Sunday Afternon Reflections: Psalm 124 and Deliverence Driven Worship

Have you ever been enticed by a commercial filled with astounding testimonials?  A dozen women claim weight loss miracles.  A “paid legal spokesperson” shares a gripping tail of financial compensation.  An investment firm parades a long line of millionaires before your eyes.  A work from home business coach has a room full of students pull out eye-popping checks.  At this point, I’m not only enticed I am hooked and ready to grab my check book.  But, then, inevitably, the commercial concludes with these reality-recalling words, “Individual results may vary; the results of those in this advertisement may not be typical.”  Suddenly I’m putting the checkbook back in the drawer.  Sure a given diet program may work for some people, but why would I buy into a program that may not work well for me?  Sure a particular lawyer may get some great verdicts, but what if I don’t have a case?  Sure an investment firm may bring in some huge revenues for some big investors, buy why would I hand over my life savings for a remote possibility?  A work from home enterprise could make a handsome income for a handful of people across the country, but why would I pony up a $500 start up fee for a dribble of extra income? 

Maybe you have felt this way about Christianity and being a member of a church.  You may have thought to yourself, “This Christianity thing just seems to work for certain people – those people who are naturally more spiritual or disciplined; but, it’s just not going to work for someone like me.”  Maybe you regularly attend your local church, but, as you look at the well rounded family two rows ahead of you, it seems that Christianity just works better for a select few.  You sing along and pay attention during worship services, but it is as if others Christians have more to sing about than you do.

Psalm 124 doesn’t allow us to nurture such self-pity.  Every one of God’s people has the same reason to praise God with a song of thanksgiving – God saves his people.  The saving grace of God is the same for all of God’s people rich or poor alike.  The righteousness of Christ is equally bestowed on all of God’s people weak and strong alike.  Eternal life is the same for all of God’s people popular and outcast alike.  All who believe have the exact same motivation worship God.  And, since, as believers, we all have the same reason to worship God, we have a motivation to worship God together in unity.  Psalm 124 is a corporate song of thanksgiving that begins with one person declaring that the Lord is on our side.  Then, suddenly, the psalmist turns the Psalm from a solo to a chorus so as to highlight the fact that worship is the corporate work of God’s people because all God’s people receive the same gift of salvation equally. 

“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side –

               let Israel now say --” (v. 1)

With the song leader’s invitation to the people of Israel, everyone joins in singing the Psalm:

“If it had not been the LORD who was on our side when people rose up against us, then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; then over us would have gone the raging waters.” (vv. 2—5)

This language harkens the reader back to the Hebrew’s flight from the Egyptians and miraculous rescue as they crossed the Red Sea.  God rescued his people from the vengeance of the Egyptians and the Pharoh by miraculously parting the Red Sea in order for them to pass through to safety, then, drowning the Egyptian army.  This divine act of salvation was for all of the Hebrew people regardless of social standing, wealth, ability, talent, skills, age, gender, or religiosity.  All the Hebrew people were led through the Red Sea – all were saved.  So, all the people of Israel owe there very existence to the saving power of God; because God delivered his people through the Red Sea.  Thus, every Israelite or Jew has a very real reason to join in and sing Psalm 124 no matter their social status.  No one can opt of worship by claiming, “Hey God, I wish I had a reason to worship you with the rest of the people on their way to Jerusalem, but my crops just haven’t been great, ext . . .”  Imagine a band of pilgrims made up of rich and poor, old and young, influential and seemingly insignificant, men and women, weak and strong, sick and well singing Psalm 124 in unison.  When we say God saves, we clearly mean that he saves all his people equally with no strings attached. 

Now, you may be thinking, “This is all well and good for Ancient Israelites who were tangibly rescued from a very real enemy, but my family is tearing itself apart and God hasn’t rescued me from the vicious biting worlds of my sister and brother-in-law.”  Or, “I wish I could claim to have been rescued from my enemies, but the guy in the cubical next to me has been making daily life a living hell ever since I beat him out for a promotion.”  Or, “I would praise God too if he led me through the Red Sea, but in reality I’m drowning in a sea of debt.”  Whatever the case, there are things that plague our lives which keep us from seeing ourselves as having received God’s deliverance as the Hebrew people were delivered from Pharoh. 

What is the solution?  We need to see our lives in the context of eternal salvation.  In the Hebrew context the Jews were harassed and pursued by the Egyptians after they were freed from slavery right up to the Red Sea.  Ultimately, Egypt’s derision couldn’t negate God’s deliverance.  The same is true for us in Christ in the scope of eternity.  For those of us who believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God has delivered us bondage to sin and death.  Yet, this does not mean that Satan, the world, and our very own flesh will not pursue us up to the point in which we pass through the grave into the riches of eternity.  Now, with this perspective, all the things that pursue us in this live pale in comparison to the infinite joy of eternity.  As Paul wrote, the sufferings of this world amount to nothing more than a “post momentary affliction.”

Debt can’t bankrupt the riches of glory.

Illness can’t terminate eternal life.

Family unrest can’t eliminate the peace of Christ.

Political strife can’t invade the New Jerusalem.

The thorns and briars of daily labor can’t spring up in on the New Earth.

If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and that God the Father has raised him from the dead, then you will pass through the grave from death to life as the Hebrews passed through the Red Sea into fellowship with the LORD.  Having been released from slavery what did the Jews do, they praised the Lord; therefore, “let the redeemed of the Lord say so.”  Join the long historical chorus of God’s people who have sung these words:

“Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth!  We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken and we have escaped!  Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”  (vv. 6—8)

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Book Review: Average Joe: God's Extraordianry Calling to Ordinary Men, by Troy Medeer, Multnomah

I had such high expectations for “Average Joe: God’s Extraordinary Calling to Ordinary Men” by Troy Meeder from Multnomah.  I expected to hear how the Gospel drives the lives ordinary men far beyond the human ability of ordinary men.  I was looking forward to reading about God’s work in our lives’ calling  and vocation, about sanctification as a work of God in the grit and grizzle of our daily lives, about how God has fashioned us into a priesthood of believers regardless of our life status, and about how God connects us as the communion of the saints.  In a graceless world where men are constantly told to pull themselves up by their boot-straps, dig deep within themselves, get some more discipline, and try a little harder, I was eager to read about how Christ dwells within each and every Christian ordinary Joe.  I was expecting to read about how we are to die to self and live in Christ – to dig deep into Christ.

