  Others I focused on the rod and staff that guides.  Still others I have focused on wants versus needs, the restful waters, or the valley of death, or the banquet table.  All worthwhile.  So while I may not have followed Dr. Allen’s prescription precisely, I have certainly reflected on this psalm repeatedly throughout the years.  There is an abundance of riches to choose from in preaching on this topic, an abundance that can be challenging.  

Mark Twain is believed to have said, “I’d have written you a shorter letter if I had more time.”  It can be harder at times to say something in a few words than in many words.  This psalm is a beautifully crafted piece that says so much in only 118 words, 6 verses, well worth repeating, memorizing, praying.  It is one of the most well-known passages in Scripture, second only to the Lord’s Prayer.  People who rarely darken a church’s door, when confronted with the death of a loved one and funeral preparations, will almost without fail ask for this particular psalm, so much so that it has become synonymous with funerals.  Yet it is truly about life, not death, how to live in this life and the next.    

The psalm is written in two parts.  The first section, verses 1-4, speaks of our journey while on this earth, under the care of the shepherd.  The second section shifts to the journey’s end.  The shepherd becomes the host of a wonderful banquet.  Yet the two are connected.  The good shepherd is the good host in verse 2 when he provides green pastures and still waters for his flock; the good host is the good shepherd in verse 6 where we see how goodness and kindness follow, provide the rear guard for the flock.  As one commentator states, “The Good Shepherd sees to his shepherding from the beginning to the end of our pilgrimage that at the eventide we may come to our dwelling, which is also his, where he can lay aside his shepherd’s garments and assume the vestments of the kindly host.” (The Interpreter’s Bible, Vol. 4 p. 124)

Verse 1 states, the Lord is my shepherd.  He is not my task-master, ordering me around, rather he is a care-taker, providing for my needs, watching out for me.  So I shall not want for anything I truly need.

Verses 2-3 portrays a day in the life of the sheep.  We begin with the morning, being awakened by the shepherd’s voice, the flock begins its journey to the appointed place where they will find pastureland and water and rest where their bodies are restored for the next stage of the journey.  Certainly our life is like this.  We journey, then we take a break to rest.  Both are needed.  We don’t spend our days just sleeping and eating.  Our food and rest are to help us with the day’s journey.  Sometimes we can get so caught up with the journey, the work we are doing, that we forget to take time to rest.  The good shepherd knows we need food and rest to sustain us on our journey so even when we resist, he makes us lie down and get the rest we need.  Then, with our souls restored, we renew the journey.  

Then in verse 4 comes the greatest challenge.  The shepherd leads the flock in the path of righteousness (verse 3) but sometimes that path isn’t easy, leads through dark times, dark places.  Knowing what lies ahead, the dangers, the shepherd makes sure the flock is well rested and well fed before embarking on this next part of the journey.  A reminder of how important it is to enjoy those periods of rest when they come to us for we do not know what lies ahead, only the shepherd knows that.  As is so often the case in life, the heaviest burdens and tests do not come in the morning but in the afternoon.  The deep valley is not a short one, the journey through it lasts till evening, but the flock doesn’t worry for they know the shepherd is present to protect them. 

Once the journey is made we are welcomed into the banquet hall where no point of hospitality is overlooked, verses 5-6.  A table is prepared, healing oils are poured on the fleece of the sheep, emphasizing how far the shepherd goes in caring for the sheep, and the cup overflows, we have more than enough, more than we need, more than we can drink, our cup never empties.  And what’s even more, at journey’s end, we shall remain in this house of abundance forever, the reward of the righteous, all who follow the shepherd’s voice.

Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “A man is what he thinks about all day long.”  Marcus Aurelius, “A man’s life is what his thoughts make it.”  Norman Vincent Peale, “Change your thoughts and you change your world.”  Proverb 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” (Allen, p. 15) As we think, so we are.  There is a power in these verses.  If said over and over again, thoughtfully, reflectively, they can change your way of thinking.  The words reflect a positive, hopeful approach to life.  No one can live the 23^rd Psalm and remain fearful.  It speaks to the heart of who God is (Good Shepherd), how to think about God and how to be in relationship to God (as followers).  It is a source of comfort and strength for every day. 

One criticism of Psalm 23 is that some may interpret it as a private faith between God and me and doesn’t address the importance of mission and community.  Yet the shepherd tends the flock, community is implied.  He isn’t just there for the individual, yet the individual is not lost in the flock.  The Good Shepherd knows his sheep, Jesus reminds us.

