Psalm 39

"So tell me Lord, what can I expect?
My hope is in you."
Psalm 39:7

What a question to be asking on Christmas Eve!
It is the way of the world to want to know what the future holds. Yet when I look back upon my past there are many times that had I known what to expect I might very well have declined or tried to take a different path. In approaching the future we have a couple of choices that can be boiled down in one of two ways. We can either face the future with fear and trembling or with hope and anticipation. One way or another the future will come. As much as we might try we are unable to stop time and keep things from changing.
I would still like to know what the future holds but as long as I can trust that God is the one holding the future I know that I will be ok. So today as I'm getting ready to celebrate my last Christmas Eve at Saint Joseph before moving on to other things this next spring I stop to ponder and wonder about the future. What will come my way? How will my life be different? Where and how will God lead me into the next stage of my ministry? All of these are very real questions but for today I will simply hope in the one who comes into the world and makes all things new.

Psalm 38

"Lord, all that I long for is known to you,
my sighing is no secret from you;
my heart is throbbing, my strength deserting me,
the light of my eyes itself has left me."
Psalm 38: 9-10

When God strips away the fluff of life we are left with a choice: to either try to put a happy face on everything and ignore the pain or to face the realities of life and look for God in the midst of even pain.
One of the best things about my sabbatical time this past summer was the work that God did in stripping away the layers of life that allowed me to see why I do some of the things I do. The time helped me to identify some real needs that I should not ignore as well as some of the ways I have attempted to meet needs that I thought I had in my life. In the end as God showed me a more complete picture of my heart I found that my true desire was for God! Even as other things continue to be stripped away I find myself leaning more and more upon God's holy grace and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Psalm 37

"Trust in Yahweh and do what is good,
make your home in the land and live in peace;
make Yahweh your only joy
and he will give you what your heart desires."
Psalm 37: 2-4

People sometimes ask each other; "If you could have anything your heart desires, what would it be?" It is a good queswtion in many ways. I can think of many things over the years that I have desired: recognition, significance, love, pleasure, toys of one sort or another. But these are beginning to fade in most cases. They have less appeal and I'm not finding them as attractive as they once were.
I really do desire the joy of the Lord more and more these days. Is it the desire for that joy that is pushing all these other things aside? Or am I finding those other things not to be fulfilling and so turning elsewhere?
One way or another I find myself searching for God more and more and desireing to make my home with him.

Psalm 36

"Your love, Yahweh, reaches to the heavens,
your faithfulness to the clouds;
your righteousness is like the mountains of God,
your judgments like the mighty deep."
Psalm 36:5-6

How does one comprehend and experience love? Scientists have tracked the physical responses people have to being loved and they have found that the body works better when the person has a deep sense of being loved by others. The person has a stronger immune system and a more positive outlook on life as well as many other measurable results.
But how does one know that they are loved by God? Are the same characteristics present? Is it something that can be physically felt? Is it something that you just have to experience but can't really explain to someone unless they have known it themselves? Is it even possible to comprehend that God, the creator of the universe, loves even an individual like me?
For me the times I feel loved by God the most is when I stand in places where I seem infinently small. In the midst of the mountains or the vast stretches of the plains of North America I look around at everything and I find myself in the midst of God's vast love. It doesn't make sense in a lot of ways and I'm not sure I can really explain it any better than that. But maybe the psalmist that I quoted above says it better than I can. Maybe God's love is just something that you have to let yourself fall into and not analyze any more than is necessary.

Psalm 35

"But shouts of joy and gladness for all
who take pleasure in my virtue;
give them constant cause to say,
'Great is Yahweh,
who likes to see his servant at peace!'"
Psalm 35:27

May my life be one which reflects God's glroy in such ways that others might say this about me!
If only my life might be lived in both the sorrow and the joy in ways that reflect God's presence in my midst then I will have been blessed. For I know the plans God has for me, to prosper and know the joy of the Lord. To live that life would be a life of great joy. To live a life of peace in the presence of God is my one desire. Everything else can fade away but if I can have contentment in each moment because I'm aware of living it with God then I above all people will be considered blessed and if I can share that invitiaion with others than God will be glorified even more!

Psalm 34

"Every face turned to him grows brighter
and is never ashamed."
Psalm 34:5

This phrase brings the story of Moses to mind. How his face was so bright with God's glory when he came down from the mountain after talking to God that the people were frieghtened. Oh how it mgiht have been different if instead of Moses covering his face he would instead have done everything possible to encourage others to join him and talk to God themselves.
Does my face shine with God's glory more than just with the reflection of my bald dead? Are people able to tell that I've spent time with God? Is my life an invitation to others to journey up the mountain to have their own encounter with the living God? Is there anything that I might be ashamed of because I have not faced God?
Is your face growing brighter from looking upon God?

Psalm 33

"By the word of Yahweh the heavens were made,
their whole array by the breath of his mouth;
he collects the ocean waters as though in a wineskin,
he stores the deeps in cellars."
Psalm 33:6-7

When I stop to watch the sunset or get up to see the sunrise I'm almost always amazed by the glory that is revealed within each and every one. This past summer there were moments that simply left me breathless as I watched the hands of God unfold beauty right before my eyes. Many of those times I was by myself and it was as if God was doing it just for me. When you are a witness to those moments of glory it is hard not to believe in a creating God who has not just created but continues to create.
Maybe one of the reasons why we have drifted so far away form God is because we have closed our eyes to the glory that is this world. We go to Disneyland for vacations, to museums, or great cities to be tempted by the pleasures of man rather than to sit in awe under the canopy of heaven and witness the unfolding glory of the word spoken into creation. Maybe it is time to remember again how small we are and how large this God is that has created the earth that we are able to live upon.