On page four the book went horribly wrong; Meeder writes, “Average Joe is the best of who we are.  This book is a challenge to look deep within yourself, to better understand the man God has made you to be, to find contentment in the life God has blessed you with.  I will finally urge you to leg go of your boyish or unrealistic dreams and replace them with the wise passions, wisdom, and disciplines of a man.  It’s time to make sure that integrity, honor, and moral steadfastness describe who you are.”

As a pastor and chaplain who has counseled many men, I have witness how a paragraph like the previous one sounds good on paper, yet oppressed men with a harsh “be a man” religiosity.  Our average Joe-ness is not the best of who we; our best is not about us, it is Christ who lives within us.  As men, we have nothing within ourselves to dig deeper into.  That is why we are Paul calls us to “set our minds on things above” as opposed to spiritual naval gazing.  As men, integrity, honor, and moral steadfastness elude us when we seek to make it on our own.  Instead, Christ is our righteousness and the fruit of our lives is fruit cultivated by the Spirit.  The Content of Average Joe presents a macho Christian life that is inappropriately anthropocentric (man centered).  And, the world-view of Average Joe could best be described by the phrase “moralistic therapeutic deism.”  In other words, Meeder presents a Christian lifestyle in which moral behavior makes us feel better about our lives all the while God approves of our moral effort yet is presented as scantly involved in the transformation of our lives (Phil 2:12-13). 

Instead of introducing us to Christ and examples of how he changes the lives of average every day men, Meeder launches into the body of Average Joe, “I want to introduce you to some average Joes.  These men who have changed the world around them.”  This leads into a 5 chapter section titled “Guts, Grit, and Sand.”  The content comes off just like it sounds – just man up (the Nike approach to Christian living).  The most disheartening thing about this section – apart from the man centered approach to faith – is that many of Meeder’s main points could be made by people of many other religions or world views.  For example, in chapter 4 Meeder concludes with these points: 1) let your yes be yes, 2) your handshake is your bond, 3) the body of Christ is a tapestry of living creatures all joined together by the blood of Jesus, and 4) everyone needs a little manure in his or her life.  With a little smattering of Jesus here and there, apart from point 3, there is not too much about Meeder’s view of life that differentiates Christianity from most moralistic world views.  Another example, in chapter 5 Meeder argues that the Christian man must have a “mark” to aim for and then he just has to stay the course.  Sounds great, but how many men (and women) are able to keep an eye on the “mark” and then stay the course?  This is exactly where we struggle with the faith – this is exactly where we need Christ in us as opposed to digging deeper within ourselves.  And, there is nothing about these points that exults the uniqueness of Christianity – these points could be a part of a business management seminar. 

In the end, as I read this book a few times, I kept thinking about all the men I have counseled who burned out trying to live the faith by manning up, digging deeper within themselves, and trying to get that all elusive life discipline.  When these men came to the end of themselves and a macho approach to the Christian faith, they counterintuitively surrendered and they got to know Jesus who in turn transformed their lives.  Meeder’s book could be significantly more Gospel driven with far less moralism.

I received this book free for review from Waterbrook/Multnomah Press.
Pleas rate this review so that I can grow as a book reviewer, and possibly win some prizes for my work!

Sunday Afternoon Reflections: Mothers' Day and the Church as Our Mother

Early on in the history of the Church it has been said, “As God is our Father the Church is our Mother.”  This “doctrine” has been affirmed by Catholics, Eastern Orthodox, and Protestants alike.  Among this chorus, John Calvin also affirmed this doctrinal turn of phrase.  John Calvin titles chapter 1 of book 4 of “The Institutes of the Christian Religion” “The True Church . . . as Mother of All the Godly” (Battles’ Translation pg. 1011).  In the Henry Beveridge translation of Calvin’s “Institutes”, in the summary of the argument of Book 4 Chapter 1, we read:

“With her God has deposited whatever is necessary to faith and good order . . . The Church is our mother, inasmuch as God has committed to her the kind of office of brining us up in the faith” (pg. 2279).

Commenting on Ephesians 4:12, John Calvin writes:

“This is the universal rule, which extends equally to the highest and to the lowest.  The Church is the common mother of all the godly, which bears, nourishes, and brings up children to God, kings and peasants alike; and this is done by the ministry [of the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers]” (pg. 282).

So, how true is this phrase, “As God is our Father the Church is our mother”?  After all, just because a few famous people say something that doesn’t make it true – even if a mass majority of people claim a truth that doesn’t make it true.  And, Scripture doesn’t explicitly refer to the Church as our mother.  In fact, Israel, which prefigures the Church in the New Testament, receives its name from the patriarch Jacob whom God renamed Israel (Genesis 32:28).  Yet, there is one lone passage which paints a word picture of the Church as our mother.  Isaiah pictures Jerusalem as a mother nursing the Jewish people with consolation; and, as with Israel, Jerusalem prefigures the Church in the New Testament:

“Rejoice with Jerusalem, and be glad for her, all you who love her; rejoice with her in joy, all you who mourn over her; that you may be satisfied from her consoling breast; that you may drink deeply with delight from her glorious abundance.  For thus says the LORD: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried upon her hip, and bounce upon her knees.  As one who his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem” (66:10—13). 

(In Galatians 4, Paul – explicitly using allegory – depicts those who have faith in Jesus as children of Sarah.  This passage seems to be a stretch due to its explicitly allegorical nature, but a quick Google search will show that this passage is the preeminent Catholic and Easter Orthodox proof text for affirming that the Church is our mother) 

In Isaiah 66:10—13, God paints a word picture of Jerusalem as mother to the Jewish people without directly calling Jerusalem “mother”.  Given that the Church is defined as the gathering of God’s people in all times and in all places; and by extension, given that Israel and Jerusalem prefigure the Church in the New Testament: Isaiah 66:10—13 teaches that the Church is our mother.  This divinely inspired word picture makes beautiful sense.  When we are born again, we are born into the church.  As the children of God our faith is nurtured and cultivated in the church.  Spiritual food is prepared for us within the church.  When we read what the Bible has to say about godly motherhood, we see a lovely picture of what the Church is to be to those who believe in Jesus Christ. 

So then, mothers, on this Mothers’ Day, please realize what an honor God has granted you-all.  By living out your call to be godly mothers, you-all have the opportunity to exemplify what the Church is to be as it nurtures and nourishes us in the faith.