Our Gospel expands on this image of God as Good Shepherd who knows his sheep and they know him, who lays down his life for his sheep.  There is a power that comes from this relationship with our God.  It is this power that allows the apostles Peter and John to perform miracles in our reading from Acts of the Apostles, the power that comes from their relationship with God.  The reading from 1 John reminds us that in that we have been loved, we are to love in return; we are to do as Jesus did in caring for others, following the example of the Good Shepherd.  Not only are we led by the Good Shepherd, we are to be that shepherd to others, leading others to the shepherd’s voice.   In that our God provides for us, we are to provide for others in need.  In that our cup overflows, we are to share our abundance with others.  The Lord is our shepherd, there is nothing we shall want, our cup overflows, and so we are called to share with others.

Psalm 23 - a prescription for peace of mind, change of heart and great love.  Take it five times a day.

Copyright April 2012, Robertson

Psalm 19 - the Heavens Sing of the Wonder of God!

April 15, 2012             Psalm 19, All Creation Proclaims God’s Handiwork!

Acts 4:32-35               Psalm 19          1 John 1:1-2:2             John 20:19-31

The heavens are telling the glory of God, all creation proclaims God’s handiwork!  Our psalm for today is composed of two very distinct parts.  As seems to be a common practice, it appears that two independent poems were joined into one. This psalm truly is a gem.  It ranks as one of the best examples of Hebrew poetry, using fresh poetic imagery and theological insights.  The first, verses 1-6, declares God glory in heaven and on earth, the second, verses 7-14, extol the wonder of God in his law.  They are different in style, point of view and poetry.  So what do they have in common?  Why are they linked together?  Let’s look at them separately first.

The heavens are telling – what are they telling?  Usually a hymn begins with a call to praise the Lord, ie. Psalm 113, 135, 136, 146, 148, 150 to name a few, but not so in this case.  The hymn has already begun, in fact it began it the moment of creation as we hear in Job 38:7 “While the morning star sang in chorus and all the sons of God (angels) shouted for joy?”  It began then and has not ceased since then, the heavenly chorus sings endlessly, day by day, night by night, it never ceases.  There is a music in the universe and in each one of us.  Is it any wonder that music has such a power to heal and inspire?  It speaks to the very young, the very old and all ages in between.  Dementia and Alzheimer’s patients that are withdrawn and hard to reach will respond to the sound of a favorite song from their youth.  That’s why I always bring hymns with me when I lead services in health centers.  Those hymns are more important than any words I might have.

Each day tells its story, sings its song, to the next day; night to night declares knowledge – the planets, the moon, the stars, all have their own story to tell, they are witnesses to the mysteries of creation.  One characteristic of Hebrew poetry is personification of inanimate objects, so the trees clap their hands as we see in Isaiah.  In Psalm 19 day and night and the sun are given human characteristics.  As one commentator states, “each day had a life of its own, and is pictured as coming forth from its dwelling to play its part at the appointed time, with a primary duty of declaring to its successor that God is glorious.” (Interpreter’s Bible, vol. 4 pp. 102-103)  Night also has its story to tell.  But then we hear that even though they are constantly in dialogue, yet they do not speak:  “There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.” (3-4) How can this be?  They are speaking in profound ways, yet they do not use words.  Sometimes the strongest messages are not the ones spoken but ones encased in silence; their silence speaks louder than words. Who hasn’t been left speechless at times by the beauty of God in nature, in a sunrise or sunset, a rainbow against a mountain, autumn trees or cherry blossoms in spring?  Nature speaks so loud it needs no words, yet we, human that we are, struggle to put into words that which needs no words, that is expressed best in silence.

The sun is personified as a bridegroom, arising each day, bursting forth from his tent and joyfully running a race across the sky, running out of sheer joy. Thus the first section which focuses on God’s glory in nature ends appropriately with the greatest of the celestial beings, the sun.