Psalm 32

"You are a hiding place for me,
you guard me when in trouble,
you surround me with songs of deliverance."
Psalm 32:7

There are some things that I've come to understand about life and about myself in the midst of this life. One of those things is that I have done a fairly good job of hiding myself from others and even myself over the years. I've been unwilling, unable, and unaware of the reasons why I am who I am or why I do the things I do. I don't know if I will ever be able to fully know and understand my own actions and motivations but I'm reassured that God knows. The thing is that I'm not alone in this either. There are very few people who I've ever met who are self-aware enough to understand their lives and what drives them.
Over the last six months as I've set aside more time to simply listen to God, life, and my inner self I've been amazed to discover the reasons for some of my predispositions. Seemingly random events have come to mind that when put together begin to show why I have lived my life in certain ways over the years. God has gently invited me to consider past hurts, passing encounters, and life changing events in a new light and invited me to embrace them not as things that have to control me but as events that God wants to use to shape me into the person I'm invited to become. In these times I have found new freedom to live in the present and not be controlled by the past. I'm not where God wants me to be yet but I pray that I'm getting closer.

Lord, in those places that are tender in my life yet may you guard them from others as you and I work them out together. May you continue to reveal to me those moments that have shaped me both to become like Christ as well as those that have shaped me to become more worldly. May I find your song of deliverance sung within me creating me in the ways you desire.

Psalm 31

"But I put my trust in you Yahweh,
I say, 'You are my God.'
My days are in your hand, rescue me
from the hands of my enemies and persecutors;
let your face smile on your servant,
save me in your love."
Psalm 31:14-16

Every day I put my life in your hands God. I try to start the day out remembering that I am God's. Now there are many times through-out the day that I take my life back and choose to treat it like my own rather than God's. My desire though is that I will remember each day whose I am, not just when things are rough or I'm in danger, but all the time.
I don't just want to be saved from trouble but rather saved into your loving embrace. I want to be known by you each and every moment Lord and I never want you to let me go. I want my desires to be what you desire for me. I want to trust you in all things so that your glory might reflect in me just as the clouds reflect the rising of the sun.

Psalm 30

"His anger lasts a moment, his favor a lifetime,
in the evening, a spell of tears,
in the morning, shouts of joy."
Psalm 30:5

Why is it so easy to focus upon the moments of anger and disappointment others have in us? Things that shouldn't be an issue but for one reason or another are brought by others and placed upon us. What is it about other people's anger that sticks with us and takes a hold of us in unhealthy ways?
If God's anger is for but a moment and then gone why do we give others so much power with their anger? Whey do we try to fix, appease, or placate others so that they will like us again? I'm sure that for most of us it has to do with the ways we were raised as children. We wanted to be accepted and feel that we were liked so we tried not to disappoint. We wanted to receive the blessing of our parents and others but it might have been withheld for one reason or another. So then we transfer those feelings toward God. We assume that because we let God down, we sinned against God's desires for us, that God is angry with us. We live our lives terrified that God is still angry with us for the things we did last month, last year, even for those things that we did 50 years ago.
Can we hear that God's anger is but a passing storm? Can we allow ourselves to step into God's favor and share God's joy? Can we let the joy of the Lord be our strength in all times rather than the emotions of others dictating our life? Can we let the favor of the Lord rest upon us even today?

Psalm 29

"The voice of Yahweh sharpens lightening shafts!"
Psalm 29:7

What an image! That God's voice even sharpens the lightning is a word picture that sticks in my mind having watched storms from a distance and found them absolutely fascinating in their power.
The power and sharpness of each bolt of lightening as it cuts across the sky or lights up the clouds is something that is totally unique in this world. I don't think there is anything that compares. Having watched several storms from a distance this summer I'm reminded of their power and their beauty as well. So now I want to remember this phrase so that every time I see a lightening storm I will hear God's voice in its midst. I want to remember that God's voice sharpens each and every bolt as it comes from the clouds. I want to remember that the same voice that sharpens the lightening also speaks with the gentle whisper of silence. I want to learn to listen for both voices that I might know the fullness of God!
I want to know that what ever storm I find myself in God can and will speak with clarity and power even when it isn't something that I want to hear.

Psalm 28

"I cry to you, Yahweh, my Rock!
Do not be deaf to me,
for if you are silent, I shall go
down to the Pit like the rest."
Psalm 28:1

There are times when we simply cry out to God, not necessarily to fix things, but just to know that God is there. Because no matter how much we don't like it each of us knows that life happens. Bad things come our way, sickness comes upon us, disappointment becomes real, and why should those who believe be any different than those who don't?
So we cry out to God! We look for the rock in the middle of the swirling water that is life that we can cling to in the midst of the storm. In the midst of the cry we want to know that God is there for otherwise we might as well simply drown in the midst of life's pain.
But God does hear our cry! It might be in the hand of a friend or even a stranger that reaches out to us. It might be in the unexpected peace that comes in the midst of great anxiety. It might be in the remembering of moments of hope in the past or hope for the future. God will not let our cry's go unanswered. It might not be today or tomorrow or even next month, but God is faithful and so we continue to cry out to God who is our Rock and our Redeemer.

