I'm going to be doing an Advent preaching series considering some of those biblical figures who, like Jesus, are raised by people other than their parents. Some of the things I look forward to considering are the fact that God has a heart for the fatherless and the fact that he wanted so badly to by your father that he gave his actual son to be raised by us and killed by us. That's amazing stuff.
So this first week of Advent we are going to consider Moses, whose life story contains hints about the Messiah on many different levels.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Call to Repentance
Galatians 5:22-25 (page 1816)
Call to Worship
Psalm 10 (page 850)
OT Reading
Exodus 1:8-22 (page 88)
NT Reading
Matthew 3:7-17 (page 1499)
Message
Baskets, Mangers, and Other Unlikely Cribs
Exodus 2:1-10 (page 89)
Friday, November 28, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Psalm 101:4b A haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not tolerate. (NRSV)
A man's strength might be measured in his ability to build a beautiful home. A man's taste might be measured in the beauty of the furnishings and what it is he nails to the walls. A man's intellect might be measured by what books he puts on those shelves. A man's character might be measured in terms of how well the household affairs are managed.
But a man's spiritual health is measured by his ability to walk into a neighbor's shabby, disordered house, observe the bookshelves full of old Archie comic books, the tacky artwork, and not betray by thought, word or deed any notion that he is stronger, smarter, better or possessed of more taste than the man who lives there.
A man's strength might be measured in his ability to build a beautiful home. A man's taste might be measured in the beauty of the furnishings and what it is he nails to the walls. A man's intellect might be measured by what books he puts on those shelves. A man's character might be measured in terms of how well the household affairs are managed.
But a man's spiritual health is measured by his ability to walk into a neighbor's shabby, disordered house, observe the bookshelves full of old Archie comic books, the tacky artwork, and not betray by thought, word or deed any notion that he is stronger, smarter, better or possessed of more taste than the man who lives there.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Devotional Thought for a Rainy Tuesday
Psalm 101:5a Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy.
This is the thing about the Psalms that drives me crazy. It was all very well and good for David, who was after all the king of his nation, to say something like this. But when I try and put the same words in my mouth they sound limp and unconvincing. It doesn't come across well when it sounds like I'm assuring God of my intention to deal violently with a category of sinners into which I myself have fallen at times. "Don't worry, Lord, these people who say mean things about their neighbors behind their backs, I'm going to take 'em apart."
And I'm always tempted to think privately that secretly slandering your neighbor is a bad thing, but not something that warrants your destruction.
But if there's a problem here it's not with David or with his Psalm. If I, like David, was truly a man after God's own heart, I might feel David's indignation more keenly, I might share his sense of moral outrage.
One summer when I was staying with my grandparents my grandmother bought a bottle of moxie on a trip to the grocery store. It was unusual for her to buy anything impulsively or anything carbonated, but having grown up in Northern Maine the moxie triggered her nostalgia. Then she popped it open and the moxie cured her nostalgia with its bitter aftertaste. But I was so soft-drink deprived that I was not about to let this opportunity get poured down the drain. I kept sipping that stuff until it was gone and found that as I sipped I lost my initial revulsion and graduated all the way by slight degrees to an acquired taste.
With verses like this one I feel I need to keep them on my lips in much the same way, that I might acquire a taste for David's highly strung moral sentiment.
Until I get there, here's what I can do (and what you can do for that matter): I can start with the destruction of the slanderer I know best. None of his slandering is hid from me and he is very vulnerable to me. He looks back at me when I look in the mirror.
This is the thing about the Psalms that drives me crazy. It was all very well and good for David, who was after all the king of his nation, to say something like this. But when I try and put the same words in my mouth they sound limp and unconvincing. It doesn't come across well when it sounds like I'm assuring God of my intention to deal violently with a category of sinners into which I myself have fallen at times. "Don't worry, Lord, these people who say mean things about their neighbors behind their backs, I'm going to take 'em apart."
And I'm always tempted to think privately that secretly slandering your neighbor is a bad thing, but not something that warrants your destruction.
But if there's a problem here it's not with David or with his Psalm. If I, like David, was truly a man after God's own heart, I might feel David's indignation more keenly, I might share his sense of moral outrage.