With everything written up to this point, attempting to brush a single Scripture passage aside, couldn’t someone still object to the wonderful phrase, “As God is our Father the Church is our mother”?  Couldn’t someone say that this phrase paints a picture of a spiritual-single-parent-God who is somehow deficient in his character or attributes so as to need to provide us with a mother in order compensate for his heavenly parenting deficiencies?

God does not need the Church in order to compensate for some sort of deficiency – God has no deficiencies.  God is neither male nor female, and while he explicitly has told us to refer to him in the masculine as Father, he still claims for himself those attributes we (in our limited earthly wisdom) have decided to call motherly attributes.  For example:

 “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb?  Even these may forget, yet I will no forget you” (Isaiah 49:15). 

I believe this is why, when speaking of himself, God mixes female imagery and the masculine singular pronoun in Isaiah 46:3—4:

“Listen to me, O house of Jacob, all the remnant of the house of Israel, who have been borne by me from before your birth, carried from the womb; even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs I will carry you.  I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save.” 

In Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34 even Jesus refers to himself as a mother hen longing to gather the people of Jerusalem under his wing.  Jesus’ words recall Deuteronomy 32:10—12 in which God refers to himself as a mother eagle caring for Israel as little eaglets:

“He found him in a desert land, and in the howling waste of the wilderness; he encircled him, he cared for him, he kept him as the apple of his eye.  Like an eagle that stirs up its nest, that flutters over its young, spreading out its wings, catching them, bearing them upon its pinions.  The LORD alone guided him, no foreign god was with him.”  (Although, one could argue that this text be taken to refer to either male or female eagle parents.)

Commenting on the phrase “The Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters” (Genesis 1:2b), the Dutch Annotated Bible commissioned by the Synod of Dort notes that this phrase pictures the Spirit as a mother bird sitting on her nest awaiting her young to hatch. 

And, in the one passage which clearly depicts the Church as a nursing mother (Isaiah 66:10—13), the passage concludes with God claiming for himself the motherly attributes which he had previously ascribed to Jerusalem:

“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you; you shall be comforted in Jerusalem” (v. 13)

So, how are we to make sense of this?  If the church is our mother, then why does God appear to claim the very same motherly attributes for himself?  The key is the prepositional phase “inasmuch as” in Beveridge’s words, “The Church is our mother, inasmuch as God has committed to her the kind of office of brining us up in the faith.”  In other words, the Church is our mother inasmuch as God has made her to be our spiritual mother.  James 1:17a says that, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”  This includes the good and perfect gift of the Church as our mother.  Paradoxically, God the Father cares for us as a mother cares for her children by giving us the Church as our spiritual mother. 

Mothers, please don’t error in assuming that only fathers bear the image of the Heavenly Father in their fatherly role.  The Bible makes it deliberately clear and obvious that all people are created in the image of God – mothers and fathers alike.  So then, mothers, on this Mothers’ Day, appreciate that you-all have the opportunity to wonderfully reflect the image of God as you live out your calling as mother. 

Happy Mothers’ Day.

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Sunday Afternoon Reflections: Psalm 123 and Focused Worship

Every event has a focus.  And, everyone anticipating an event looks forward to something as the focus of their attention.  When I would go to the Iowa Sate Fair, I looked forward to the plethora of deep fired junk food.  When I went to the 4^th of July fire works show in Nashville, I was looking forward to the explosive grand finale.  When I go to a concert, there’s that one song I am looking forward to hearing.  When I go out to my favorite restaurants, I salivate as I look forward to my favorite dishes.  When I go to a ball game, I look forward to seeing my team whoop on the rivals.  When I go out to see the latest block buster movie, I look forward to rich cinematography.  We look forward to events. We long for meaningful experiences. 

OK, so what about the event of corporate worship?  Some of us look forward to good advice that will help us to manage our relationships; we want our families and friends to function in a way that gives us greater happiness.  Some of us look forward to dropping our kids off in a great kids’ program; we want our kids to turn out right in order to make us proud.  Some of us look forward to a soul stirring worship performance; we don’t want to be bored.  Some of us look forward hear some pleasant thoughts and good words; we want to know we are alright in order to feel better about ourselves. 

What are we to look forward to in worship?  What did the pilgrim in Psalm 123 look forward to as he anticipated worship?  The beginning of Psalm 123 gives us a direct answer:

“To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the Heavens!” (v. 1)

With everything we tend to look forward to as we approach worship, all pale in comparison to God.  Why would we look forward to a modicum of self-help advice when we could come face to face with truth of God?  Why would we settle for a spiritual baby sitter for our kids when they could be getting to know God?  Why would we put up with a so-so performance when we could be speaking directly to God?  Why would we accept simple platitudes designed to boost our self-esteem when we could hear the Word of God?  When we gather together for worship, we gather together for a grand corporate conversation with God.  Worship is a God-centered dialogue among God’s people.  We hear God’s call to worship.  We respond in praise and adoration to God.  God calls us to confession, and we offer our confession to God.  In return, we hear God’s words of assurance.  We respond with praise and thanksgiving – through song and tithing.  We ask God to help us understand his Word, and his Spirit helps us to understand the Word as it is preached.  We pray and ask God to help us to apply the Word to our lives.  God sends us out to love and serve him.  We sing praises to God in thanksgiving for the Word, and God sends us out with his benediction.  Worship is a God-centered dialogue. 

That may all sound well and good, but, all too often, when we gather together, we approach God inappropriately.  We look to God, but only as a cosmic genii in a bottle.  We approach God, but we do so with all our bargaining chips in hand as if we are approaching some heavenly negotiator.  We have all come to God in worship with good intentions only to find ourselves focusing on our own long laundry list of wants (and sometimes a few legitimate needs).  To offer a parodied caricature, at times, we can come to God like this:

“Ye, God, thanks for all you do.  You’re great and all.  So, by the way, while we’re talking, could you help me with my home refinance so that I get that 3.98% rate?  And, you know my son; could you help him to fit in at school?  I’d love for him to get in with a great group of friends who could boost his self-esteem.  And, could you bless my folks with an awesome anniversary trip to Hawaii?  I’d also sure love to do well on my presentation tomorrow – a great presentation would help to advance my career.  Then, I might get a raise and be able to buy that ski boat I have wanted for years. . .” 

Well, verse 2 of Psalm 123 sets us in our proper place preventing us from assuming that we can approach God as equals (or, more true to our nature, preventing us from assuming that we can approach God as his superior). 