Psalm 27

"This I believe; I shall see the goodness of Yahweh,
in the land of the living."
Psalm 27:13

I will not wait for God's goodness to be revealed on the other side of this life!
I do not choose to believe that the promise for life and joy is just for the time after this life. God's promises are for here and the here-after and I will search each and every day to find that goodness.
I have seen the goodness of God's creation!
I have experienced the unearned love of family and friends when I could not have expected it.
I've had moments of joy just being in the presence of God as I've looked into the night sky.
I've watched the sun come up in all of it's glory with no one else around and heard God say, "This one's for you!"
This I believe! That God is for me!

Psalm 26

"Yahweh, be my judge!
I go my way in my innocence,
My trust in Yahweh never wavers.
Test me, Yahweh, and probe me,
put me to the trial, loins and heart;
for your love is before my eyes,
and I live my life in loyalty to you."
Psalm 26: 1-3

Lord I live my life for you but I can not say that I want to be tested. I already know that I have come up short in the past. My sins are before me and without your mercy and grace, oh Lord, I would be doomed.
In spite of, or maybe because, I am so far short of the perfection you call for I will hold on to the faith I have in Jesus Christ. I will choose to live a life of loyalty to you Lord no matter how much I am tested. (but please Lord be gentle)

Psalm 25

"Let innocence and integrity be my protection,
since my hope is in you, Yahweh."
Psalm 25:21

When I place myself in the hands of God I do not need to know everything. I don't need to know what the future holds or even who is for me or against me. It isn't necessarily an easy place to be, but it is a place that I need to be.

Lord may I trust you so that I may innocently treat everyone with loving grace. May I assume that everyone is desiring the best parts of the Kingdom for one another and that there is no deceit or malice within their hearts.
Lord may I be innocent in all things that might harm others or lead others astray or subvert your will. Help me to be wise in all things which will bring you glory. May discernment keep me from straying off your path. May your wisdom allow me to see into the motives of others and be an avenue of healing whenever you might be able to use me.

Psalm 24

"To Yahweh belong earth and all it holds,
the world and all who live in it;
he himself founded it on the ocean,
based it firmly on the nether sea."
Psalm 24:1-2

Who is this God who keeps surprising me with more than I anticipate? Who is this God who pulls back a corner of the creation and allows me to look in and hear God say, "I did good don't you think?" Who is this God who brings the quiet onin such a way that the flapping of the bird's wings sounds louder than a jet flying over?
"Who is this king of glory?
He is Yahweh Sabaoth,
King of glory, he!" (vs. 10)
God has created this earth and set it in motion and then given us the chance to stop and open our eyes to the glory that is right in front of us. It is a chance to see the presence of God in all his glory and so often I think I'm just to busy to stop and see. When my busyness keeps me from stopping it also keeps me from seeing God. Today I'm going to stop and look until I see.

Psalm 23

"Yahweh is my shepherd,
I lack nothing."
Psalm 21:1

It isn't always easy being a sheep to God's shepherd. It isn't that God is mean, nasty, or abusive as much as it is that I'm stubborn. When I trust myself in God's hands I literally lack nothing. I have everything that I need and it is always enough.
But I don't always like to rest in the places that God has put me. There are so many times that I like to wonder off to see if there isn't something a bit better, prettier, easier, more filling, etc. So I get out ahead of the shepherd and he has to call me back.
I want to be content in where God places me and where God leads me. But to be content I have to remember each and every moment that God is the one who leads not me!

Psalm 22

"Yet you draw me out of the womb,
you entrusted me to my mother's breasts;
placed on your lap from my birth,
from my mother's womb you have been my God."
Psalm 22:9-10

Lord, you draw me out of that which is safe and thrust me into the light that is not what I have become comfortable with. Lord you promise that you will not leave me nor forsake me and yet that which is new is unknown and frightening.
But Lord I trust you because you have been faithful in the past. You have kept me from wondering to far off the path of faith when it would have been easy to stray. You have carried me when I had nowhere else to turn and worked through me in ways that I would not have known were possible. You have opened doors for me that I never expected or anticipated in know could have opened myself.
Lord I will continue to be as faithful as possible in all the small ways and leave the big things up to you!
I am yours Lord, do with me as you will!

Psalm 21

"Rise, Yahweh, in your power!
We will sing and play in honor of your strength."
Psalm 21:13

When the people of God gather to worship the primary purpose should be to praise God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. Worship is a response to God's power, love, justice, and grace. But sometimes our gatherings of worship become stale and lifeless. (I know that I have been a part of some of these and probably even led some of them.) When things become stale in worship it isn't because God has suddenly become boring. It is most likely the case that we have either stopped remembering the power and grace of God in the past and/or we have stopped looking for God's justice and love in the present.
There is some music, both religious and secular, that helps me remember and look for God. I don't completely understand why but I know in those times of dryness when I am in most need of God's power that I can turn to those songs and suddenly I am back to where I need to be praising God for his power and glory.
In fact I think I need to find some music now.