One summer when I was staying with my grandparents my grandmother bought a bottle of moxie on a trip to the grocery store. It was unusual for her to buy anything impulsively or anything carbonated, but having grown up in Northern Maine the moxie triggered her nostalgia. Then she popped it open and the moxie cured her nostalgia with its bitter aftertaste. But I was so soft-drink deprived that I was not about to let this opportunity get poured down the drain. I kept sipping that stuff until it was gone and found that as I sipped I lost my initial revulsion and graduated all the way by slight degrees to an acquired taste.
With verses like this one I feel I need to keep them on my lips in much the same way, that I might acquire a taste for David's highly strung moral sentiment.
Until I get there, here's what I can do (and what you can do for that matter): I can start with the destruction of the slanderer I know best. None of his slandering is hid from me and he is very vulnerable to me. He looks back at me when I look in the mirror.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Devotional Thought for Monday, November 24
Psalm 101:3b-4 (ESV) I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not cling to me. [4] A perverse heart shall be far from me; I will know nothing of evil.
The psalmist here describes himself as being the sort of person to whom sin and sinful people can not stick. Evil things can not make an impression on him, rolling off instead like hot oil running off a glass surface.
I want to be that sort of person but I find that too often I am not. If "the work of those who fall away" was hot oil some of it would run off, but some of it would seep in too.
And that, of course, is not good enough.
When the potter has fashioned something out of soft clay the product is very impressionable. Things will stick to it. It can lose its shape.
But when the potter applies a glaze and sticks it in the oven, subjecting it to the flames, it comes out hardened in the shape its maker gave it.
When I find that I can not say this verse with conviction, when I find that it makes a hypocritical liar out of me, I know it's time for me to go back into God's oven for Him to bake me to a harder finish. God's oven might be a difficult experience or a piercing awareness of my own sin. God has lots and lots of options when it comes to heating the oven in which he bakes me. It doesn't matter so long as I meekly submit to the process and come out shedding sin and suiting the Master's purpose.
The psalmist here describes himself as being the sort of person to whom sin and sinful people can not stick. Evil things can not make an impression on him, rolling off instead like hot oil running off a glass surface.
I want to be that sort of person but I find that too often I am not. If "the work of those who fall away" was hot oil some of it would run off, but some of it would seep in too.
And that, of course, is not good enough.
When the potter has fashioned something out of soft clay the product is very impressionable. Things will stick to it. It can lose its shape.
But when the potter applies a glaze and sticks it in the oven, subjecting it to the flames, it comes out hardened in the shape its maker gave it.
When I find that I can not say this verse with conviction, when I find that it makes a hypocritical liar out of me, I know it's time for me to go back into God's oven for Him to bake me to a harder finish. God's oven might be a difficult experience or a piercing awareness of my own sin. God has lots and lots of options when it comes to heating the oven in which he bakes me. It doesn't matter so long as I meekly submit to the process and come out shedding sin and suiting the Master's purpose.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Music for this Sunday
This Sunday we're going to be singing a new song from the wonderful folks at Red Mountain Church in Birmingham, Alabama. The lyrics are by William Cowper and the music was composed by members of that church's worship team. There is an MP3 they have made available on their website, which plays a portion of the song. I would encourage you to listen to the song by following the link and clicking on the music icon all the way to the right of "God of My Life, To Thee I Call." Hopefully, that way it will at least sound a little familiar before we try singing it on Sunday.
Friday, November 21, 2008
Devotional for the Day 11/21/08
Psalm 101:3a I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless. (ESV)
While we should certainly be careful not to look at unwholesome things, that's not exactly what the psalmist is talking about. Pornography, for instance, is more wicked than it is worthless. This category of things that the psalmist will not set before his eyes can be uncomfortably expansive. A pencil that is missing its lead is worthless. A television show that does nothing to edify is worthless. A plant that bears no fruit is worthless. A lump of metal that supposedly represents a nonexistent god is worthless.
And the biblical mind does not just sigh in wistful resignation when it comes across a worthless thing. Because the biblical mind sees God's fingerprints in beautiful and useful things and evidence of sin's corruption in worthless things, it reacts to the worthless things with disgust and hostility. Consider Jesus' cursing of the fig tree (Matthew 21:10-21).
In light of that, we need to ask ourselves if we have grown too careless about the room we allow for worthless things in our lives.
