Blessings of Summer

Psalm 62 Truly my soul finds rest in God; my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. How long will you assault me? Would all of you throw me down— this leaning wall, this tottering fence? …. Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honour depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge. Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge.

Have you ever had an issue when travelling to a pre-booked holiday destination only to find that either it wasn’t what you thought you booked or worse still the booking disappeared into thin air. So, you are in need of an alternative place to stay, a refuge a places to rest.

The notion of a refuge has a historical significance. It can be defines as a place that provides shelter or protection from danger or distress to which one has recourse in time of difficulty. But here in Psalm 62 refuge is found in God. He is the rock, the foundation upon which the psalmist life is built.

A sailor in a shipwreck was thrown upon a rock where he clung in great danger until the tide went down. Later a friend asked him, “Jim, didn’t you shake with fear when you were hanging on that rock?” “Yes, but the rock didn’t,” was the significant reply. 

A little over a month before he died, the famous atheist Jean-Paul Sartre, when trying to resist strong feelings of despair, would often say to himself, "I know I shall die in hope." Then in profound sadness, he would add, "But hope needs a foundation."

Eternal God, the refuge and help of all your children,

we praise you for all you have given us,

for all you have done for us,

for all that you are to us.

In our weakness, you are strength,

in our darkness, you are light,

in our sorrow, you are comfort and peace.

We cannot number your blessings,

we cannot declare your love:

For all your blessings we bless you.

May we live as in your presence,

and love the things that you love,

and serve you in our daily lives;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

Blessings of Summer

Psalm 131:1-3 O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvellous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.

Charles Spurgeon said that this Psalm is “one of the shortest to read, but one of the longest to learn.” This is a psalm of humility. it records the meek and humble spirit of David. Pride is centred in the heart, but it is not clearly revealed in the eyes. Remember a proud look is one of the things God hates. He speaks of his soul as a weaned child. We are weaned from worldly things to heavenly things. It’s always tricky to talk about humility. How do you know when you’re truly humble? If you are truly humble, will you even know it? When you think you have it, you’ve lost it.

In a statement created by Christian leaders across the world, the Lausanne Willowbank Report calls for church leaders to return to the humility and servanthood that Jesus manifested in His earthly ministry:

We believe that the principal key to persuasive Christian communication is to be found in the communicators themselves and what kind of people they are. . . . We desire to see . . . “the meekness and gentleness of Christ” (2 Cor. 10:1). . . . There is the humility to take the trouble to understand and appreciate the culture of those to whom we go.

It is the desire which leads naturally into that true dialogue “whose purpose is to listen sensitively in order to understand.” . . . We repent of the ignorance which assumes that we have all the answers and that our only role is to teach. We have very much to learn. We repent also of judgmental attitudes.

We know that we should never condemn or despise another culture, but rather respect it. We advocate neither the arrogance which imposes our culture on others, nor the syncretism which mixes the gospel with cultural elements incompatible with it, but rather a humble sharing of the good news—made possible by the mutual respect of a genuine friendship. 

We could ask ourselves how much do we desire to be part of this community.

Perhaps praying the prayer of humble access is a way of humbly centring ourselves in Christ.

We do not presume to come to your table, merciful Lord, trusting in our own goodness, but in your all-embracing love and mercy. We are not worthy even to gather up the crumbs under your table, but it is your nature always to have mercy. So feed us with the body and blood of Jesus Christ, your Son, that we may forever live in him and he in us. Amen.

Blessings of Summer

Yesterday we considered the idea of overcoming fear in the words of General George Patton; “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” Isaiah 40:31 puts it this way,  “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

Isaiah has just pronounced in Chapter 39 that the Babylonians would invade Jerusalem, leading to a period of captivity for God’s people. This was a frightening prospect, especially following all the messages of judgement and condemnation Isaiah had already brought to the nations. God’s faithful needed reassurance, and He graciously shifts the tone of Isaiah’s words to encourage them. Starting in Chapter 40, poetic and prophetic words tell of the comfort, forgiveness and incredible blessings God has in store for those who love and obey Him.

The ability to calm your soul and wait before God is one of the most difficult things in the Christian life. By our nature we are restless; the world around us is frantically in a hurry. But a restless heart usually leads to a reckless life.

Most of us tend to think that happiness is just around the corner. JOY will come one of these days--when things get better...when we finally get ……. We live with the allusion that joy will come someday when conditions change. But the truth is that if we are going to know joy it will be today.

Here's how one preacher put it:

"I tend to divide my minutes into two categories: living and waiting to live. Most of my life is spent in transit: trying to get somewhere, waiting to begin, driving someplace, standing in line, waiting for a meeting to end, trying to get a task completed, worrying about something bad that might happen, or being angry about something that did happen. These are all moments when I am not likely to be fully present, not to be aware of the voice and purpose of God." 

O Lord, you have indeed carried me on your wings.

By your mercy, you have delivered me from sin and death.

You have set me free from their bondage.

Once I was a slave, but now I am free to be your servant.

Thank you, Lord.

Even as I seek to live faithfully as a child of the new covenant,

help me to live each day by grace.

May I continue to ride on your wings

as you guide and empower me to serve you in every aspect of my life.

All praise be to you, gracious Lord,

because you carry me on your wings.

 Alleluia! Amen.

Blessings of Summer

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered . So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

Jesus reminds us that we do not have to have all the answers or convince everyone. In God's time, not ours, all will be made clear.