“Behold, as the eyes of servants look tot eh hand of their master, as the eyes of a maidservant to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD God, till he has mercy upon us.” (v. 2)

When we gather together in worship, we are servants addressing the sovereign King of the universe.  We don’t look upon our own lives with the self-centered expectation that God will address us and our requests. 

So, what do servants look to from their king?  At least four things: 1) the king’s word, 2) the king’s provision, 3) the king’s protection, and 4) the king’s honor/reputation.  First, a king issues commands, gives orders, makes covenant promises, offers commendations, gives advice, shares wisdom, makes judgments, and gives blessings.  And, good servants don’t just listen to the words of their king; good servants are moved to action by the words of their king.  So too we look forward to hearing God’s Word and living out God’s Word.  Second, especially in more ancient times, servants are completely dependent upon their king for their daily sustenance.  So too we look forward to our daily bread for the hand our Heavenly Father.  Third, (picturing the epic battle scenes from the Lord of the Rings) a king provides shelter for his subjects who posses no castle of their own.  King Jesus provides himself as a refuge from sin, death, and the Devil.  Fourth, a good king’s name and reputation rests upon his servants as they serve in his kingdom.  So too Jesus Christ gives us his righteousness and grants us the honor of bearing his name as we serve in his kingdom. 

But, there are a couple of problems.  First, serving a king puts a person at odds with all other authorities and rulers.  This was definitely true of the Jewish pilgrims singing this prayer on their way to Jerusalem.  In biblical Palestine there would have been all sorts of people from non-Jewish tribes who despised the Jewish people and their worship.  Ancient pilgrims singing Psalm 123 would have been in danger of being harassed on their way to Jerusalem for worship.  So the Psalmist prays the concluding two verses of Psalm 123:

“Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough contempt.  Our soul has had more than enough of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.” (vv. 3&4)

But, this prayer raises a second problem, why would God have mercy up us?  If we take an honest assessment of our lives, we realize that we are worse than wretched servants in God’s kingdom – we are treasonous rebels in God’s kingdom (Romans 5:10).  We pay God lip service and then we worship other things with our lives.  Our jobs become our hope and salvation in uncertain economic times.  We pay homage to a royal court of entertainments that offer us a refuge so we can escape from the grind of daily life.  People lord over our lives as we eagerly seek to please them like we’d become a court jester.  We dishonor God by claiming to serve him while at the same time we serve all sorts of false gods. 

So, what hope is there?  When we are condemned by those who scoff at us and hold up our sin before God, what are we to say?  As we have said before, there is no hope in the Psalms apart from Christ.  Jesus is the fulfillment of the Psalms.  Romans 8:1 says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” And Romans 5:6—10 says,

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even die – but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.”

When you approach worship you will be scorned.  You will be scorn yourself as you dredge up old sins, shame, and guilt.  Those around you will scorn you by implication, minimalization, depreciation, and marginalization.  The Devil will scorn you with lies and accusation.  These three will scorn you by holding your sins against you and then calling your value into question. 

So, what are you to do?  Take your sins and throw then in the face of your accusers and claim Christ as the one who has saved you from those very sins.  If you hear a little insidious voice saying, “You thing you’re the kind of person God wants worshiping him, aren’t you the same scum who . . . ?”  Respond by saying, “Yes; I am that person, and Christ died to pay the price of those sins!”  There is no accusation that overpower the saving work of Christ.

 “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

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Joe Satriani, "God Is Crying", Holy Week, and the Attributes of God

Recently, I have been listening to Joe Satriani’s latest album “Black Swans and Worm Hole Wizards”.  Over this Holy Week, I have been particularly drawn to track 11 “God Is Crying”:

http://www.myspace.com/joesatriani/music/albums/black-swans-and-wormhole-wizards-16732530 
(Above is the link to the album “Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards” on Satriani’s MySpace page.  Scroll down to track 11 and click on the play icon.  If you do not have a MySpace membership you can only listen to about three songs in their entirety; if you have a MySpace membership you have unlimited access to listen to whole albums that are posted on an artist’s page)

For those of you who may not know much about Joe Satriani (a.k.a. Satch, the Professor, the Extremist), he is a rock and roll guitar virtuoso, innovator, and technical genius.  He has released 13 studio albums, sold over 10 million albums, and he has had 15 Grammy nominations (he has the 2^nd most Grammy nominations without a win, after Brian McKnight).  He is a guitar player’s guitar player. (Most of the content of this paragraph was taken from Wikipedia.)

Through Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday, and Good Friday – looking forward to Easter – among other things pertaining to the atonement, I have been reflecting on God’s sorrow over human sin, Jesus weeping at Lazarus’ tomb (John 11:1—43, esp. v. 35), and Jesus weeping over Jerusalem (Luke 19:28—44, esp. v. 41).  And, so, I have been listening to “God Is Crying” by Joe Satriani.  By Satch’s own admission on a Facebook video podcast, this song “is not what you would expect given the title “God Is Crying””, which you may have gathered for yourself by listening to the song on his MySpace page.  You may have expected to hear a slow, moody, lilting, haunting melody line, or you may have expected to hear a series of scale runs, some with a smooth descending legato, and others with punctuated staccato evoking the image of streaming or falling tears.  Instead, as Satch describes it, “God Is Crying” is an “intense” and “explosive” song with a “heavy groove.”  In an A flat minor key with 4/4 drive, the song is powerful and aggressive.  And, I would also describe the song as being a bit angry.  Overtop of the drive, Satch lays down a soaring melody line with heavy use of a wha peddle (made famous by the Dunlop Cry Baby Wha peddle). This is what makes this song so interesting to me during Holy Week: the song seems to depict God’s crying, weeping, sorrowful tears mixed with intense power and anger. 

Now, it’s not that Satch isn’t capable of playing a slow song with a dark, somber, smooth tone (he is known for being able to play such songs alongside blazing fast technical masterpieces).  Two examples of Satch’s slow, easy, moody, haunting, and lilting melodies come to mind from his last album “Super Colossal”:

First, “The Meaning of Love” (track # 8)

Second, “A Love Eternal” (track # 12)
http://www.myspace.com/joesatriani/music/albums/super-colossal-8120159
(Actually, the song “Slow and Easy” from the album “Engines of Creation” came to mind first, but I couldn’t find a link to an online sample.)