The Christian ideal, though, is not a grim sort of utilitarianism, a cheerless and bland exercise in practicality. Rather we should think of ourselves as God's fierce deputies who do their best to carry on God's creative work by fixing what can be fixed, adding worth to what can endure it, and disposing of the rest. We should be people whose gardens are productive, whose houses are warm, and whose televisions are well rested.
While we should certainly be careful not to look at unwholesome things, that's not exactly what the psalmist is talking about. Pornography, for instance, is more wicked than it is worthless. This category of things that the psalmist will not set before his eyes can be uncomfortably expansive. A pencil that is missing its lead is worthless. A television show that does nothing to edify is worthless. A plant that bears no fruit is worthless. A lump of metal that supposedly represents a nonexistent god is worthless.
And the biblical mind does not just sigh in wistful resignation when it comes across a worthless thing. Because the biblical mind sees God's fingerprints in beautiful and useful things and evidence of sin's corruption in worthless things, it reacts to the worthless things with disgust and hostility. Consider Jesus' cursing of the fig tree (Matthew 21:10-21).
In light of that, we need to ask ourselves if we have grown too careless about the room we allow for worthless things in our lives.
The Christian ideal, though, is not a grim sort of utilitarianism, a cheerless and bland exercise in practicality. Rather we should think of ourselves as God's fierce deputies who do their best to carry on God's creative work by fixing what can be fixed, adding worth to what can endure it, and disposing of the rest. We should be people whose gardens are productive, whose houses are warm, and whose televisions are well rested.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Devotional Thought for the Day
Psalm 101:2b "I will walk with integrity of heart within my house." (ESV)
This morning I spent a few minutes cleaning the parsnips I had recently dug up just ahead of the frost sinking into the ground. But while I was cleaning them I was a little nervous about what I would find when it came time to pare and slice the fragrant roots.
Nothing is more discouraging than starting a plant in March, giving it attention and room in a cramped garden, weeding around it, harvesting it with numb fingers in frosty November and then discovering that, however nice it looks on the outside, it is rotten at the core.
We must resolve to join the psalmist in his declaration that he will walk with integrity of heart within his house. A public morality that is not matched by a private morality is an offense to God, as a parsnip that is sweet when scraped and rotten when sliced is an offense to the gardener.
This morning I spent a few minutes cleaning the parsnips I had recently dug up just ahead of the frost sinking into the ground. But while I was cleaning them I was a little nervous about what I would find when it came time to pare and slice the fragrant roots.
Nothing is more discouraging than starting a plant in March, giving it attention and room in a cramped garden, weeding around it, harvesting it with numb fingers in frosty November and then discovering that, however nice it looks on the outside, it is rotten at the core.
We must resolve to join the psalmist in his declaration that he will walk with integrity of heart within his house. A public morality that is not matched by a private morality is an offense to God, as a parsnip that is sweet when scraped and rotten when sliced is an offense to the gardener.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Readings for Christ the King Sunday
This is the last Sunday before Advent, if you can believe it, and before we dwell on Jesus as an infant, and then Jesus as the suffering servant during Lent, we will get a strong dose of Christ the King of the Universe. God will place all power and authority under his feet . . . his punctured feet.
November 23, 2008 Christ the King Sunday
Call to Repentance
Psalm 139:23-24 (page 975)
Call to Worship
Psalm 139 (page 974)
OT Reading
Isaiah 9:2-7 (page 1072)
NT Reading
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (page 1790)
Message
Under the Punctured Foot
Ephesians 1:11-23 (page 1817)
November 23, 2008 Christ the King Sunday
Call to Repentance
Psalm 139:23-24 (page 975)
Call to Worship
Psalm 139 (page 974)
OT Reading
Isaiah 9:2-7 (page 1072)
NT Reading
1 Corinthians 15:20-28 (page 1790)
Message
Under the Punctured Foot
Ephesians 1:11-23 (page 1817)
Monday, November 10, 2008
Readings for November 16, 2008
I sometimes feel like my praise on Sunday morning and at other times is kind of insipid and one-dimensional. It's good to praise God for his love and for the beauty of His creation. But reading the Psalms you can get the sense that you are missing out on something. Or, to be more precise, it's God who seems to be missing out on something. If all I ever praise him for is his kindness, you could get the impression that it's the only characteristic of his that I know.
