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Good to see you again! Thanks for stopping by.
Here's the question and answer from yesterday:
Tuesday: Fill in the blanks: “For to me, to live is _________ and to die is _________.” (Phil 1)
Philippians 1:21 21 For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.
And here's the question of the day:
What is the psalmist’s closest friend? (Psalm 88)
And here's the reflection of the day:
Wow. This is a day of heavy reading in the "Year of the Bible." Not only are we continuing to read through Job, but we also have Psalm 88--a lament of deep, deep suffering.
It ends up being oddly appropriate these are our texts on the day we learn more details about the gunman who shot up the LA Fitness Center in Bridgeville, just outside of Pittsburgh. Could not the families of those wounded and killed pray this psalm today?
Psalm 88 sharply poses paradoxical two statements: the psalmist asserts that God has caused his suffering ("You have taken from me my closest friends and have made me repulsive to them. I am confined and cannot escape" verse 8), indicating that GOD is the problem (McCann, Jr, NIB Commentary, "Psalms").
But McCann claims that Psalm 88 ALSO declares that God is the solution. He writes, "The psalmist's prayer itself is evidence that she or he is convinced that even life's worst moments somehow have to do with God. So the psalmist's cries continue to arise out of the depths (see Psalm 130:1)."
In the face of tragedies, God is sometimes seen as the problem; frequently, God is seen as the solution. God is inevitably tangled up in the threads of our lives, one way or the other. The anger toward God that often erupts in the midst of tragedy is not a wholly negative thing. That very same anger acknowledges "that even life's worst moments somehow have to do with God."
Though the psalmist is full of anger at God for the circumstances of his life, it is to the very same God he cries out for help and for mercy "from the depths."
I don't think God minds when we cry out to him, even in anger. Because to cry out to him is to acknowledge that, in life's worst moments, God is still involved. . . and present . . . and perhaps even hurting as well.
Showing posts with label psalm. Show all posts
Showing posts with label psalm. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
A Psalm-y Kind of Day
Good morning/afternoon/evening! Right now, the sun is climbing into the sky, no one else is awake yet, and it feels like a psalm-y kinda day--you know, calm, serene, heartfelt. At least, that's what my day looks like. (I'm on vacation, remember.) I hope the two psalms from today's readings give you some of their honesty and faith.
Before we go any further, here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What did they call the place where the fire of God’s anger burned against the people? (Num 11)
Num 11:3 So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the LORD had burned among them.
And here's the question of the day:
In Psalm 29, what one word appears in 10 of the 11 verses? (Hint: other than “the”!)
And here's the reflection of the day:
I looked up "ascribe" on the website http://www.dictionary.com/ and found this definition: "to credit or assign, as to a cause or source." (http://www.thesaurus.com/ is also quite handy!)
So, to "ascribe" something is to give credit to someone for something. Imagine, then, the outrageous-osity (that's not a real word according to http://www.dictionary.com/ ) of an Israelite ascribing all the works of the world solely to God.
Living in the midst of pagan neighbors, the Israelites were rebels. Instead of ascribing the glory to Baal (a common pagan god) or to any number of gods (can't forget one for fear of making them mad!), Israel ascribes glory to Yahweh, their God.
Psalm 29 is a profession of faith. It articulates the principle which is at the heart of the whole psalter: the Lord reigns! This is the heart of the whole Bible in fact. This was a maverick psalm in its time, clearly diverging from the beliefs' of the society in which Israel lived.
For Christians, to pray through Psalm 29 is to say "for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever." It is to say, "It is not I who reigns. It is not I who is in control. Do not ascribe greatness to me. But ascribe glory and strength, holiness and power, always and only to the Lord because the Lord reigns."
I love the psalms. I love their honesty, never shying away from the whole range of emotions. I love the vulnerability of the psalms, confessing all before an all-seeing God. And I love the simple faith, which inspires me on the days when my own faith is a little dried up.
May this psalm refresh your faith this day,
Allison
Before we go any further, here's the question and answer from yesterday:
What did they call the place where the fire of God’s anger burned against the people? (Num 11)
Num 11:3 So that place was called Taberah, because fire from the LORD had burned among them.
And here's the question of the day:
In Psalm 29, what one word appears in 10 of the 11 verses? (Hint: other than “the”!)
And here's the reflection of the day:
I looked up "ascribe" on the website http://www.dictionary.com/ and found this definition: "to credit or assign, as to a cause or source." (http://www.thesaurus.com/ is also quite handy!)
