July 4, 2023 — Psalm 74 

“O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? Remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago, which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage. Remember Mount Zion, where you came to dwell. Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary. Your foes have roared within your holy place; they set up their emblems there. At the upper entrance they hacked the wooden trellis with axes. And then, with hatchets and hammers, they smashed all its carved work. They set your sanctuary on fire;  they desecrated the dwelling place of your name, bringing it to the ground. They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land. We do not see our emblems; there is no longer any prophet, and there is no one among us who knows how long. How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?” Psalm 74:1-10 

So many times, it appears that G-d has cast us off – both as individuals and as the church. We feel that way right now – at least many do across the planet — because so many people are suffering, so many are looking for hope, and so many are seeking a place to belong. And many think that G-d is going to wait for a time – perhaps G-d is going to wait to provide help — wait and see if the people of this earth shape up. What are we to do as the people of G-d – as G-d’s sheep who are desperately looking to our Good Shepherd, Jesus, for some help and hope?

We, the sheep of the Lord’s pasture are the believers in Christ. The church is going through a difficult time right now. Since the pandemic there are many churches that have closed – there are many churches that will take years to recover from lost income and declining membership because people will be afraid to come back to church. But the faithful never give up, even when they are going through terrible problems. The faithful must remain strong. It will be through our faith that we conquer this setback – and continue to be the church, in new and innovative ways – and in the ways we have always been the church. My friends, the Church of Jesus Christ is Alive!

Prayer

Faithful God, remember the covenant you made to your people of old, as well as the one sealed by the blood of your Son. Guard and guide those who look to you, that we may proclaim your mercy in all the world; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 

Amen. 

July 5, 2023 — Psalm 75 

“We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks; your name is near. People tell of your wondrous deeds. At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity. When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants, it is I who keep its pillars steady. I say to the boastful, “Do not boast,” and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn; do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with insolent neck. For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up; but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another. For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed; he will pour a draught from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs. But I will rejoice forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob. All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.” Psalm 75

In the Psalms, we often hear the theme that G-d is the Savior for G-d’s people, which is also the theme of the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the salvation of G-d is prayed for often as the people deal with their enemies, or deal with their disobedience. This salvation that they prayed for, and found now mind you, prefigures the salvation that Jesus has brought. And, just as the prophets and the Israelites battled the enemies of G-d, we too engage in the battles against evil and the devil – all the enemies of G-d.  As Paul said, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Eph. 6:12). 

However, there is no difference between the G-d of the Old Testament and the G-d of the New Testament – though we struggle to understand the G-d of the Old Testament. But our G-d is one G-d, and the Bible, Old and New Testaments, is one book which speaks of G-d’s dealings with G-d’s people. G-d’s people should always be active and prayer, in ministry, and in seeking G-d’s deliverance and his salvation. And G-d is ever and always ready to deliver G-d’s people and lead them to the way of salvation.

Prayer 

Living God, in raising Christ upon the cross you defeated the power of evil. Strike down the pride that rules our hearts, and raise us to the glory of the resurrection; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 

Amen. 

July 6, 2023 — Psalm 76

“In Judah God is known, his name is great in Israel. His abode has been established in Salem, his dwelling place in Zion. There he broke the flashing arrows, the shield, the sword, and the weapons of war. Glorious are you, more majestic than the everlasting mountains. The stouthearted were stripped of their spoil; they sank into sleep; none of the troops was able to lift a hand. At your rebuke, O God of Jacob, both rider and horse lay stunned. But you indeed are awesome! Who can stand before you when once your anger is roused? From the heavens you uttered judgment; the earth feared and was still when God rose up to establish judgment, to save all the oppressed of the earth. Human wrath serves only to praise you, when you bind the last bit of your wrath around you. Make vows to the Lord your God, and perform them; let all who are around him bring gifts to the one who is awesome, who cuts off the spirit of princes, who inspires fear in the kings of the earth.” Psalm 76

Sennacherib was the King of Assyria. Assyria was a very strong country to the north and east of Judah. In 721 BCE, the Assyrian army, led by Sennacherib’s father, captured the Israelite capital at Samaria and carried away the citizens of the northern Kingdom of Israel into captivity. The virtual destruction of Israel left the southern kingdom, Judah, to fend for itself among warring Near-Eastern kingdoms. Sennacherib attacked Judah in 701, but his army was unable to defeat Judah.

Psalm 76 (just like Psalms 46, 47, 48 and 75) is about what happened in this war. It tells us that G-d did not let the enemy destroy Jerusalem. In the psalm, there are two other names for Jerusalem: Salem and Zion, verse 2. “Salem” means “peace”; and Zion is the name of the hill where the Israelites built their temple. The Psalmist believes that G-d will save those who are oppressed, especially the people of G-d.

We also believe in a G-d who fights for the oppressed and saves those who cannot save themselves. The Psalmist writes: “Make vows to the Lord your God…who inspires fear in the kings of the earth.” We are called to live in this world with a trust and faith that G-d will inspire fear in the leaders of the earth — so they will practice justice in all the earth.