Psalm 20

"may we shout with joy for your victory,
and plant our banners in the name of our God!"
Psalm 20:5

Displaying a flag or banner has always been a way of claiming territory or proclaiming allegiance. That allegiance might be to a country or a school or even an expression of delight for a particular season of the year. These are public demonstrations of our inner feelings and loyalties. If you are on Facebook then you have seen someone post an invition or challenge to make public your faith by cutting and pasting a particular phrase, etc.
But there is something about a flag or banner that requires consistancy. You wouldn't think of placing an IU flag on your house and then walking around inside of it dressed in the Black and Gold of Purdue or the other way around. In the book of James it speaks about being double-minded and how you can't want two opposing things in your life. So if you have planted your flag of faith in words does the rest of your life reflect it? Do you speak of the love of God but then verbally attach someone of a different political party? Do you proclaim that God is a God of grace and then withhold that grace from people who have hurt you?
What territory in your life is God asking for you to give over to him today that your life might more accurately reflect the claims that you have made?

Psalm 19

"And from pride preserve your servant,
never let it dominate me.
So shall I be above reproach,
from grave sin."
Psalm 19:13

Pride is a dangerous sin in many ways. Pride is something that keeps us from allowing God to work in our lives because we can do it ourselves. Pride is something that makes us think we are better than others. Pride leads us to objectify others and use them rather than relate with them.
But pride is also dangerous in other ways. The fear of being prideful keeps us from using the gifts and talents that God has set before us for Kingdom benefits. The fear of pride in our lives keeps us from saying yes to the possibilities of life even when it is exactly what God intends for us.
So can we walk this line between pride and humility without falling into sin? It isn't easy but I think it is possible with God's help. If we can bring others into our lives who we give not only permission but also the expectation of being brutally honest with us we can hopefully stand against pride and if at the same time we can have people in our lives who constantly remind us of the gifts and talents that God has given to us we can rise out of the fear based inaction that can cripple us. It is best if the people who do this are one in the same but for that to happen would take deep personal relationships with a huge amount of love, patience, and trust.
Do you have those people in your life? If you don't why not? If you do, are they speaking truth into your life that you are willing to listen to?

Psalm 18

"Yahweh, you yourself are my lamp,
my God lights up my darkness;"
Psalm 18:28

There are days I'm sure for all of us that just seem to be dark. It doesn't matter if the sun is shinning or not but the mood around us is dark and gloomy! It is in those days when we have to be willing to ask ourselves where are we going to expect hope to come from, where are we going to gain light in the midst of the darkness.
The easy answer is to simply say that we should let God be our light and everything will be ok. But when you are in the midst of the darkness that answer rings a bit hollow. Sometimes the darkness is just overwhelming and seems to last forever.
It is those moments of darkness that I force myself to remember. To remember how God has been with me and others in the past. I remember even the smallest of glimpses of light that I have seen and I hold on to them like a dog with bone not letting anyone dare come close enough to take them away.
Those days are work. There isn't any other way to put it! When you find yourself in the midst of darkness it takes great work to look for the light of God but it is always there. Never has there been a time that I have experienced either myself or with others that together we couldn't name the light that we had seen.
So today if the darkness surrounds you can you find a point of God's light to latch on to? Can you find a people who will wait with you counting on the new day that God will be bringing to you? Can you let God be the light that will give you hope for a new day?

Psalm 17

"For me the reward of virtue is to see your face,
and, on waking, to gaze my fill on your likeness."
Psalm 17:5

I want my life to conform to this phrase, that to see God is reward enough for me. Whether it be in abundance or sorrow, need or joy, whatever comes my way may I look upon the presence of God!
So I am left wondering about the things that I have placed as a priority in my life that keep me from seeing God? There are many I'm sure and most of them are personal enough that I won't share them here but it forces me to think deeply about priorities and expectations.
What would I give up in my life to see God? What would you give up in your life if you knew it was keeping you from walking hand in hand with God?

Psalm 16

"I bless Yahweh, who is my counselor,
and in the night my inmost self instructs me"
Psalm 16:7

Sleep is a time that God has designed to renew our bodies. It is also a time when we can have our minds and spirits renewed as well.
I must say that I am not one who normally remembers his dreams. When I wake up it is as if I have turned off my brain and know nothing of that time from sleep to awaking. Yet every once in awhile God speaks into my life in the night in ways that have fundamentally changed me. At times it has been a clear voice asking me a question at a pivotal point about decisions that I faced. It has been scriptures that have suddenly come to me in my sleep that I then need to look at and ponder. Those scriptures have given me sure guidance at times that I have needed it the most.
As I look back upon these times one of the consistent things that I see was the busyness of my life in those moments. I remember those times as being hectic and there not being much space for prayer, thoughtfulness, or listening. Yet God found a way to break through that busyness and speak into my life anyway.
I take a lot of comfort from the experiences of God breaking into my life even in the night because I wasn't making room for him during the day. So I will continue to look for God's counsel both during the day and even at night so that I might be renewed, restored, and continually challenged to follow God more fully.

Psalm 15

"Yahweh, who has the right to enter your tent,
or to live on your holy mountain?"
Psalm 15:1

There is no one who has the "right" to enter God's presence expect one, that is Jesus. The description of the psalmist would exclude everyone in the Old Testament and all but one in the New. Many of us might get close in several areas but no one has them all covered.
So we do not have a right to enter God's presence but we do have an invitation. Jesus says, "Come unto me all you who are burdened and I will give you rest." Jesus invites us in as brothers and sisters, as friends to the place where God dwells.
God has gone out and searched for us to come to his banquet. We who have nor right to be there, who can never repay the invitation have been invitede to come join the party.
Who has the right? Only Jesus who invites us all to come and join him!

