My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, "Where is your God?" – Psalm 42:3

Today's Scripture Reading (July 31, 2022): Psalm 42

During the summer of 2000, Jacob Zimmer made a pilgrimage to Columbine, Colorado, and Columbine High School. He wanted to see what the High School looked like almost a year and a half after the massacre that changed life as we know it. Zimmer arrived at Columbine at the same time as a group of former students had gathered to celebrate a reunion. He went into the schoolyard and up a small hill worn down by the footsteps of those who had climbed the hill before him. He was a little disappointed that the thirteen white crosses which had once memorialized those who lost their lives on that terrible day had been removed from the top of the hill. Zimmer asked a student about the missing crosses. He was told the Parks Service had removed the crosses in favor of the permanent memorial being constructed inside the school. At this point in the conversation, Zimmer realized the student he was talking to had been inside the school on the day of the killings. She spoke about hearing the gunshots go off on that April day. At first, the students had thought that some seniors were playing a prank by setting off some firecrackers. But soon, she realized the real danger to which she and the others in the area had been exposed. She had hidden in a kitchen office with a group of other students. They had placed a desk in front of the door and tried to be as quiet as possible. The students in this office were among the first to phone the police to tell them that something was happening at Columbine. She told Zimmer that one of the killers had knocked on the door and asked to be let in, informing the students that he was with the police, but the students had simply remained quiet, hunkered down in the office.

Zimmer had gone to Columbine with a lot of unanswered questions. On the top of his list of questions, far outweighing the rest, was this one; Where was God as the guns were going off and the students were dying in the school? One day, when he finally met God in heaven, it would be with the names of the thirteen who died on that April day at Columbine High School. What amazed Zimmer as he talked to this student, who had lived through the terror of that day, was that it wasn't a question that she, or anyone else who had lived through that terrible day, was asking. They knew exactly where God was on that day. God was with the two propane bombs that would have leveled the school that did not go off. God was in that kitchen office and the other rooms where students hid, fearing for their lives. He was holding the hands of the terrified and telling them how valuable they were to him. God was with the students as the cliques and social structure which had reigned at Columbine simply melted away. God was in every hug shared and every kind word spoken. God was even with those who had surrendered their lives that day. For those who had lived through the shooting, there was no doubt about where God was.

On April 20, 1999, we were all in shock as we heard about what had happened at Columbine High School. But now, so many other names are added to the list of the dead. All of them were lives that mattered to God. Today, the list of the dead killed in school shootings and other mass killings is too long, much longer than it should be. It is a list filled with the old and the young, and every age in between. It is an evil that I struggle to understand and an evil that David struggled with as well. I can comprehend the King's questions emotionally. My tears, too, have been my food day and night while I fight with the question, "Where is my God?" The only answer I have found is that he has always been with me. And in my darkest moments, it is then that he has held me.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 43

One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts. – Psalm 145:4

Today's Scripture Reading (July 30, 2022): Psalm 145

"I was never brought up that way." It is our repeated refrain whenever we encounter ideas or practices to which we are not accustomed. And I repeatedly hear the phrase from people who grew up outside the Christian church. There was a time, not really that long ago, when we all seemed to have someone among our significant relatives who were active in the church. They knew that Grandpa and Grandma attended church regularly. Or maybe it was a significant aunt or uncle. There was someone, and even those who did not participate in a church were brought up with the same ideals because that was the way that Mom and Dad lived when they were children. But that day is swiftly receding. Fewer and fewer people have any connection with the church. And more and more people have no conception of what the church believes or does. What they know about the church is usually based on those who hold a negative view of Christianity or whatever makes the news about Christianity. And so, their view of the church becomes skewed and inaccurate. The building itself has become a foreign place, and they just stay away.

What complicates this even more is that parents are more willing to let their children make up their minds about what they believe about spirituality. And so, maybe more than in any other area of life, we seem to follow the example set by our parents regarding spirituality.