As to those songs filled with legato and staccato scale runs that fall like tears, two songs come to mind:

First, “Made of Tears” from the album “Super Colossal” (track # 9)

http://www.myspace.com/joesatriani/music/albums/super-colossal-8120159

Second, “Wind in the Trees” from the album “Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards” (track # 10 – as you listen to this track try to picture a willow tree being moved by the wind.)

http://www.myspace.com/joesatriani/music/albums/black-swans-and-wormhole-wizards-16732530

In the March 9, 2011 issue of Guitar World Magazine Satch was asked about the song “God Is Crying”; these are his comments:

I was thinking about God – the concept of God actually.  Where is he?  Why do we need him? . . . But I started to think, what would happen if God came down to earth?  Not just as a spirit, but really came down here physically and walked around and took a look at what we’ve done to the world.  And, all I could think was, he would cry.

In a heightened way, from Advent and Christmas through Lent and Easter, Christians are confronted with the reality that God, through the Second Person of the Trinity – Jesus Christ, came to earth and took on the form of a man – he took on the form of a lowly humble servant (Phil. 2: 5—10).  And, Jesus wept (John 11:35).  He didn’t just weep over what we had done to the world (though this surely is part of what causes God sorrow).  He wept over us and our corrupt sinful nature, which causes us to commit sin and defile God’s precious creation.  Surely the way we twist and distort culture causes God sorrow; surely the way we pollute and abuse nature causes God sorrow; surely our broken homes and our chuck full prisons cause God sorrow; surely wars and poverty cause God sorrow.  Yet, it’s the sinful heart of man caused Jesus Christ to weep. 

Here’s the good news, God didn’t just weep and wring his hands in the far distant recesses of heaven; he did something about our sinful predicament.  (This is where I think Satriani is intuitively on to something in his song “God Is Crying”.)  When God did something about our sinful existence, his sorrow over sinful mankind was joined with his omnipotent power.  When God redeemed us from our sin, his love and mercy stood side by side with his just wrath. 

In a Facebook video podcast, Satch said, “It [the songs juxtaposed title and heavy grove] makes sense when you think about it.”  Well, I thought about it, and it does make perfect sense.  The genocidal slaughter of 800,000 in Rwanda causes me to weep, while at the same time it gave rise to appropriate anger at the perpetrators of such atrocities.  As human beings we all experience such a mix of emotions on a regular basis.  Now, amplify that instance of Rwandan atrocity by the whole of human history; and, then, try to imagine viewing that sum total of human history from God’s perfect perspective.  (An impossible exercise, yet a valuable exercise in the hermeneutic of “how much more then does God . . .”) 

Is there some way of making sense of a God who is at the same time sorrowful, wrathful, loving, merciful, compassionate, angry, omnipotent, holy, and just?  The key to this question is the doctrine of the simplicity of God.  This is not simplicity in the sense of a simple back woods country bumpkin.  By the simplicity of God we mean that God is one and his attributes are united in a simple whole.  God is not a conglomeration of attributes that are linked together like so many Legos.  God’s attributes are inextricably united in the oneness of God’s being.  Where one of his attributes is, there all his other attributes are.  And, the cross is the best place to see the beautiful commingling of God’s attributes.  In his love, compassion, and mercy God sent his Son Jesus Christ to die to save sinners.  God’s holiness and justice is maintained when Jesus Christ died to pay the price of our sin.  The right wrath of God against human sin is satisfied upon the cross.  God exercises his omnipotent power by vanquishing sin, death and Satan through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 

So, what about Satch’s musings and questions about God?  God did come into our midst as a man, and he did cry.  But, he did so much more than weep over the human condition: he did something about the human condition; He sent his Son Jesus Christ to die for our sins.

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Book Review: "The Next Christians: The Good News about the End of Christian America, How a New Generation Is Restoring the Faith." By Gabe Lyons, Doubleday, NY, 2010

“The Next Christians” is a provocative read that is sure to push buttons while providing positive theoretical and practical content that will help the reader develop a richer more deliberate concept of Christian ministry (no matter the level of involvement in ministry or Church background).  For that I gave the book four stars.  I almost gave the book three stars because of an apparent weak “historical memory” and an apparent hyperbolic overstatement of the “The Next Christians” unique place in history. 

In Part I of “The Next Christians” Lyons describes the undeniable cultural shifts that have lead to what is now commonly referred to as “Post-Christian America” (ch. 1& 2).  From there, Lyons outlines six “parodies” of how Christians tend to respond to culture (ch. 3).  His six “parodies” somewhat resemble H. Richard Niebuhr’s five categories of how Christians engage culture in his seminal work “Christ and Culture”.  Those Niebuhr categorizes as “Christ against Culture” and “Christ in Paradox with Culture” Lyons seems to divide into three groups: 1) Insiders, 2) Culture Warriors, and 3) Evangelizers.  Those Niebuhr categorizes as “Christ above Culture” and “Christ of Culture” loosely resemble Lyons’ two classifications dubbed 1) Blenders and 2) Philanthropists.  And, those Niebuhr categorizes as “Christ the Transformer of Culture” Lyons calls Restorers.  It is the Restorers whom Lyons champions through the rest of the book.  In chapter four, Lyons asserts that the Restorers have rediscovered the full and complete plot line of the Gospel – a Gospel with four major movements: a) creation, b) fall, c) redemption, d) glorification/consummation.  Lyons contrasts this full orbed Gospel understanding with a “truncated gospel” that begins with the fall in order to press home the urgency of redemption, all the while forgetting to frame Gods redemptive plan in terms of creation and re-creation.  Here Lyons calls for Christians to embrace a Gospel that looks forward to all things being made new as opposed to a “truncated gospel” that promises some sort of “eternal-life-escape-boat” from this doomed and sinking world.   A full orbed understanding of the Gospel (creation, fall, redemption, consummation) is what Lyons believes drives Restorers toward a more fruitful application of the Gospel (word and deed) to the whole of life.  (A Reformed or Presbyterian reader will cheer the next Christians at this point since a creation, fall, redemption, consummation understanding of the Gospel has always been a central component of Reformed theology – even if this component has been neglected from time to time.  In this section it is easy to see why Os Guinness, Chuck Colson, and Tim Keller have all praised this book.)