Psalm 14

"Who will bring Israel salvation from Zion?
When Yahweh brings his people home,
What joy for Jacob, what happiness for Israel!
Psalm 14:7

This fall I went 'home'. Well not really but I stopped in Weston, Oregon, the first place I lived as a child. Weston sits in the rolling wheat fields of Northeast Oregon right on the edge of the Blue Mountains. It is literally not even on the road to nowhere now as the highway has long sense gone around it.
In returning to this place I had the chance to look at the memories of my early life. I realized the house I had thought I grew up in didn't look a lot like the house that I actually did live in. Somethings were the same but much smaller now then they seemed to be when I was 5. There wasn't a lot of emotional attachment for me to Weston. I think I had only actually been back there once maybe twice sense we moved and that had to be maybe 40 years ago. But because I had the time and was within several hundred miles I knew that I not only wanted to but needed to go home.
I was actually very surprised at what happened there. What started out as curiosity and a chance to get some pictures to show my kids and others of where I had lived as a child turned into something much more. The only way to really say it was that God lead me home. It seems that God wanted to do some work in me there and the location triggered a lot of things that I wasn't expecting. What started out as a tracing of roots turned into a healing of hurts. I couldn't have done it without God leading the way and gently inviting me to go to places that I had not wanted to go before. But the result was great joy!
Going home isn't always to celebrations, sometimes it is to embrace pain that needs to be healed. Having gone home with God at my side I have a new appreciation to the joy that only he can bring.

Psalm 13

"But I for my part rely on your love, Yahweh;
let my heart rejoice in your saving help.
Let me sing to Yahweh for the goodness he has shown me."
Psalm 13:5

I do not want to simply rely upon your love God! I want to bathe in it and let it fully surround me. I want to stand in the midst of your love and feel it cascade over me as if I was standing in the midst of a waterfall. I want to be consumed by God's love so that every other temptation that promises temporary pleasure might pale in comparison.
I want to sing of God's goodness each and every day!

Psalm 12

"Help, Lord, for the godly are no more;
the faithful have vanished from among men."
Psalm 12:1

There are days when it all seems to be fruitless. Where is the hope? Where is the support? Where are the possiblities for God's redemption?
It is in the midst of those days that we cry out to God with great desire and we simply ask:
"Lord show me a sign of life and hope and that will be enough for today."

Psalm 11

"Yahweh is in his holy Temple,
Yahweh whose throne is in heaven;
his eyes look down at the world,
his searching gaze scans all mankind."
Psalm 11:4

There are days when all I seem to be able to focus upon is that which is right in front of me. It just seems that my eyes are drawn toward my feet rather than toward the horizon. Those days are hard in that it is like slogging through deep mud and just putting one foot in front of the other. But it is in the midst of those days that I most need to lift up my gaze to see that God is still in his holy Temple and that I am not alone in the midst of this daily life. When I remember that God is still God and that his eyes look upon me in the midst of all things there is strength to be gained. It doesn't necessarily change the mud into firm dry ground. It doesn't necessarily make the rain go away. But for me, remembering that God is still in heaven reminds me that what is dragging me down in the moment is not something that will last for eternity. Eventually things will change, either in the life or the next, and it will get better.

Psalm 10

"Yahweh, you listen to the wants of the humble
you bring strength to their hearts, you grant them a hearing,
judging in favor of the orphan and exploited,
so that earthborn man may strike fear no longer."
Psalm 10:17-18

In many faith traditions the lighting of candles accompanies the saying of prayers. This isn't something that I grew up with or have ever found particularly inviting on a personal level. However this summer as I walked through some of the great cathedrals of Europe and England I was drawn to the candles in a new way.
What I witnessed were people lighting candles and then spending time (not 30 sec. but minutes and more) in prayer in front of or near by the candles they had lite. Those who I witnessed lighting candles were often either older or younger. Sometimes those lighting them looked as if they had spent a lot of time on the streets of the city. All of those who lite candles did so with a great reverence and what seemed to be a deep faith commitment.
Now I don't believe that lighting a candle increases the chances that God is going to hear our prayers. What I am beginning to understand though is that for the humble, the abused, the forgotten, and so many others lighting a simple candle is a way of giving tangible hope to the prayers they have to and for God. The candle, I would guess, helps ease the fear of all the things that are conspiring against them. It is a way of remembering that God is for them and hears their prayers.
This afternoon I think I might find a candle and a little quiet and spend some time with God.

Psalm 9

"I thank you, Yahweh, with all my heart;
I recite your marvels one by one,
I rejoice and exult in you,
I sing praise to your name, Most High."
Psalm 9:1-2

The marvels of God are many, but for these I give God praise today:
- For friends who care deeply about me and one another even when things are tough
- For the glory of a sunrise where the clouds catch the colors of the rising sun and set the sky on fire
- For the silence of the wilderness and the peace that I find there
- For moments of worship that bring me into the heavenly courts
- For the opportunity to be a part of peoples lives as they turn everything over to Jesus
- For a sunset that burst upon the sky and ends the day with a great exclamation point of God's loving guidance
And the praises and exaltation could go on and on. (please feel free to share your moments of praise and thanks)

Psalm 8

"I look up at your heavens, made by your finger,
at the moon and stars you set in place -
ah, what is man that you should spare a thought for him,
the son of man that you should care for him?"
Psalm 8:3-4

As I look at the glory of the night sky and see the clouds, stars, and lightening my heart leaps for joy. I know that it is the hand of God that has created and that God has given me the eyes to see for no other purpose than to draw my heart closer to him. That God has made me to find beauty in the mountians, glory in the sunset, amazement in the wild animals, and wonder in the night sky is beyond my comprehension. That God has not just made me to be a robot and to function like an ant concerned only with providing for the now is beyond me.
May the gifts that God gives dreaw me closer into the hands and heart of the one who has created me.

