Psalm 133
A song of ascents. Of David. 1 How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! 2 It is like precious oil poured on the head, running down on the beard, running down on Aaron’s beard, down on the collar of his robe. 3 It is as if the dew of Hermon were falling on Mount Zion. For there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore. This election season was one of the most divisive in history. For 18 months, negative campaigning ruled supreme, with many American citizens making the choice to vote for the candidate they disliked the least. So many people became hateful toward the other side that I wondered if our country would ever be able to unify around whomever was elected. In contrast, during my morning run, I meditated on Psalm 133 - a psalm about true unity, the unity of the Spirit, a unity that gives strength and on which God pours out His blessing. Unity is always good in the work and influence of a community. My best races have been run in a pack, with other like-minded individuals encouraging me on, as I try to do the same for them. United, we can accomplish much, but divided we bring strength to the chaos of this world. But we must also see that the psalmist is not speaking about uniformity in Psalm 133. There is a difference between unity and uniformity. We were not meant to be a bunch of cookie-cutter people. Unity is an investing of people’s passions, ready to work together, according to each one’s unique gifts and graces. Jesus said, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - John 13:34-35 Unity takes practice and effort. May we begin practicing unity by sharing hope, peace, love, and joy…together…today.
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"God Is On Our Side"
Psalm 30 A psalm. A song. For the dedication of the temple. Of David. 1 I will exalt you, Lord, for you lifted me out of the depths and did not let my enemies gloat over me. 2 Lord my God, I called to you for help, and you healed me. 3 You, Lord, brought me up from the realm of the dead; you spared me from going down to the pit. 4 Sing the praises of the Lord, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. 5 For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning. 6 When I felt secure, I said, “I will never be shaken.” 7 Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed. 8 To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: 9 “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? 10 Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.” 11 You turned my wailing into dancing; you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy, 12 that my heart may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord my God, I will praise you forever. All of us have bad days. All of us get discouraged. All of us get down on ourselves and the world around us. That’s why we can identify with the psalmist as he shares his inner most thoughts in Psalm 30. Ultimately, he speaks of his return to spiritual health, but there is a process he goes through to get there. In verses 6 and 7 he says, “When I felt secure, I said, ‘I will never be shaken.’ Lord, when you favored me, you made my royal mountain stand firm; but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.” The psalmist seems to begin with an arrogant attitude. When times are going well, we tend to become arrogant too. We start thinking life will always be this way, which leads us to start depending more on ourselves and less on God. “I will never be shaken.” In fact the psalmist says he was shocked when his life started to fall to pieces, “…but when you hid your face, I was dismayed.” In such moments of disbelief, perhaps it is then we realize we are at rock bottom and like the psalmist we offer God a desperate prayer for help. In verses 8 through 10 he writes, “To you, Lord, I called; to the Lord I cried for mercy: “What is gained if I am silenced, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it proclaim your faithfulness? Hear, Lord, and be merciful to me; Lord, be my help.” He prays that God will provide and be all he needs in his time of trouble. In addition, it seems as though the psalmist learns some valuable life lessons from the experience. In verse 5 we read, “For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.” God is blessing us even in the midst of our greatest challenges and though struggles may come, God's favor will prove superior. |
Bio
I am a UMC pastor, appointed to serve as a chaplain for two senior adult living communities. My wife is a general music teacher and middle school band director, and we have two sons – 18 and 14. Archives
March 2020
Reflections From The Run
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