So, to "ascribe" something is to give credit to someone for something. Imagine, then, the outrageous-osity (that's not a real word according to http://www.dictionary.com/ ) of an Israelite ascribing all the works of the world solely to God.
Living in the midst of pagan neighbors, the Israelites were rebels. Instead of ascribing the glory to Baal (a common pagan god) or to any number of gods (can't forget one for fear of making them mad!), Israel ascribes glory to Yahweh, their God.
Psalm 29 is a profession of faith. It articulates the principle which is at the heart of the whole psalter: the Lord reigns! This is the heart of the whole Bible in fact. This was a maverick psalm in its time, clearly diverging from the beliefs' of the society in which Israel lived.
For Christians, to pray through Psalm 29 is to say "for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever." It is to say, "It is not I who reigns. It is not I who is in control. Do not ascribe greatness to me. But ascribe glory and strength, holiness and power, always and only to the Lord because the Lord reigns."
I love the psalms. I love their honesty, never shying away from the whole range of emotions. I love the vulnerability of the psalms, confessing all before an all-seeing God. And I love the simple faith, which inspires me on the days when my own faith is a little dried up.
May this psalm refresh your faith this day,
Allison
Sunday, January 11, 2009
A Psalm for Sunday
Hello, again! I hope that wherever you are, you are able to make it to church this morning! I still here the snow plows scraping the roads this morning, so drive carefully.
Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Sat, Jan. 10: How many times does Jesus heal people in Matt 8 (including casting out demons)?
#1 Matthew 8:2-3 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
#2 Matthew 8:13 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
#3 Matthew 8:14-15 14 When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
#4 Matthew 8:16 16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
#5 Matthew 8:31-32 31 The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." 32 He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
(Busy day for Jesus!)
And here's today's question of the day:
Sun, Jan. 11: Have you ever felt the way the psalmist feels in Psalm 6? Why? How did God respond?
Ha! This is kind of a trick question. No right or wrong answer but a good thing to think about.
And here's today's reflection (which is a little short because I'm trying to get out the door on time!):
A Psalm for Sunday
As I read Psalm 5 this morning, I thought it was a perfect psalm for a Sunday morning. It encompasses all the feelings and emotions we can possibly have toward God: pleading, adoration, cries for vengeance, mercy, refuge, and asking for favor. And these are all emotions we will be taking with us to church this morning and will effect how we hear the Word of God preached in each of our congregations. I'm not sure there's an emotion the psalmist misses with this little poem.
Think about how you are feeling this morning. What part of the psalm are you connecting with right now? How will that affect the way you pray today? How do you hope God will respond? And may this journey through the Year of the Bible help to surround you with favor as with a shield (v12).
Also, this morning's reading from Gen 22 is the text for Bible Study this week as well as for next Sunday's sermon. THAT should make for some good discussion!
Amen!
Allison
Here's yesterday's question and answer:
Sat, Jan. 10: How many times does Jesus heal people in Matt 8 (including casting out demons)?
#1 Matthew 8:2-3 2 A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, "Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean." 3 Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. "I am willing," he said. "Be clean!" Immediately he was cured of his leprosy.
#2 Matthew 8:13 13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, "Go! It will be done just as you believed it would." And his servant was healed at that very hour.
#3 Matthew 8:14-15 14 When Jesus came into Peter's house, he saw Peter's mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him.
#4 Matthew 8:16 16 When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.
#5 Matthew 8:31-32 31 The demons begged Jesus, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs." 32 He said to them, "Go!" So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water.
(Busy day for Jesus!)
And here's today's question of the day:
Sun, Jan. 11: Have you ever felt the way the psalmist feels in Psalm 6? Why? How did God respond?
Ha! This is kind of a trick question. No right or wrong answer but a good thing to think about.
And here's today's reflection (which is a little short because I'm trying to get out the door on time!):
A Psalm for Sunday
As I read Psalm 5 this morning, I thought it was a perfect psalm for a Sunday morning. It encompasses all the feelings and emotions we can possibly have toward God: pleading, adoration, cries for vengeance, mercy, refuge, and asking for favor. And these are all emotions we will be taking with us to church this morning and will effect how we hear the Word of God preached in each of our congregations. I'm not sure there's an emotion the psalmist misses with this little poem.
Think about how you are feeling this morning. What part of the psalm are you connecting with right now? How will that affect the way you pray today? How do you hope God will respond? And may this journey through the Year of the Bible help to surround you with favor as with a shield (v12).
Also, this morning's reading from Gen 22 is the text for Bible Study this week as well as for next Sunday's sermon. THAT should make for some good discussion!
Amen!
Allison
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