Psalm 7

"God is the shield that protects me,
he preserves upright hearts,
God the righteous judge
is slow to show his anger,
but he is a God who is always enraged
by those who refuse to repent."
Psalm 7:10-11

Why is it so difficult to repent when God's promise is that we will be welcomed with open arms when we turn away from the things of this world that are not of his desire for us?

Repentance is not something we have talked much about in the church these days. We have focused much more on the good feelings that come with a daily walk with Christ and the invitation to embrace community life with others who are desiring to know Jesus as well. But repentance is a very biblical concept. Repentance is all about recognizing the ways in which we have hurt others, ourselves, and God through our selfishness, pride, anger, gluttony, sloth, lust, and greed. But repentance does not stop with simply recognizing these things. Repentance leads to asking for forgiveness, making things right, and stopping the behaviour that we were engaged in prior to the repentance.
Yes God protects us, but his desire is to protect us from those things that would harm us from the outside. God doesn't make it a habit of protecting us from ourselves. So we hear the invitation to repent, to not anger God by continuing down the paths that will lead us to self-destruction and broken relationships. It is time to take seriously the invitation to make our hearts right with God and with one another that we might rest assured in his presence.

Psalm 6

"Yahweh, do not punish me in your rage,
or reprove me in the heat of anger."
Psalm 6:1

Lord I could not stand before your anger, so please, I pray, turn your mercy toward me and not your rage even when I deserve it.

How sad God must be that we do not choose life but rather the things that lead to death and destruction. It all seems so easy when we talk about it. Just do the right things, believe in Jesus, and trust in God in all things. But actually putting it into practice? I haven't met anyone yet who feels like they have really got it all together. In fact those who others see as being closer to God than most are the ones who say how far they have yet to go.
God cannot allow evil to stand in his presence and so God rages against all that is evil and not of his goodness. When I look at myself in the mirror of God's righteousness I have no place to stand. So I cry out to God that I might not get what I deserve but rather that I might receive the mercy that comes from his loving hand. I know that pursuing all the things that this world says are worth pursuing: money, things, power, prestige, etc. will lead to my life becoming a ruin empty of meaning and devoid of purpose. Not that the things of this world are necessarily bad but when they are pursued at the expense of following after Jesus they become empty idols.
So may God not give us what we deserve. May his anger at our hard heartedness and hard headedness be stilled and may grace and mercy pour over not just us but all people as we continue to seek after the God of life, the Son of grace, and the Spirit of power.

Psalm 5

"But joy for all who take shelter in you,
endless shouts of joy!
Since you protect them, they exalt in you,
those who love your name."
Psalm 5:11

Where do you take shelter?
I had a conversation the other day with someone who felt they had been hurt by the church. It was very painful to them and they weren't sure they could ever go back. As a pastor you might assume that I would either make excusses for the action, appologize for what happened, or simply say that the church was wrong and that they should come to our church because we are different. I didn't do any of those things.
What I did was to say that the church is going to hurt you. It isn't always intentional (though it angers me when it is) and the reality is that given enough time in a church you are going to be hurt. I know I've suffered my fair share of hurts from the church. But those hurts are not God's intention and it simply shows the realty that the church, like the world and all of us who inhabit the earth, are not yet perfect. Should the church be better? YES! Will the church get better at not hurting people? Probably not. So in the mean time we take shelter in God trusting in the one who can bring us joy even in the midst of being hurt by those who should know better.
It also seems to me that churches where there are a lot of people exhibiting characteristics of joy are hurting a lot less people. Is that a coincidence? I doubt it.

Psalm 4

"Yahweh, you have given more joy to my heart
than others ever knew, for all their corn and wine.
In peace I lie down, and fall asleep at once,
since you alone, Yahweh, make me rest secure."
Psalm 4:4-7

Joy comes for me not in the things I can hold on to but in the people around me. I receive joy from the experiences of wonder that I seem to have walked into the midst of over the past months. I experience joy in the presence of the Lord as we have walked quietly through life together.
These days I think I am closer and closer to the joy of the Lord being my strength. It is a feeling of peace that is based upon the trust that God is with me in all things. Whether or not I have the 'things' that this world says are important just doesn't matter right now.
(I would like for this to continue as long as possible.)

Psalm 3

"Loudly I cry to Yahweh,
and he answers me from his holy mountain.
Now I can lie down and go to sleep.
and then awake, for Yahweh has hold of me:
no fear now of those tens of thousands
posted against me wherever I turn."
Psalm 3:3-6

When we find ourselves facing fear what is the first response we have? I know that it isn't always to turn toward God. Sometimes we go back to childhood memories of parents or others telling us; "Grow up there isn't anything to be afraid of!" and we try to surpress our fear and face it alone. Sometimes we allow ourselves to be overcome by the fear and begin to assume the worst that could possibly happen.
But when we turn our face toward God in the midst of the fear things change. The fears that we are facing don't always go away but they take on a new perspective. When we remember that God has a hold of us and will not let us go, in this world and into the next, then the things of this world (as important as they are) become temporary. We begin to see that the trials, dangers, and fears that we face are but for a season in comparison to eternity. We begin to find that sleep does come when we give our fears over to God and trust that his hands are greater than anything we might face here in this world.