The second section speaks of God’s glory in the Law.  It lacks the poetic brilliance of the first, yet comes from a devout heart.  The psalmist uses six different terms for the law, each introducing a different aspect.  1.  The law is perfect, reviving the soul; 2. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; 3. The precepts are right, rejoicing the heart; 4. The commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes; 5. The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; 6.  The ordinances are true and righteous altogether.  So the law is perfect, sure, right, pure, clean and true.  It revives the soul, makes the simple wise, rejoices the heart, enlightens the eyes, endures forever and is righteous, all good things.  The law is perfect so we don’t need anything else, we just need follow the law.  It is clean, not defiled, it is true, we can count on it, it’s not changing, a good thing in this ever-changing world where it sometimes seems there is nothing we can count on to remain the same.  It is pure, literally meaning “shining”- it shines like a lamp, sheds light on our path, much as the sun lights our day.   The writer then goes on to say it is more desirable than gold, sweeter than honey (10).

There is reward in keeping the law, it provides a warning light to let us know when we might be going off the path of righteousness (11), for “who can discern his errors? (12) It is so easy to be misled so the writer prays that God will guide him and keep him from sin so that he can be blameless before God (12-13).  The psalm ends with a beautiful prayer, often used in liturgies, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (14)  Where else does sin arise but in our thoughts which lead to unkind or untrue words.  If we can but keep our thoughts, the meditations of our hearts, pure, then our words and actions will be true.

While each section is distinct, unique, they both declare God’s glory, one in nature, the other in God’s law.  While each can stand alone, they are stronger together for they support each other.  Reflecting on God’s wonder in nature can lead to wonder at God’s law, God’s word.  There also is a natural law, God’s law as written in nature.  These concepts are connected psychologically in that the person who stands in awe at God’s majesty is not likely to slight his laws but would follow them.  Emmanuel Kant linked the starry sky above with the moral law within (Interpreter’s Bible, p. 101).  There is a connection. “The law is no less a marvel of divine creation than the majestic order of the celestial bodies,” as one commentator states (p. 101).  Both are from God and lead to God.   God’s law is written in nature and within the human heart. The theme of light also connects the two.  The sun lights the celestial sky, God’s law lights the mortal mind, so we are led by the sun in the physical world, the law in the moral world.

Our reading from John’s first letter starts with a prologue, much like John’s gospel.  It begins with God’s word, reminding us that Jesus was God’s word in flesh.  Much like our psalm, it begins with the beginning, the beginning of all creation.  The writer has a story to pass on to others, just as each day has a story to tell.  In telling this story he finds joy:  “we are writing this so that our joy may be complete.”  He then goes on to tell how God is light and we need to walk in the light.

In our gospel, Jesus appears to the disciples in the upper room.  He offers no words of condemnation, rather he chases away their fears with words of peace.  “Peace be with you,” he says three times.  Once was not enough, it needed to be repeated, echoing his earlier words from John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  Not as the world gives do I give it to you.”  There is no word of reproach or recrimination, no mention of sin on their part, rather he gives them a mission to go out into the world, empowered by God’s Spirit; they are given the ability to forgive sins just as he forgave sins.  Jesus appears in bodily form, yet transformed.  He is no longer of this world and yet of this world.  He is recognizable and can even be touched.  He is the epitome of peace, the peace the world cannot give but that is ours in the next world.

Inspired by God’s spirit, we see the early Christian community in our reading from Acts of the Apostles, living together in a unity and peace, unparalleled at any other time, and short lived.  But for that short time they experienced the peace that Jesus spoke of, a peace only God can give.

God’s law and God’s word are linked in Scripture.  They are one and the same. I have a friend who likes to find words, single words that she believes express God’s message to her at this point in time.  In prayer she waits for a word.  Once the word comes to her, she holds onto it, reflects on it, until it no longer speaks to her and it is time for a new word.  God doesn’t speak to us in a lot of words.  Like nature, God is always speaking, but more often than not, there are no words.  When God does use words, they are sparse yet powerful.  We know they are from God.  God does use words at times in order to reach us, tell us of his love and give us guidance.  God’s most perfect word is Jesus.

So what word does Jesus have for us today?  I would venture to guess it is the word Peace.  If all were living in accord with God’s word, in accord with God’s law written in nature and the human heart, then there would be peace, peace in our hearts, peace in our communities, peace in our world.  Jesus in resurrected form is the epitome of peace.

We all have a story to tell, our own unique story that needs to be told to those who come after us, a song to be sung, just as each day tells its story to the next.  There is a joy in telling that story, the story of how God has touched our lives.  If we live our story and follow God’s law then the peace of Christ will prevail, a peace that surpasses all understanding.

Robertson, copyright April 2012