I am the product of Christian parents. My memories are filled with events that took place at various activities in and around the Christian church. My parents were brought up the same way by their parents, and my grandparents were raised with the same kind of morality. Christianity has been passed down through the generations to me. My wife's story is very similar to mine. As a result, our kids were brought up inside the church and are now bringing up their children in the church as well. The idea that we would be left to make our own decisions, with no outside training or influence, is unthinkable. It was not the way that we were brought up.

God instructs his people not to leave the transmission of the faith between the generations up to chance. The Jewish prayer, the Shema, a title taken from the opening words of the prayer "Shema Yisrael" (Hear O Israel), begins with the instruction that we are to pass down what we know about God to those in the generations that follow us. 

Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up (Deuteronomy 6:4-7).

The Story of the Bible was designed to be passed down from one generation to the next; that way, it is spread through the generations. From generation to generation, we tell the stories of God, building the intrigue and excitement about God down through the years. It was how we were brought up, and we should be committed to bringing up our children the same way. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 42

Blessed is the people of whom this is true; blessed is the people whose God is the LORD. – Psalm 144:15

Today's Scripture Reading (July 29, 2022): Psalm 144

What does God look like when you think of him? And while we are there, exactly how does he act? Is God a stern taskmaster, demanding that our lives measure up to his standard? Or maybe he is an absent-minded Grandfather who doesn't quite remember your name but knows he loves us anyway. Or is he something else? Regardless of what our image of God might be, it is likely very inaccurate. And one reason for our inaccuracies is that God is so completely different from us, and yet we are likely to describe him in very human terms. It is not just with God that we have this experience. Everything non-human within our circles of influence tends to be described in very human terms. Our pets become our children (fur babies). We define other animals, giving them human characteristics and describing them as generous or forgiving, stern or even mean. We provide human attributes to very inhuman things. And that is fine, as long as we understand that that is what we are doing.

I have often said that I love to read things written by the famous atheist Richard Dawkins. Actually, it can sometimes be a little frustrating. I would love to sit down with Dawkins and have a conversation. Maybe he would be surprised to hear me say that I also don't believe in the God against whom he writes. It is not that I don't believe in God, just not the one that he describes in his writing. Sometimes it feels like he sets up a straw God purposefully designed to fall to his arguments. And sometimes, it is very simple to set up a God that would be easy to knock down. In the hands of Dawkins, our God becomes a being with a glass jaw. And I would do the same thing to his God.

But have you ever pictured God as a happy God? Have you ever wondered if maybe God is sitting up in heaven cracking jokes with the angels? I mean, if we are created in the image of God, and we love to relax with jokes (well, some of us anyway), maybe God would too? I know it is a bit of a stretch, but it is still fun to think about the possibility.

David says, "Blessed is the people whose God is the Lord." We should recognize that the word "blessed" is often a word we use as a more spiritual term that means "happy." So maybe another translation of David's words would be, "Happy are the people whose God is the Lord." Perhaps the next question is why they would be happy. And the most logical explanation might be because our God is happy. He is neither a taskmaster nor an absent-minded professor; he is, well, happy. And this is not an off-the-wall interpretation. It seems to be the very one that Charles Spurgeon arrives at as he interprets this passage. Spurgeon says, "Those who worship the happy God become a happy people." And he is right because happiness tends to be contagious. So, let me welcome you into the presence of the "happy God." And as you move through your day, may he continually bring a smile to your face.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 145

Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you. – Psalm 143:2

Today's Scripture Reading (July 28, 2022): Psalm 143

A friend tells the story about one of his winter tasks. In the area where he lives, snow is a common occurrence during the long winter months. And if there is snow, there is snow that needs to be cleared. Sidewalks have to be cleaned for the pedestrians who need them, and that task is often a tiring one. I have read about the nuisance of leaf blowers in the southern United States. The noise they make seems too loud for some residents to handle, and they actively petition for them to be removed and made illegal in a residential community. But for those of us who live in the north where the snow flies, those same leaf blowers, maybe a little more powerful and noisier than the ones used by our southern neighbors, are often a requirement of life as we bundle up to take care of the accumulated snow that gathers on our properties.