Psalm 2

"The One whose throne is in heaven sits laughing,
Yahweh derides them."
Psalm 2:4

The best laid plans of men are looked upon by God and laughter is his response. Not that God doesn't want us to plan, far from that. But the scheming, politicking, and positioning that so often goes along with our plans is what must amuse God. For all of these things are simply attempts to fool ourselves into thinking that we are the ones in control of life and the future.
When I look honestly at my life I have to admit that there have been times when God must have laughed at me. The plans I've made and the attempts to make sure that "God's will is done" (amazing how we can fool ourselves into believing this) are nothing but comical now. So have I grown up or matured? I don't know, I would hope so, but even now it will take time and distance to be sure that I'm not trying to force God's hand in a particular way. So at least for today I will attempt to do what I can do and leave the rest up to God. I will live in the moment and not make plans that depend upon me getting others to do certain things or make specific decisions. I would rather have the chance to laugh with God over my foolishness rather than know that God was laughing at me.

Psalm1

"Happy the man
who never follows the advice of the wicked,
or loiters on the way that sinners take,
or sits about with scoffers
but finds his pleasure in the law of Yahweh,
and murmurs his law day and night."
Psalm 1:1-2

What would it mean to MURMUR God's law both day and night? The image is actually a bit odd it would seem. It brings to mind a person who walks around talking to themselves all day long but who you never quite know what they are saying.
Maybe it is an image that we should emulate in some ways. The Bible invites us to "pray unceasingly" and maybe this is what it looks like. To go through our day carrying on a conversation directly with God. To murmur with God about the things of this world like bills to pay, conversations to have, decisions to make, etc. etc. . Maybe our whole lives could reflect an active engagement with God about the things of this world as well as the next.
It might do us all a little good to murmur more and be happy.

Please Check In

Today is the last day of my Renewal Leave and I will be back in the office and at church beginning tomorrow (Thursday). It would be helpful for me if you would just check in here and let me know that you have been following along. Just leave a comment with your name and any comments that you would like to share.
Thanks for following along and you are welcome to come back anytime as the Sabbath Journey will continue.
Sid

Psalm 150

"Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
praise him iin his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds,
praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
Praise him with trumpet sound;
praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with clanging cymbals,
praise him with load clashing symbols!
Let everything that breaths praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!"
Psalm 150

This is not just a proclamation but it is also an invitation!
I've been led deeper into praise in these past few months then ever before! I've witnessed the power of the creation singing God's praise when I was the only one around for miles. I've had my innermost being affirmed as lovable and loved as I've never known possible.
I've added my voice of praise to the choirs of heaven and known that I was in the very presence of God. I will do anything it takes to make sure my praise continues to be lifted up to God most high for his love is higher than the mountains and flows out upon us like an ever flowing stream.

Psalm 148

"Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
Psalm 148:3-4

We humans are not the only sources of praise to God. Everything that has been created is a work of praise. The very creation by its existence is an act of praise and a reflection of glory upon God the creator. It reminds me of Jesus proclamation that if the people were silent the rocks themselves would cry out with praise.
So it is that I have joined with the rocks and hills, the skys and trees, and every things that has moved upon the earth and given priase to God. I pray that my voice has fit into the song of the creation and that I will always be mindful of the voices of praise, both people and otherwise that are lifted up to God the creator.

Psalm 147

"He determines the number of stars;
he gives to all of them their names."
Psalm 147: 4

Last night I went outside and got away from the lights a bit so that I could look up into the stars again. What I saw was very familiar. The stars looked much the same as they did in Oregon. The surroundings were different (very different actually) but the stars were the same. It was a good reminder to me that while my surroundings change my God does not.
The things that I have learned about myself and about God over the last several months go with me back into familiar surroundings. There might be times that I will have to go look into the night sky to remind myself of God's vast 'sameness' but that will be ok, because where ever I go I know that God will still be there.

Psalm 143

"Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning,
for in you I put my trust.
Teach me the way I should go,
for to you I lift up my soul."
Psalm 143:8

This morning I got to hear a preacher who I knew as a kid. He was around my brothers age (around 7 years younger) and is now a Hospice Chaplin and was filling in for the usual pastor of my parent's church. It was the early service (8:30 a.m.) and there weren't very many people there (maybe 40). The song leader didn't show up so we muddled through the music with no one wanting to sing out to much. But Jim preached from his heart this morning and it was good.
He spoke on the Jesus' healing of the woman who touched his coat. He asked the question, "What if Jesus is really just waiting for us to reach out and touch him so that we might be healed?" It was a good question and one that I have thought about off and on through the day of travel. It was good to start my day with worship and scripture, it helped set the tone for the whole day.
It really is amazing what a difference it makes in the way you start your day.