How is it that the Restorers are gaining meaningful traction living out their faith in the midst of our current cultural context?  Lyons lays out six ways in which the Restorers are bearing fruit in the post-Christian American cultural context:

1)      They are “Provoked, not Offended” (ch. 5)

2)      They are “Creators, not Critics” (ch. 6)

3)      They are “Called, not Employed” (ch. 7)

4)      They are “Grounded, not Distracted” (ch. 8)

5)      They are “In Community, not Alone” (ch. 9)

6)      They are “Countercultural, not ‘Relevant’” (ch. 10)

(I read this book soon after reading Tullian Tchividjian’s book “Unfashionable”, and I was very intrigued at how Tchividjian’s six characteristics of transformational cultural engagement compliment  Lyons six characteristics of transformational cultural engagement.  I will keep these two books together in my study on a shelf dedicated to Christianity and culture.)

Each one of these chapters is filled with compelling case studies and real-life examples of Christians who are effectively living out the Christian faith in the midst of places and contexts that many Christians have given up for lost.  A small group, discipleship group, Sunday school class, leadership team, or congregation that deliberately works through this book will surely come up with several ways in which they can penetrate their surrounding culture and transform it for the good of the Kingdom of God.  I would like to see small clutches of pastors meeting together to discuss the book and its practical applications.  Then, after working through the book, in turn, it would be neat to see those pastors work through this book with people in their churches who are eager to see the Kingdom of God permeate every arena of culture more fully. 

In the final section (“Part III: A New Era”) and final chapter of the book (“The Next Big Shift”), using the thesis that the Christian Church passes through a time of major transition every 500 years, with a hopeful positive outlook Lyons offers a motivational call to action. 

With these positives, I have one negative critique and one caution about the use of “The Next Christians”.  First, it seemed to me that Lyons has a bit of a weak “historical memory”.  Lyons does say that the next Christians who are engaged in the work of restoration “are relearning . . . rediscovering the depth and breath of the most critical, orthodox teaching of our faith – the Gospel message” (pg. 50; see also pg. 192).  And Lyons does say, “The people of God will continue forward as they’ve been doing for two millennia so long as we keep the foundations of our faith grounded in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is of first importance” (pg. 189).  And, Lyons even acknowledges that “The perspective they [the next Christians] exhibit is not a new Christian idea; it’s actually quite old” (pg. 48).  Yet, in a slightly inconsistent way, Lyons claims that “Restorers exhibit the mind-set, humility and commitment that seem destined to rejuvenate the momentum of the faith. They have a peculiar way of thinking, being, and doing that is radically different from previous generations” (pg. 47).  This last statement comes off like a teenager exiting a movie theater exclaiming, “Harry Potter movies are the best movies ever!”  It is true that every generation and age has unique contextual differences; nevertheless, good, solid, sound, vibrant, beautiful Christianity is timeless and consistent.  Faithful and fruitful Christians don’t look to create or to be something new, they are always returning to the ancient paths that have been laid our for them once and for all (Jeremiah 6:16).  Lyons' work is not so ground breaking, after all, H. Richard Niebuhr addressed similar issues 50 years ago.  Abraham Kuyper (the Father of Transformationalism) modeled this over 100 years ago.  As Lyons recognizes, 200 years ago William Wilberforce, John Newton, and the relatively small Clapham Circle community restored an entire nation’s moral standing.  The people Lyons describes as Restorers, in many ways, are not all that new or unique; each and every generation has had restorative or transformational Christians (without exception).  I can think of a multitude of senior-citizens in the sunset years of their life who fit Gabe Lyon’s description of “The Next Christians.” It just so happens that in this current age, the Restorers or Transformers are becoming more visible as they gain significant ground and produce noticeably sweet fruit within their cultural context.  Are we witnessing a refining process that is drawing out a purer solid Christianity while burning away the dross of superficial Christianity that has flourished in recent years?  I will grant Lyons this, if Restorative or Transformational Christians would have been more common in the past century, then we would not have so much superficial Christianity today and a deterioration of Christianity’s standing in the culture at large. 

Along these lines, I would like to see a subsequent edition of this book with a chapter dealing with the reality that the best of Christians will still be despised by the culture even when they live the faith extremely well.  During this read, I wanted to hear Lyons address the difference between Christians creating un-due or inappropriate offence and the inevitable offence that the Christian Gospel will always create (c.f. the relationship between I Cor. 1:23 & II Cor. 6:3).  After all, the majority of Christians around the world suffer derision, rejection, and persecution within their cultural context despite their best efforts to live out the faith.

As to the caution, one could read this book and turn being a Restorer into a form of Phariseeism.  This book needs to be read with a heart of grace toward non-Christians and toward Christians with whom you may disagree (i.e. those Lyons rightly negatively classifies as Insiders, Culture Warriors, Evangelizers, Blenders, and Philanthropists).  Please avoid the temptation of defining what it means to be a Restorer too narrowly.  A narrow understanding of what it means to be a Restorer, could lead someone to become wrongly disappointed with those whom you may perceive not to be transformational enough. 

OK, with those pointed critiques, I benefited deeply from reading this book.  I benefited because it caused me to wrestle and struggle with the finer points of how I approach living the Christian life – a few times, I woke in the middle of the night to jot down thoughts that were rattling around in my head on account of this book.  There are points in this book that will surgically cut each and every reader (this is a great quality in any book that seeks to lead people to improve in the Christian life).  You will think long and hard about what it means to live out your faith in this day and age.  This book offers hope and a positive outlook for the future of the Church along with concrete practical approaches that will help groups of Christians confidently live out their faith with an expectant eye to the future. 

(I received this book free for the purposes of review from Mulnomah/Waterbrook Books.)

Sunday Afternon Reflections Will Be Postponed 1 Week

Due to schedule issues and prior commitments, Sunday Afternoon Reflections will be postponed one week.  We will pick up our reflections on the Psalms of Ascent next week with Psalm 123.  I look forward to your comments and feedback as I attempt to develop this into something more substantial.  Other postings will be forthcoming this week, including a review of Gabe Lyons' book "The Next Christians."  Have a blessed Sabbath Day.

In Christ's Care,

Tim Van Lant

Sunday Afternoon Reflections: Psalm 122 & Contagiously Joyful Worship

An expression of shared enjoyment is often very contagious.  Have you ever eavesdropped on a group of people having an animated conversation about something of intense interest and excited enjoyment?  You know the type of situation I’m talking about.  You’re out having a quick bite to eat over the lunch hour between appointments, and you find yourself sitting ten feet from a group a people who are genuinely engaged in conversation: they are sitting forward in their seats; they have a twinkle in their eyes as they maintain unbroken eye contact; they smile, nod, and gesticulate oh so easily.  Your interest perked, you turn your head so as to catch a bit of their wonderful conversation.  You hear something like this:

“. . . I know . . . you too?  The plot just gripped me; my mind was spinning trying to figure out . . . He is such a great actor, I think I’ve seen all his movies . . . The director’s last two movies were a bit weird, so I was kind’a leery about how this movie would come off, but . . . I have seen it twice, and my whole family loves it too . . . I was shocked by her performance; I wouldn’t have expected her to be in a movie with him, but the chemistry was . . . Beautiful cinematography . . . the soundtrack really was . . .” 