My friend has one of those leaf blowers that he uses to remove the snow at his home. After he finishes blowing away the snow at his home, he continues with those who live in the houses next to him. At one time, two houses down from his home, an LGBTQ couple had taken up residence. And my friend also used his mega leaf blower to remove the snow at their house. One day, another of his neighbors asked a question that they apparently thought was quite appropriate. Why did he remove the snow from that house? Didn't my friend know who was living there?

Homophobia runs deep in our culture, not just in the Christian Church. I have a suspicion that the homophobia in our culture has had a major influence on the Church. But on this day, I was proud of my friend. He simply ignored the intended insult and commented that the occupants of the indicated house were people who could use a little help, and he was quite willing to help them by taking ten minutes to remove the snow from their sidewalks.

My friend recently told the story at a men's breakfast. And one of the gathered commented that none of us are without sin. And he was right. It was also something that David understood. No one living on the earth can stand against the judgment of God because, as David stresses, "no one living is righteous before you." All of us are sinners; we are all imperfect. If God were to test us, we would fail. Our only hope is to skip the judgment, which is precisely the outcome that Jesus offers to us, a way to not stand before God. His sacrifice makes up for our lack. His blood shed for us means we don't have to stand before God's judgment. Jesus's sacrifice answers David's prayer that God would not bring his servant into a place of judgment because if he did, none of us would be able to pass. 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 144

 

 

 

Set a guard over my mouth, LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips. – Psalm 141:3

Today's Scripture Reading (July 27, 2022): Psalm 140 & 141

Albert Einstein (1879-1955) once remarked, "Whoever is careless with the truth in small matters cannot be trusted with important matters" If you are willing to lie about the inconsequential things, then why wouldn't you lie about the more important or essential things? It is a matter of defending our character, and when we have lost everything, and all we have left is our integrity, we don't want to find that our actions have damaged that as well. We need to be careful to be truthful in everything, so that when people need the truth from us, they will be able to accept what we have to say.

David is concerned. To rule, he understands that his people have to be willing to trust him. In the past, there have been moments when the Poet-King has not lived up to that trust. His words and actions have been less than what God required of him. And so he prays, "God, set a guard over my mouth, keep watch over the door of my lips." Make sure that my words are worthy of the God that I serve. David wanted to ensure that the lips with which he praised his God were never used for any other less lofty purpose. Only the truth reflected the character of the God of Israel.

It is something that we need to understand in our own lives. And often, it is not just the lies that pass through our lips that defile us, but also that we often speak too easily. God has made our lips the doors of our mouths. And sometimes, that door should remain closed. I know that some of the worst moments in my life had happened during times when I forgot to close that door. There are times when I have spoken words that I should never have allowed to cross the barrier of my lips. But there have also been times when I have made confessions to people who were not worthy of my trust. It is something that I know is true in my life, and I suspect that you could make the same confession about your life. It is hard, and I sometimes still struggle with it, but we all need to speak less than we do. It is not just lies that hurt us, but the words we know we should never have said.

And so, I need to pray David's prayer. "God, help me to keep my words few. Set a guard over my mouth and keep watch over the doors of my lips so that anything I say might not disqualify me from the task you have set before me. But God, when the time comes for me to be bold with my speech, fill me with your words. And may the times when my words have been few make the words I must speak even more weighty with the truth so that those around me can be saved." 

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 143

 

I will bow down toward your holy temple and will praise your name for your unfailing love and your faithfulness, for you have so exalted your solemn decree that it surpasses your fame. – Psalm 138:2

 Today's Scripture Reading (July 26, 2022): Psalm 138 & 139

Many years ago, I held a seminar on the beliefs of Islam. Together, we read some passages from the Quran as we discussed both the ideas and practices of our Muslim cousins. The purpose of the evening was not to be critical of another religion but to go through some of their practices to gain a better understanding of them. And one of the things that we did in that evening session was to pray in the various Muslim positions. And I explained that the term "Allah" was nothing more than the Arabic name for God. Christians with Bibles written in Arabic also call our God "Allah." But on this night, we made the Muslim prayer positions a little less uncomfortable by replacing the name "Allah" with the more familiar "God." And so, we prayed, "God is Great," "Glory to God the Almighty," "God listens to him who praises him," "Glory to God the Most High," and "Peace be with you and the mercy of God." But another part of this time of prayer was to turn toward the East as we prayed. I explained that our Islamic friends turn east and pray toward Mecca, their holiest place. Like our Muslim friends, we too can turn east to pray, but, as Christians, we are not praying toward Mecca but toward Jerusalem.