Prayer

Mighty God, awesome in power and splendid in holiness, in your presence the earth both trembles and stands still, for you shattered death’s power by the cross. Rise to help your people; give the light of your salvation to the oppressed of the earth, that they may praise your name now and always; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord.

Amen.

July 1, 2023 — Psalm 72 

“Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more. May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust. May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts. May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service.” Psalm 72:1-11 

I’m not sure about you but I’m getting tired, and I am sick of worrying about getting sick, wither from the flu, Covid 19, or some other bug. This world is heading in a direction that seems less and less certain to me. The rule of people on this planet has been a dismal failure since the beginning of time. I just learned of an eight-year-old child who was diagnosed with Sepsis – and it is in the bones in his face. How can a child get Sepsis without there existing some underlying condition. Money and power talk on this planet, not the righteousness of G-d, nor G-d’s wisdom and justice. The world is ever more upside down and inside out. Bad is good; up is down — Left is right; right is wrong. Evil is good; insanity is sanity.  The Western world especially is moving and changing, and not necessarily for the better. Christians who believe that G-d created all things, and that G-d is in all things are quick to be labeled crazy, or at least as science deniers.  

What a crazy world we live in. But this is the world that G-d has given to all of us. Like the Psalmist, we pray for the leaders of this world — in America and across the globe. We can only pray that more leaders will see the need for the love of G-d to be made manifest in their ruling and in their lives. If we truly believe that prayer is powerful and effective, then now is the time to be a prayer warrior. 

Prayer

Almighty God, you gave the kingdom of justice and peace to your servant David. Extend to every nation the dominion of our Lord Jesus, David’s son, so that in the light of his reign the poor may receive justice and all people of the earth may dwell in peace; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 

Amen. 

July 2, 2023 – Pentecost +5A: Matthew 10:40-42

[Jesus said to the twelve:] “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

When I used to go to Walmart to shop, I would be greeted by someone at the front door who would say something like “Welcome to Walmart”. This was back in the 1990’s — remember those days? It always made me feel good, while a friend of mine would not shop at Walmart because he hated being greeted at the front door. Over the years, this position was phased out — and instead of being greeted at the entrance, you were greeted at the exit, where you needed to present your receipt whereupon they would inspect your bags to see if the two “matched”. That was not so welcoming. I don’t know about you, but I don’t feel very welcome in a lot of places anymore.

Now, I know why Walmart progressed through these phases of turning “welcoming into unwelcoming” — first there was the need to be friendly — then the need to be guarding against theft. I wonder what the next step will be — maybe they will give you a bracelet when you enter that will take your temperature and track your movement throughout the store. Sounds a little dystopian, but welcome to 21^st century America. I feel we have become a very “unwelcoming” and suspicious people in this world, and this country. I hear people complain about being watched and stared at – there are very few places you can go where you are not on camera having your every move tracked. People used to say things like “It’s a free country, I can do as I please.” I am not so sure that is true anymore. It raises the question: How welcoming are we now that this pandemic is well in our rear view mirror?

We pretend we are welcoming — we put welcome mats on our doorsteps and hang signs that say things like “NASCAR fans welcome” and “Yankee fans welcome”. Unfortunately, that also gives some kind of hint of who we subconsciously are not so quick to welcome, like perhaps “Redsox” fans. How about this — you see some members of the local “Mormon” church walking down your sidewalk, and before they get to your house, you close the door and the garage door, turn out the lights and close the blinds and pretend you are not home. I am sure none of you have done that, Amen?

[Jesus said to the twelve:] “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me.” We need to re-learn how to be welcoming in our society today – because so many people are afraid, uncertain and unsure. If we do not welcome them, as Christians, and as a church, then who will welcome them?

Pastor Dave

July 3, 2023 — Psalm 73 

“Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people. Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment. Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth. Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them.” Psalm 73:1-10 

What do you do when your theology, your beliefs about how G-d works in the world clashes with what G-d is truly like? Many people have the false belief that if their faith is strong enoug then nothing bad will happen to them. So how do you hold to the conviction that G-d is good, that G-d cares intimately about all people, even when life stinks?  

We all have our struggles, our depressions, our sadness and our pain — times when we feel so alone and have no ready answers for why bad things happen to seemingly good people. This is one of the reasons we turn to the Psalms, where the raw emotions of real people are expressed — where deep reservoirs of truth are found that can help us all through these tough times. I want you to remember and to never forget this axiom: GOD IS ALWAYS CLOSER THAN YOU THINK. 

G-d does not abandon us nor forsake us when times get tough. G-d continues to love us beyond all measure and will make G-d’s self known in ways we often miss and forget. We begin our services with these words: G-d is good all the time, and all the time G-d is good. They are words to live by — always. 

Prayer 

God our strength, you give honor to the pure in heart and uphold all who trust in you. Deliver us from chasing after this world’s illusions, that we may follow instead the imperishable truth of your Word in Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 

Amen.