Psalm 139

"If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light around me become night,'
even the darkness is not dark to you,
the night is as bright as the day,
for darkness is as light to you."
Psalm 139:11-12

When darkness comes upon us it seems like there is either the peace of sleep or the worry of anxiety that comes along with it. How we deal with the night says a lot about who we are and what we believe about God. The psalmist reminds us that God does not sleep and is not bound by the times of light and dark that we find ourselves constrained by. I've noticed a couple of things about my nights over the years. For most of my nights I sleep soundly not remembering dreams and feel rested when I awake. Then there are other nights when I wake up in the middle of the night and start chasing rabbit trails with my brain. The more my brain chases things the less likely I am to be able to go back to sleep. It is those nights that leave me anxious and worried about the future and present.
But I have also noticed that when I spend significant time focusing upon God during the day that those anxious nights are fewer and farther between. There are times it seems as if I need to just remember during the day who God is and who I am in God's eyes so that when I sleep the worries of the night don't have a chance against the peace of the day.

Psalm 137

"By the rivers of Babylon -
there we sat down and there we wept
when we remembered Zion."
Psalm 137:1

There are times when we remember certain people, places, or events in our lives when tears come, either outwardly or inwardly. It just doesn't seem like we can control them. I've had a few of those over the past couple of months. They were memories of things that I knew were not God's will or desire but happened to me anyway. As I remembered I wept and found some consolation in my tears.
In the midst of this psalm I remember Jeremiah's words to God's people as well. He tells the people who are in Babylon, taken away from their homes not by their own choosing, to settle in. He tells them to plant gardens, build houses, and pray for the people where they now are.
When you combine these two scripture passages life begins to make more sense to me. First; it is ok to cry over what is outside of God's desire in one's life. Second; you have to make the most of where you are at. We can't change the past or what others have done we can only pray that where I am at today I will experience God's presence and blessings.
I'm going to see about going down to the river today and praying for God to make the most of my life from where I am now and not from where I think I should have been.

Psalm 135

"Whatever the Lord pleases he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
he makes lightnings for the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses."
Psalm 135:6-7

The psalmist reminds us that God will do what God will do and I for one have a tough time accepting this.
Let me explain. I don't believe God is some fickle deity who randomly does stuff just to mess with us. No, I believe that God works in basically orderly ways and that when the Bible says that God brings the rain on the just and unjust alike that it is true. What bothers me is that I'm not 'special enough' for God to intervene for my convenience. Why does it rain when I don't want it to rain? Why does it get hot when I want it to be cool and cold when I want it to be warm?
It's not just in the natural phenomenon that God seems to do this. It happens in other areas of my (our) lives as well. Why does one person get sick and not another? Why does one business get into trouble even though it has done everything in an ethical manner and another flourish through some shady practices? Why?
Maybe it is because God has this way of reminding us that we are not him. It is so easy to go from believing we are unique, special, and loved in God's eyes to feeling entitled to receive more than others. I don't believe that God does thing to keep us in our place, but I do believe that everything God does has the potential to draw us toward him if we look for him in the midst of it all.
So where in your rain storm can you see God at work?

Psalm 134

"Come bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
Lift up your hands to the holy place,
and bless the Lord.
May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion."
Psalm 134:1-3

Over the last couple of weeks there have been several nights that I have found a quiet place away from traffic and lights and set up my camera to take pictures. These times have been less about the photography and more about the worship that has happened in spite of the picture taking. The time has been one of awe and wonder as I look up into the heavens to see beyond what I can comprehend. Each time the worship has drawn me to deeper awareness of God's creative power and presence in that very moment.
It really is amazing where you find yourself in a place of worship, sometimes it's with beautiful stain glass windows or load driving music or wide open space with no roof over your head. But where ever it is that worship happens must be a Holy place in God's eyes.

Psalm 130

"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I hope;
my soul waits for the Lord
more than those who watch for the morning,
more than those who watch for the morning."
Psalm 130: 5-6

One of the things about photography that I have learned is how important it is to wait. There are so many things that you can snap a picture of to be able to say, "Hey I was there!" But to capture the beauty of the place and a particular moment you have to wait for the right light to show off the creation in all of its glory. On the morning I took this picture I had some indication of what the morning could look like. There were enough clouds to reflect the rising sun and all that was necessary was for me to be in the right place at the right time. It meant getting up at 5:30 and standing in the cold (about 36 degrees and the wind blowing) and then waiting. I was rewarded by my waiting with a glorious sunrise (sorry you will have to wait for the best shots until later) and with pictures that are worth more than any number of words I might speak.
This idea of waiting on the Lord is not something that comes easily for us in today's world. We aren't used to it and most of us just don't even like the thought of it. But God is not a God to be rushed. God's time is God's and God's alone. So those who want to see God's glory wait. We put our hope in the Lord, we show up where he leads us and we wait for the glory to be revealed. It might take a lot of waiting but God doesn't seem to disappoint.

Psalm 127

"It is in vain that you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for he give sleep to this beloved.
(or: for he provides for his beloved during sleep)
Psalm 127:2

I love the alternate reading of this verse. That God would give to us anything in our sleep is rather encouraging. Think about what you are not doing when you are sleeping. You aren't working, you aren't serving, you aren't doing anything "productive" and yet God gives to us in our sleep.
In sleep God gives the chance for our bodies and minds to rest. Sleep restores our hope if we let it for the next day to be different than the last. Sleep allows dreams to speak into our lives in a way that we often don't allow while we are awake.
May our sleep be an acceptable offering to God who desires to call us beloved in all things.