Rook to the Center of the Board

Reading: Psalm 71:1-6
In you, Lord, I have taken refuge;
let me never be put to shame.
In your righteousness, rescue me and deliver me;
turn your ear to me and save me.
Be my rock of refuge,
to which I can always go;
give the command to save me,
for you are my rock and my fortress.
Deliver me, my God, from the hand of the wicked,
from the grasp of those who are evil and cruel.
For you have been my hope, Sovereign Lord,
my confidence since my youth.
From birth I have relied on you;
you brought me forth from my mother’s womb.
I will ever praise you.

Reflection:

     I don't think I ever won a game of chess against my brother. He loved the game and I played to stave off boredom. You could tell. Anyway, I did figure out that if I used the castle move, I could slow down my certain death.  It turns out that I was on the right path. The move is so powerful that World Champion Chess player Vladimir Kramnik has proposed a change to the rules in chess, eliminating the option to castle in order to minimize high-level matches ending in a draw. In a castle move, the rook is moved to the center of the board and the king is moved into the corner area behind the row of pawns. I liked the move because the rook was my favorite piece. Getting it out into the middle was a good defensive move, but it also made it more available to send into the battle!

     Of course, this Psalm is describing and picturing more than just a game. God is our shelter, refuge, or bastion in difficult times. The spiritual and emotional reality of God as our fortress cannot be overestimated. Even when we might feel unsafe or have knowingly and rebelliously stepped outside of safety's keep, God does not abandon us. Our loving God is always on our side. How have you experienced this in your life?

Prayer

Sheltering God,

We thank you for your watchfulness over us. We praise you for your vigilance. Keep us mindful of your protection and providence. We are not kept separated from you in some far off place, but you live and dwell among us, your Spirit abides. We sing hallelujahs to your goodness! Empower us and give us courage to share our stories of your guarding and defending. In the Name of Christ Jesus, we pray. Amen.

Still looking

 

Psalm 19

¹The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.

²Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.

³There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;

⁴yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,

⁵which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.

⁶Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.

⁷The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;

⁸the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;

⁹the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.

¹⁰More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.

¹¹Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

¹²But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.

¹³Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.

¹⁴Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

Reflection

     This may be my favorite Psalm (until I read another one that speaks to my heart that day). It is lyrical and beautiful, a favorite of may. There are several verses that are memorable. The Word certainly can remain with you and keep nourishing you long after you read it or hear it!

     What are you favorite verses?

     What do you make of the line--"Clear me from hidden faults."? I don't know about you, but I feel like my faults are usually pretty obvious and repeated! I generally don't have a problem identifying all of my shortcomings. I am not sure that I want God to add to the list! Yet, I know and confess that there are things that I have done that I am not yet aware of. If I don't know, how can I work to make it right.

Prayer

Lord God, guide me to see the ways that I need to learn to love others better. Teach me also when I need to love and forgive myself so that I can be kind and compassionate with others. Bring us all into a greater sense of your eternal peace. In the Name of Christ, we pray. Amen.

The Great Deep

Reading - Psalm 36:5-10
 Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens,
    your faithfulness to the clouds.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
    your judgments are like the great deep;
    you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
How precious is your steadfast love, O God!
    All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
They feast on the abundance of your house,
    and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
For with you is the fountain of life;
    in your light we see light.
O continue your steadfast love to those who know you,
    and your salvation to the upright of heart!

Reflection

     A couple of days ago, I saw a deep water scene similar to the clip above. I noticed that I had an internal strong reaction of fear. I can swim, but I do not want to be out in open ocean. You will not hear about Pastor Fitch swimming the English Channel (and that is not technically open or deep ocean). I suppose that if my life depended on it, I would go as far or as long as I could. There is just a limit to how long you can tread water or swim in the open ocean. I think part of my fear (besides drowning) is the lack of control and knowing what is below.

     "Your judgements are like the great deep"  When the Psalmist wrote this, they had a sense of today's statistic that 95% of the world's oceans are unexplored. I think sometimes we do a disservice to God and faith by trying to give answers. Often times, mysteries remain. We don't know. We don't understand. "You save humans and animals alike." I wasn't thinking that the animals needed saving. Yet, this does seem to be a proof text for "all dogs go to heaven." Certainly God's love for Creation runs deeper than our polluting and consuming ways. Oh, Dear Lord, turn us from being so selfish. Teach us more and more each day to love all as you love. Poke us again to see the value of all creatures and plants great and small. Shrink our pride and arrogance to see our measure against the great deep and the broad expanse. Instill in us awe of all that belongs to you. We thank you for loving us and forgiving us. Move us to work out your justice and fairness. In your Great Name, we pray. Amen.

Yoda was wrong

The Escape to Egypt (Matthew 2:13-18)

When the Magi had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”

So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled:

“A voice is heard in Ramah,
weeping and great mourning,
Rachel weeping for her children
and refusing to be comforted,
because they are no more.”

Reflection

I am a Star Wars fan. This Bible story reminds me that Yoda was wrong. He was the wise member of the Jedi Council who memorably said, "Ah, hard to see the dark side is." No, it really isn't. Dark forces usually make big painful messes. Yes, they do prefer to cover up their tracks or hide in lies, but if they have power and time, they will do it again. This story carries the deepest contrast with the Epiphany. The brightness of the Star had just faded, the gold and jingling color of the Magi's travel group were still memorable outside their house. The sinister Herod serves as a painful reminder and warning through the years. Whenever God and God's people work to do something good, there is always a powerful leader that wants to wreak it all for the purpose of self-preservation, lust for power, envy or greed. Yes, the dark side does try to make it seem like they will build you up with their image, but the truth is that if you fail them, you are dead to them, too.

Of course, in the midst of a cosmic clash, the beauty of this story is in the quiet faithful escape of the Holy Family. They listen and act. They follow. Yes, hope and life will always be one step ahead of the forces of darkness. God's goodness does not fail--not then and not now.

Prayer

Abba, Father,

We thank you for your watchfulness over us this day and always. We praise you for your presence with all of the innocents that struggle with the horrible actions of those who do not honor your goodness. We are grateful for your providence and protection. When we don't understand why some suffer and die at the hands of evil, help us to see in faith that you hold all in your hands and will hold all accountable for their words and actions. We pray for your justice to be made known and your escape to be quick for those you shelter. In the Name of the Christ, we pray. Amen.