Its interesting that Jesus mentions fear five times here: and I wonder does fear sometimes make us betray the truth? Perhaps we may know what to do in a situation but we do nothing for fear of the reactions of others. Isn’t it then that we are  asked to believe that God knows us fully and values us limitlessly, so we need not fear.

Famed World War II tank commander General George Patton said, “Courage is fear holding on a minute longer.” If you give in to your fears, you are on the path to defeat. If instead you stand strong in spite of your fears, you are on the path to victory. And we must never forget that we are not in the battle alone. With the power of God on our side, we cannot be defeated.

Thank you, Lord, for this most consoling word. You smiled, we believe, when you told the disciples, in massive understatement: You are of more value than many sparrows. If sparrows and butterflies enjoy your providential care, then we too can feel secure in your hands.

Blessings of Summer

Psalm 16:11 You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Continuing on from yesterday, the psalmist the one who guides us into places of rest, relaxation and refreshment also guides those who would heed his teaching and follow.

Robert Kupferschmid was an 81-year old man who had no flying experience. However, due to a tragic emergency, he was forced to fly an airplane. On June 17, 1998, he and his 52-year-old pilot friend, Wesley Sickle, were flying from Indianapolis to Muncie, Indiana. During the flight, the pilot slumped over and died at the controls. The Cessna 172 single-engine plane began to nose-dive and Kupferschmid grabbed the controls. He got on the radio and pleaded for help.

Nearby were two pilots who heard the call. Mount Comfort was the closest airport, and the two pilots gave Kupferschmid a steady stream of instructions of climbing, steering, and the scariest part: landing. The two experienced pilots circled the runway three times before this somewhat frantic and totally inexperienced pilot was ready to attempt the landing.

Emergency vehicles were called out and ready for what seemed like an approaching disaster. Witnesses said the plane's nose nudged the centre line and bounced a few times before the tail hit the ground. The Cessna ended up in a patch of soggy grass next to the runway. Amazingly, Kupferschmid was not injured. He listened and followed those instructions as if his life depended on it--and it did.

The Psalmist ,David, demonstrated a living faith in the Lord because his trust was in God. He was not alarmed by the arrows that fly by day, nor the terrors that stalk at night... despite the distressing dangers he faced, including his own death. The confidence he displayed is reflected in this verse. In many ways it’s taking the beside-water experience into each path of life.

O God our protector,

we trust in you for safety,

we depend on you for all we need;

all good things come from you—

we commit our future into your hands:

Guide us by day and teach us by night,

be near us so that nothing can shake us,

make us always aware of your presence,

show us the path that leads to life,

let your Spirit fill us with joy,

and let your service be our delight for ever. Amen.

Blessings of Summer

There is something about walking beside a gentle babbling brook or stream; it seems wash the soul, cool the mind and bathe the heart.

There are several interpretations of the well known verse in psalm 23:2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures: he leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul:

For example, the message puts it this way, “You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from.True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction.” And the Living Bible, “He lets me rest in the meadow grass and leads me beside the quiet streams. He gives me new strength. He helps me do what honours him the most.”

Wendell Berry an American novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, cultural critic, and farmer writes. “When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds. I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world, and am free.”

I suppose that for people of faith or as the psalmist implies, sheep. We need to be led by the Shepherd Lord. Sheep are not good swimmers, and it would be easy for sheep to be carried away with the current in a tumultuous river. So the LORD brings us to drink from rivers that will satisfy our thirst and that will not carry us off into danger. How still are the waters in the place where you rest.

Lord, you are our Shepherd;

you give us all we need,

you make us to rest in green pastures,

you lead us beside still waters,

you restore our soul,

you guide us in paths of righteousness.

Even when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death

you will be with us to comfort us:

let your merciful goodness

and your unfailing love

follow us all the days of our life,

until we live in your presence for ever. Amen.

Blessings of Summer

I love Eugene Peterson’s rendition of Matthew 11:28-30 “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”

It almost sounds like an advert for a holiday company, doesn’t it.

“Come” is a familiar word in scripture. “Come back to me; come and see; come follow me.” God continues to invite us, desiring what is best for us. This is the God who leads us to restful waters, who desires that work be service, not slavery. We are promised the help we need by a gentle and humble Lord to walk more lightly in life, knowing that he is with us.

Perhaps I need to ask myself “Do I hear the Lord’s invitation to me as life-giving and liberating? Where do I feel burdened or enslaved knowing the Lord desires freedom in service of him and others? I turn to the Lord for what I need to travel more lightly in life.”

This simple invitation goes straight to the heart. It is advising me to  spend time letting it echo within me, as I bring to Jesus all my weariness and heavy burdens, one by one.

The ‘holiday advert’ goes on to give details of a vacation with a specific aim, where Jesus prompts us to “Learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart.”

One of the most popular titles for Jesus in the Gospel was that of Rabbi, teacher. Here he invites us to learn from him: he describes himself as gentle and humble. Were these the two qualities he liked most about himself, where he wants us to be most like him? I pray to be a good student of this unique teacher.

Lord, help me to rest in you so that with uncluttered mind and unburdened heart I am revived to share your work. Open my eyes to the burdens borne by others. Open my heart to the pain that cannot be shared, to the fear that cannot be spoken, to those who face darkness alone. Help me to meander with you as I discover your gift of lasting peace. Amen