A few minutes into your eavesdropping and you have moved a foot or two closer to the group carefully trying to avoid being noticed.  You are desperate to catch the name of the movie (or at least some evidence that will help you deduce the movie’s title) so that you can check out the movie yourself.  An expression of shared enjoyment has become contagious. 

However, there are also times when an expression of shared enjoyment can cause alienation.  Maybe you have been a part of a conversation that took a turn into a subject you couldn’t relate to or didn’t understand.  You and your friends are having a conversation over dinner about family vacations.  Then, the conversation drifts into airfare and hotel reservation websites.  From there, the conversation inexplicably evolves into a technical discussion of internet search engines and computer language programming that sounds more like Charlie Brown’s trumpet-mute-mother than English.  All the while you smile and nod politely as your friends share their excitement over a common shared interest.  An expression of shared enjoyment has caused you to feel alienated. 

Psalm 122 is an expression of shared joy with then intention of encouraging others to join in joy. 

“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the House of the LORD!”  Our feet have been standing within your gates, O Jerusalem! [Implied: come on join us, won’t you?]”  (vv. 1—2)

We can almost hear a similar modern expression (all be it infinitely more trivial – infinite in the literal sense as opposed to the hyperbolic sense). 

“I’m was glad Jeff and Kelly suggested Friday night bowling, you should come with us, after all it’s Friday night!” 

“I’m so glad you invited us to the Indian Buffet we have been wanted to eat there for a while now; we should call the Ericksons they would love to join us.” 

“That movie was a great suggestion; I want to see it again with my folks.”

However, we Christians are less and less likely to make such expressions of shared enjoyment over worship.  And, when we Christians do express such a shared enjoyment of worship, it seems to fall on deaf ears.  It is as if Christian worship and the Christian faith have become so foreign, alien, and obscure that all people hear when we talk about Christianity is jargon, lingo, buzzwords, and catchphrases.  And, what should be an expression of shared enjoyment that is contagious, instead, becomes an expression of shared joy that causes alienated. 

So, learning from Psalm 122, what is it about gathering together for worship that would inspire us to share a more genuine and contagious expression of shared joy with others?  And, what should such an expression of shared joy communicate to others so as to motivate them to join us in worship?  In the new American multi-faith culture of ambiguous spirituality, regular worship provides a consistent setting in which the transcendent God of the universe is immanently present in community.  Psalm 122 is book ended by the phrase “the House of the LORD” (vv. 1 & 9).  This is notable given that King David is credited as the author of this Psalm.  David labored long and hard to establish the Kingdom of Israel, Jerusalem, and a permanent site for the Ark of the Covenant and Tabernacle, which would become the site of the Temple David longed to personally build.  From Exodus through Deuteronomy, God continued to promise Mosses that the Hebrew people would have a permanent home land, and in that Promised Land the Tabernacle would have a permanent fixed home.  No longer would the people of God wonder through the wilderness wondering when and where they would set up the Tabernacle in order to meet with God – there was to be a consistent place of worship around which the people of God could build a nation, society, and culture.  Reading through Joshua, Judges, I Samuel, and the beginning of II Samuel there is a palpable sense of frustrated urgency as the Hebrew people struggle to possess the Promised Land and erect the Tabernacle on its permanent site.  Then, after Saul’s failed monarchy, God establishes David as the king of Israel, and the promised place of worship starts to become a reality.  After the loss of the Ark of the Covenant, David jubilantly brings the Ark up to Jerusalem (II Samuel 6).  Following that promise fulfilling moment, God them establishes a covenant with David that guaranteed that one of David’s descendants would always sit on Israel’s throne (II Samuel 7).  Then, after a downward spiral of tragedies and moral failings (II Samuel 11 & 12), all seems to come undone as David’s son Absalom incites a civil war expelling David from Jerusalem (II Samuel 13—18).  I can’t help but believe that David composed this Psalm some time after David’s return to Jerusalem in II Samuel 19.  However, just as all seemed well and fulfilled, Israel is ripped apart into two kingdoms – celebrative joy is replaced by a “melancholy devastation” (John Calvin, Commentary on the Psalms vol. 5 pg 72).  To add insult to injury, threatening to completely reverse all God had promised, the ten tribes of Israel are eradicated and Judah is carried away into exile.  The former sense of God’s abiding permanence and stability in the Temple becomes a vague dream overshadowed by the nightmare of slavery in a foreign conquering empire.  Yet, the Bible is clear about God’s un-failing faithfulness to his promises – the Jewish people return from exile to Jerusalem.  Imagine the words of Psalm 122 being sung by pilgrims returning to Jerusalem and the Temple which was the epicenter of their culture.  With this extensive history in mind, imagine subsequent generations singing Psalm 122 with each and every passing Passover, Pentecost, and Feast of Tabernacles.  Despite Israel’s disobedience and half-hearted inconsistent piety, God continues to call his people back to a consistent, stable, permanent place of worship in which his transcendence is immanently present with his people.  In the context of vapid inconsistency God is faithfully consistent to his promises. 

What does this have to do with us in our present day context?  In the current American Postmodern setting, everyone seem to be on a quest for some modicum of reliable wisdom, understanding, and – dare I say – “truth” that transcends our culture of seemingly endless flux.  Everyone I know is looking for that anchor that will offer some sense of security and stability in the tempests of life.  People want something that will help them to make sense of their family relationships, friendships, politics, finances, career, vocation, purpose, aging, sickness, tragedy, suffering, loss, and death.  And, in a society with a been-there-done-that attitude toward Christianity, we are seeing a rise in new spiritualities and neo-paganism as people seek to make sense of life.  Now, more than ever, Christians need a credible and contagious expression of our shared joy.  And, this shared joy needs to flow from our worship of God in the paradox of his transcendence and immanence. 

