Friday, February 25, 2011

Psalm 117

At two verses, this may be the shortest psalm in the book. Yet, it drives right to the point in a compact but easy to remember way.

First, this psalm is for all the nations, and all peoples. I find this interesting because most of the psalms are focused on Israel, the covenant people of God in the Old Testament. However, this psalm is universal in its reach. All peoples are called to praise the Lord.

Why praise? Because God will smite you if you don't? Nope. Because you will be blessed with riches if you praise well? Nope. Rather, this psalm notes that God is the one who acts first. God is the past, present and future of this psalm. God has acted in love to rescue and save. God's love sustains us day-by-day in whatever circumstance we find ourselves in. And finally, God's faithfulness means that there is no worry that God's love will change anytime soon.

Knowing that, I will gladly join my voice in the Hallelujah that ends this psalm. How about you?

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Psalm 116

I read through this psalm. Then I read it again. And again. And as I was scrolling to the top of the page, I landed for a moment on verse twelve. The psalmist asks "What shall I return to the Lord?" For those who have perused the psalm, you may know that the psalm celebrates God's compassion and salvation from death. I have the same question sometimes- what do I give back to God as thanksgiving for what God has done?

The response took me to a different place. The psalmist says that he or she will raise the cup of salvation. I have no idea what that meant in the Old Testament. However, I do remember attending chapel (every once in a while) in seminary and being offered communion. Normally, in a communion service, I hear/say "This is the body of Christ, given/broken for you," and "This is the blood of Christ, shed for you." However, during this particular service, the chapel leader said "This is the blood of Christ, the cup of salvation." That memory is triggered in me as I read this psalm.

What if communion, which our church will celebrate next week Sunday, is about more than getting a dose of grace and the presence of Jesus? What if raising the cup of salvation and each taking our share of it is a symbol of our thanksgiving?

My hope is that while we take communion next Sunday, we remember all the things which God has done for us. May God be with you today.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Psalm 115

A curious fact about Christians is that in the early days of the Way (the earliest name for the church recorded in the book of Acts), they were known as atheists by the Roman powers that be. Today, they would have been called militant atheists because of their passionate apologetic and growth in numbers. Why were they called atheists? With today's standards, the last thing you could accuse the Church of would be atheism. In those days, every god was visible in the form of a statue or icon. And while the Church certainly employed art and icons from a very early day (to designate sacred space and to teach the story of God to an illiterate culture), they did not (or ever) view these icons as the tangible presence of God. The Incarnate Christ (Jesus) was the only tangible presence of God people needed. To destroy an image of Jesus would not diminish God in any way. In an idolatrous culture, destroying an idol would provoke the wrath of a god. Anyway, Christians had no central meeting place (like a temple) or a tangible god to worship, so they must be atheists. The same was true of the people of God in the Old Testament. The idea that God was not bound to a single place was radical.

Today, belief in God can be best described as convenient. Rather than a God who shakes our worldview and challenges our assumptions, there is a god who neatly fits into our assumptions. When God challenges our assumptions, we adapt our view of god. Our new god turns around and justifies all of our beliefs, encouraging imperial expansion, un-Christlike exclusion and incomprehensible violence. This god gets invoked to bless our actions, but never is allowed to speak into them. I would argue that the new atheism has nothing to do with Dawkins or Hitchens, but everything to do with the vending machine of blessing we call a god. May God speak into our lives, reveal our idols and bless us by guiding us down a better way. Amen.

Friday, February 18, 2011

Psalm 114

I often think about God as my sanctuary. When times are tough, I can always turn to God. When I feel outrage about the suffering of others, I can always pray to God. When I feel lost, discouraged, frustrated and confused, I find God to be my sanctuary- my holy place where I can feel completely vulnerable yet completely safe.

As I read this psalm, though, I have to allow for the possibility that the reverse is true as well- I am part of God's sanctuary. That's what Psalm 114 seems to say: The people of God are the sanctuary of God. I don't feel much like a sanctuary, I'm not sure how God would want me to be a sanctuary. Yet, I also believe this psalm to be true.

Maybe it isn't anything special about me or you that makes us a sanctuary. Perhaps God wants all creation for a sanctuary and we are only part of the beginning. When the Holy Spirit descended at Pentecost, a whole new people were born- the Church. And God has been working through and beyond this people for two thousand years. Yet, if we read closely the plan for God's future, we read that the entire world is meant to be reconciled to God. And so when we encounter grace, love, reconciliation, justice or any of the attributes of God, we are truly getting a sneak peek at the "one day" coming up when all the world will be reconciled to God.

Let's look forward to that day together.

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Psalm 113

This psalm creates for us a balancing act- the nearness and farness of God. On the one hand, God is permanently near to us, whether in the person of the Holy Spirit or the promise that Jesus would be with us to the end of the age. On the other hand, God is also greater than our universe and is uniquely here and uniquely in another galaxy. Sometimes we falter on either side of this balancing act.

At times, our God is only near. And only near to us. This is the God "in a box" who is controllable, containable and is only truly interested in people "just like me." The end of the radically near God is idolatry. This is a God who, like Thomas Jefferson's god, is made up of only our favorite parts of the Bible. The radically near god fits into political ideology, economic theory, philosophy or other structures of thinking. This god is indeed too small, and hardly worthy of our praise. In fact, this god should be praising us that we have created such a good box.

On the other hand, sometimes our God is only far. God is too distant to deal with our seemingly insignificant lives. This god is the god of the history books, or the deist god who set up a marvelous creation and then is just watching. This god is the god of Keanu Reeve's character Constantine (from the film of the same name): "God is just a kid with an ant farm." This god is just an observer, and I would argue, not worthy of worship. The passive observer who watches suffering and untold pain is fine, but not worthy of worship.

Indeed, the God of this psalm (and the story of Scripture) is greater than both of these two idols. This is the God who is greater than creation and yet enters into it, even radically in the person of Jesus Christ. This God lifts people and continues to intervene. This God is worthy of praise. Amen.

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Psalm 112

Psalm 112 celebrates the just person and community. And as I read the characteristics of the people involved, my mind goes back to Africa (as many things cause me to do in the past couple days). I remember the people there who have next to nothing but will give that scrap away as a sign of hospitality. They give gifts greater than the things that they have. For the people of Alale, hospitality means inviting a stranger into your home and offering (delicious) chai to your guest. It is a community that, in many ways, freely gives. It is not a society that lives in fear of its struggles. Certainly, the Alale community admits its struggles and even asks for prayers and help to get through them. Yet, the general demeanor of the people is one of great resilience and joy. Those who follow after Christ are people who live like the New Testament calls us to live.

And yet, I turn to my life, which can be dominated by fear and shame. This psalm and the lives of the Pokot people speak into my life and remind me of the great promises of God- that God's (perfect) love drives out my fear, and that God gives strength to those who live in justice. The promise to never be shaken speaks into me and gives me strength. May you be given strength and courage by this psalm today.

Oh, and it's great to be back!