August 31, 2021 — Psalm 90:1–93:5

“You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence; he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler. You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot. Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.” Psalm 91

I don’t know if you can find more reassuring words than the first six verses in Psalm 91. This Psalm has often been found among those going on to the battlefield. We have a wonderful hymn in the Lutheran hymnal that is based upon this Psalm. A bible commentary reads, “This is one of the most beautiful and most reassuring biblical statements of God’s protection of the faithful in all times of danger.” I don’t know if I can add anything to this statement that would do this Psalm justice. If you are looking for a text to memorize, or at least to read on a daily basis, you may have found one in Psalm 91.

Here is a prayer meditation based upon Psalm 91 from the website “SoulShepherding”:

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High God who sees everything

Will rest in the shadow of El Shaddai, (the Almighty God who nurtures us like a mother hen caring for her little chicks).

I will say of Yahweh (the I AM who has promised to love us intimately forever)

He is my refuge and my fortress, my El-o-heem’ (my Creator who makes a way for us), and in him I trust.

Surely he will save you, little chicks, from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.

Like a mother hen he will cover you with his feathers and under his wings you will find refuge.

His faithfulness will be your shield and your rampart (the defensive wall around your castle).

Let us Pray,

Lord, bear us up every day in your comforting arms. Keep us from evil, and guide us in the way of peace. Help us to recognize your shelter and to live within it every day. Amen.

Pastor Dave

August 30, 2021 — Acts 9:32–43

“Now as Peter went here and there among all the believers, he came down also to the saints living in Lydda. There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years, for he was paralyzed. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed!” And immediately he got up. And all the residents of Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity.At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up.” Acts 9:32-41

The healings of Aeneas and Tabitha are one illustration of a number of paired stories in Luke/Acts in which something that happens to a male also happens to a female. See for example the stories of Zechariah and Mary, the prophets Simeon and Anna, and the shepherd who finds a lost sheep and the woman who finds a lost coin (Luke 15:4 – 10). It is interesting enough that we should stop and consider this question: Is Luke interested in gender equality, or is something else going on here? While the Gospel of Luke has more stories that feature women than the other three gospels, the roles in which he casts women tend to be roles where they are silent and passive. But we should be careful not to take this and give it a contemporary spin suggesting that women should remain in subservient roles in the church.

Luke was writing in a patriarchal world, where women were considered less than men. But Luke also makes it clear that there are women disciples who receive the word, are baptized, and host house churches. These are the kinds of details that often are glossed over when we quickly read a healing story, or some familiar verse that we know so well. We must always consider not only the word, but the world of the text. It is almost mind-blowing to consider the radical nature of Jesus and his teachings – and how especially edifying it is to know that Luke preserves a strong tradition about women who are given leadership functions in the church. This was a bold statement for the early church – and the church today cannot survive without the use of the gifts of all of G-d’s people.

Let us Pray,

Lord, you love us all alike, men and women, old and young, rich and poor, gay and straight. Help us to see all people equally – and to offer your love mercy and grace to all without bias. Amen.

Pastor Dave