The evening was a stretch for many who attended. Some attendees just sat in their seats rather than participate in this strange prayer time. I was okay with that. I understood why they sat out, but I was also encouraged by those who turned east and repeated the various prayers as they stood, knelt and placed their foreheads to the ground, and then prayed, turning their heads to the right and then the left. I hoped that those gathered on this night found some strength and wisdom through this discussion and practice concerning Islamic belief.

David comments that he will bow down in the direction of God's Temple. The Muslim practice of praying toward Mecca shouldn't be as foreign as it is to those of us who place our trust in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. David, too, found it proper to pray, bowing toward the Temple in Jerusalem. In turning toward the Temple, David indicated that he was willing to follow the dictates of God wherever they might take him. He was ready to turn his focus to what God wanted to accomplish in this world. Anglican Theologian John Trapp (1601-1669) leaves us with this thought; "Wheresoever I am the face of my soul shall turn, like the needle of a dial, by sacred instinct, towards thee, in the ark of thy presence, in the Son of thy love." (John Trapp) Maybe we need to recapture this practice in our prayers, physically reminding ourselves that whatever we do, it needs to be in the spiritual direction of the God we serve.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 140 & 141

May the LORD bless you from Zion, he who is the Maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 134:3

Today's Scripture Reading (July 25, 2022): Psalm 131, 133 & 134

It is an ancient blessing. The blessing is known as the Aaronic blessing. I attended a church several years back that sang the blessing over their children before they were dismissed to their children's time during the teaching moment of the main service. The blessing is found in Numbers 6.

The Lord bless you
    and keep you;
the Lord make his face shine on you
    and be gracious to you;
the Lord turn his face toward you
    and give you peace (Numbers 6:24-26).

One thing about the Aaronic blessing that always grabs my attention is that the blessing is very personal. The blessing is found within a story that emphasizes the community, yet it is intended for the person. The Lord bless you, keep you, make his face shine upon you, and be gracious to you. The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace. The emphasis of the blessing at every point is on you. As we sang the blessing over the children, while it was a beautiful moment, the blessing was somewhat inappropriate for a group of children because we were tempted to sing what should have been an individual blessing over the group. As I sang the blessing, I would try to look at each child, and in my mind, I was stressing, "this blessing is for you, and you, and you." I would breathe that name in my mind for the children whose names I knew as we sang.

Most commentators read David's Psalm as a reflection on the Aaronic blessing in Numbers 6. David's blessing is singular, not plural. It is not a blessing over a community; it is singularly aimed at one person; The Lord Bless you.

David writes that "May the Lord bless you from Zion." Zion, Jerusalem, is a special place for the Jews, but it has no power to bless. The holiest or most charismatic pastors cannot bless us; they can only wish us a blessing. But God blesses us, and God directs that blessing at each one of us. You matter to him. Yes, you. You are important. God knows your name and directs his blessing at you, not the community in which you might worship. My wish for you is that in the silent moments of this day that you would hear him speak your name and hear him say that blessing over you because you are very important to him.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 138 & 139

Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. – Psalm 124:8

Today's Scripture Reading (July 24, 2022): Psalm 124 & 125

I recently read a social media post that asserted that 20% of all stock market investors get out of the market after one dip, and 75% get out after one bear market. (A bear market is defined as a drop in the value of the market of over 20%. Generally, the term is used for any declining market that drops significantly in consecutive quarters prompting stockholders to sell their shares.) Only 5% of investors are in for the long haul. No wonder 5% of investors reap all the benefits of the stock market. It was a social media post, and I have no idea whether any of the figures are true, but in my experience, I believe the number might be close. I know people who tried investing once and quickly got out of the market. In speaking with my financial adviser, I know his phone rings off the hook during times of decline as his customers panic over losing their money. The truth is that a lot of us, deep down, have placed our trust in our money. And I am not saying that money is not important. I know how much fun having money can be, especially when you have a chance to give it away. But, in the process, money can become a god in our lives.