But the people of God in Scripture have sung a different song, a song of more textured praise. David praised God for having destroyed his enemies. John the Revelator praises God for the future destruction of our enemies. But if I acknowledge my enemies at all, I praise God despite them. There's something wrong with this picture. Praise the Lord for his violence, for his mighty arm and clenched fist, for his rod of iron and the winepress of his fury. They are not fun to consider, nor do these things harmonize well with our modern sensibilities, but we praise God for these things for the simple fact that they are praise worthy.
Praise Him!
November 16, 2008
Call to Repentance
Romans 2:4 (page 1748)
Call to Worship
Psalm 138 (page 973)
OT Reading
Isaiah 37:28-38 (page 1116)
NT Reading
Revelation 15 (page 1929)
Message
His Richly Textured Praise
Psalm 76 (page 913)
But the people of God in Scripture have sung a different song, a song of more textured praise. David praised God for having destroyed his enemies. John the Revelator praises God for the future destruction of our enemies. But if I acknowledge my enemies at all, I praise God despite them. There's something wrong with this picture. Praise the Lord for his violence, for his mighty arm and clenched fist, for his rod of iron and the winepress of his fury. They are not fun to consider, nor do these things harmonize well with our modern sensibilities, but we praise God for these things for the simple fact that they are praise worthy.
Praise Him!
November 16, 2008
Call to Repentance
Romans 2:4 (page 1748)
Call to Worship
Psalm 138 (page 973)
OT Reading
Isaiah 37:28-38 (page 1116)
NT Reading
Revelation 15 (page 1929)
Message
His Richly Textured Praise
Psalm 76 (page 913)
Tuesday, November 04, 2008
Give Me Oil In My Lamp, I Pray
This Sunday, the ninth of November, we're going to be considering the parable of the 10 Virgins from Matthew 25. And listen, this is no exercise in dutiful Bible study. The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. This is timely stuff, I'm convinced. And we should give a thought to the amount of oil in our lamps.
November 9, 2008
Call to Repentance
James 4:8-10 (page 1884)
Call to Worship
Psalm 136 (page 972)
OT Reading
Zephaniah 1:4-13 (page 1462)
NT Reading
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (page 1840)
Message
The Midnight Cry
Matthew 25:1-13 (page 1540)
November 9, 2008
Call to Repentance
James 4:8-10 (page 1884)
Call to Worship
Psalm 136 (page 972)
OT Reading
Zephaniah 1:4-13 (page 1462)
NT Reading
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 (page 1840)
Message
The Midnight Cry
Matthew 25:1-13 (page 1540)
Saturday, November 01, 2008
Readings for the First Sunday in November
Sorry I didn't post this earlier in the week. Another case of thinking I already had, when I had not.
Sandwiched in between Halloween and All Saints Day and Reformation Day just prior and the national election (as well as the Washington/Pittsburgh Monday night game) just after, this Sunday feels heavy and important.
God directed me to preach on a passage from a minor prophet about how failure to speak prophetically results in the worst thing imaginable: the silence of God.
I'm praying that God is far from silent tomorrow in our service and far from silent in the days ahead.
Call to Repentance
Isaiah 1:16-17 (page 1060)
Call to Worship
Psalm 85 (page 923)
OT Reading
Jeremiah 8:8-12 (page 1185)
NT Reading
Jude 12-21 (page 1910)
Message
Sunset on the Prophets
Micah 3:5-12 (page 1443)
Sandwiched in between Halloween and All Saints Day and Reformation Day just prior and the national election (as well as the Washington/Pittsburgh Monday night game) just after, this Sunday feels heavy and important.
God directed me to preach on a passage from a minor prophet about how failure to speak prophetically results in the worst thing imaginable: the silence of God.
I'm praying that God is far from silent tomorrow in our service and far from silent in the days ahead.
Call to Repentance
Isaiah 1:16-17 (page 1060)
Call to Worship
Psalm 85 (page 923)
OT Reading
Jeremiah 8:8-12 (page 1185)
NT Reading
Jude 12-21 (page 1910)
Message
Sunset on the Prophets
Micah 3:5-12 (page 1443)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)