I don't live in a society that has many competing gods. But, the reality is that in the absence of a pantheon of gods, we often raise up gods of our own creation. Money is one of these false gods, but it is not the only one. Other possessions like vacation homes or special cars can become our gods. Our jobs can become the gods of our lives. Even friends and family, as important as both of those are to leading a happy and healthy life, can become the gods we long to worship.

There is a note of defiance in David's words. Living in Israel, he knew that the nations surrounding him worshipped other gods. But even more importantly, he knew these same gods were making inroads into his community. Some people who should have known the reality of the God of Israel had fallen for false gods. But David stands defiantly in front of these deluded worshippers and says, I know that you have chosen to chase after Baal, Ashtoreth, or Dagon. I know that you have been attracted by the stories of what they can do, but I want you to know that I trust in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. I know what it is that he can do because he has created everything.

As Christians, we, too, can be enticed to follow our own false gods. We give lip service to the concept that we are followers of Christ, but the truth is that we are really the worshippers of our savings accounts, our vacation spots, or our friends and family. And we need to hear David's call. I know who you are worshipping, but I want you to know and understand the truth that you have missed. "Our help is in the name of the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth." We don't need to look any further; God is enough.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 131, 133 & 134

 

 

 

We have endured no end of ridicule from the arrogant, of contempt from the proud. – Psalm 123:4

Today's Scripture Reading (July 23, 2022): Psalm 122 & 123

Gay activist Marty Rubin (1930, 1994) argued, "You can spit on a rose, but it's still a rose." Rubin knew about what he was talking. He had watched contempt poured out on himself and his friends, often disguised as love, from those around him. He had likely quite literally been spit on, and yet he still saw value in his community. How you feel about the LGBTQ+ community aside, there is something that we can all learn from people like Marty Rubin, especially when it comes to those who seem to eye us with nothing but contempt.

There have been several times within the last year where people have decided that there is no reason to have a conversation with me. Sometimes it is because I am a Christian, and sometimes it is because my brand of Christianity doesn't fit the message that they are trying to send. I have been told that a Christianity based on God's love is not worthy of the church they are trying to build and that a Christianity that accepts friends on both ends of the political spectrum sends a confusing message. I know what it is to suffer under the contempt of the proud.

Maybe it is not surprising that I disagree. I see it as something that Jesus modeled for us. John's Gospel relates to us the story of the Pharisee Nicodemus's nighttime visits with Jesus to learn from him. Jesus may have had a public rivalry with some Pharisees, but others were attracted to his message. After the death of Jesus, Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Jewish Council, the Sanhedrin, went and asked for the Body of Jesus (Mark 15:43). Joseph, like Nicodemus, was a secret follower of Jesus. But Jesus also called Tax collectors and sinners to follow him. Both groups occupied the two extreme ends of Jewish society. Jesus did not seem to be bothered by those who poured contempt over him because of the friends with whom he chose to associate.

The disciples in the years after the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus seem to have followed Jesus's example. In Acts 5, the disciples make a speech in front of the Jewish council. In reply, Gamaliel, a respected Jewish teacher, makes his response.

His [Gamaliel's] speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.

The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah (Acts 5:40-42).

The disciples celebrated that they had been shown the contempt of the proud. They counted that contempt an honor rather than a disgrace. We all have had times when people have shown us ridicule instead of kindness and hatred instead of admiration. But that is just part of life. In those moments, we should also receive scorn and contempt as a badge of honor, understanding that we too are suffering for Christ.    

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 124 & 125