This begs the question, is there anything that can cultivate a credible and contagious expression of our shared joy as people who worship God?  Psalm 122 shows us three things that contribute to our shared joy as we worship God together, and, in turn, these three things lend credibility to what we have to say to others about the joy of worshiping God:

1). The Church is to be a place of refuge (v. 3).

2). The Church is to be a place of thankfulness (v. 4).

3). The Church is to be a place of justice (v. 5).

“Jerusalem – built as a city that is bound firmly together,” (v. 3)

First, the Church is to be a place of refuge.  There are many people who may find the imagery of city bound tightly together very unattractive.  But, in the ancient near east a city bound firmly together was an image of refuge and protection.  Such a city provided tight walls that could not be breached.  Such a city offered all the amenities needed to sustain life.  Above all, such a city had to be ruled well so that the people inside could actually get along and live together in harmony for there to be any security.  In a world where interpersonal conflict runs rampant, Jesus not only teaches his followers to get along and live in harmony, through his atoning death and resurrection Jesus makes it possible for us to live in harmony.  Because Jesus has saved us by grace alone apart from works, we have no reason to put on a front.  We can be honest with one another about who we are as sinners freely offering grace to one another.

“To which the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.” (v. 4)

Second, the Church is to be a place of thankfulness.  When we gather together for worship we realize our identity as one of God’s people.  We are one of a grand multitude, yet we don’t loose our identity in some homogenous uniform mass (when the people of Israel went up to worship, they still went up as members of specific tribes).  What a picture: beautiful unique people together in unity (not uniformity).  Yet, on top of this astoundingly beautiful image, we don’t gather together simply to meet up with one another seeking mutual benefit.  We unite together to meet with the Lord and give him thanks.  In a society in which families can hardly agree on what to eat for dinner, such unity ought to amaze.

“There thrones for judgment were set, the thrones of the house of David.” (v. 5)

Third, the Church is to be a place of justice.  OK, the thought of judgment thrones doesn’t seem to appealing in our day and age.  However, in ancient Israel, verse five would have been very comforting to pilgrims on their approach to worship in Jerusalem.  During the pilgrimage seasons of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles, the pilgrims would have come to Jerusalem with disputes that the local courts could not settle, and thus, unresolved conflicts would have been settled by royal courts. In Christ, we have received ultimate justice; Jesus Christ the Son of David has granted us pardon by his blood and reconciled us unto God and thereby unto his people. 

All of this said, as Christians we are simultaneously justified and yet sinners.  And, we all know that as much as the Church is to be a place of refuge, brokenness, conflict, and disputes remain.  As much as the Church is to be a place of thanksgiving, discontent remains.  As much at the Church is to be a place of justice, wrong and injustice remain.  This explains the Psalmist’s plea for peace in verses six through nine.  David calls his hearers to pray for peace and to then actively seek that peace.  And, this peace is not to be sought around and about Jerusalem; this peace is to be sought within Jerusalem – in and among the people of God.  We are to be marked by peace, both in our prayer and in our actions. 

Yet, despite all the human effort we could ever possibly muster, we cannot achieve the peace this Psalm envisions.  We can’t make the Church a place of perfect refuge.  We can make the Church a place of perfect thanksgiving.  We can’t make the Church a place of perfect justice.  As was noted before, there is no hope in the Psalms apart from Christ.  Psalm 122 stands in stark contrast to Jesus weeping over Jerusalem as he approaches the city for the ultimate Passover.  What we can not do on our own, Christ does on our behalf so that we can live as Scripture call us to live.  In John 17 Jesus prays that those who believe in him would live in perfect unity.  And Jesus doesn’t just pray for the peace of his people, Jesus offers himself up as the once for all sacrifice providing ultimate peace between God and man.  And, where Jerusalem fell to the Roman empire in 70AD, God promises to remain faithful by bringing his people into the New Eternal Jerusalem (Revelation 21:1—ff).  This New Jerusalem will be perfectly bound together in unity; so much so that the cycle of sojourning and pilgrimage will come to an end.  The New Jerusalem will not be a place we long for; it will be an eternal reality of our daily existence.

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Sunday Afternoon Reflections: Psalm 121 and Courage Driven Worship

We all need help (some of us are more willing to admit this than others).  And, there are more than few people out there who are willing to offer a helping hand of sorts.  Unfortunately, much of that help comes with a price tag, or the help isn’t much help at all.

This weekend, I was scanning through the meager few channels we get with our rabbit ears.  Now, I’m not a basketball, golf, or baseball fan so my options were even more limited.  It seemed like all the rest of the channels were airing infomercials.  One by one the infomercials offered pricy help for every possible problem (real or invented) one could have.

“I needed help getting my acne under control until I found . . .”

“I had to get help with my credit card bills; that’s why I called . . .”

“After my accident I needed help fighting the insurance company so I called . . .”

“I couldn’t get my floors as clean as I wanted until I got the help of a . . .”

“I wasn’t happy with the wrinkles under my neck, and nothing helped until I got . . .”

“My teeth just weren’t as white as I wanted, and the only thing that helped was . . .”

Celebrities, experts, and ordinary people are quick to tell us about all sorts of things that can be of help.  But, all too often these helpful things are costly, or worthless (how many of us have unused exercise videos and kitchen gadgets we wish we never bought).

What makes Psalm 121 any different than the many boy-do-I-have-a-deal-for-you offers out there? 

Given that the Psalms of Ascent were prayers sung by Jewish pilgrims preparing them for worship as the journeyed to Jerusalem for the feast of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles; Psalm 121 picks up where Psalm 120 left off.  Psalm 120 describes a sojourner in a hostile land.  Psalm 121 describes a pilgrim looking ahead at the beginning of a journey. 

Psalm 121 begins with one person (the “I” of the text) fixing his eyes and bolstering his and another person’s (the “your” & “you” of the text) confidence for the pilgrimage ahead:

“I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?” (v. 1)

If you have ever seen the Judean Hills surrounding Jerusalem it’s not too hard to imagine the dangers of foot travel over narrow rugged paths up to Jerusalem upon Mount Zion.  In several places, one could easily slip on loose unstable gravel and fall into a deep wadi or ravine.  There is little shelter and water could be difficult to find.  If the natural elements aren’t enough to wary a traveler, there would have been no shortage of wild beast to increase the danger of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem.  Then, add to these dangers bandits and outlaws lying in wait to mug and murder unsuspecting travelers.  But, as much as these dangers would lead one to ask the rhetorical question, “From where does my help come?”  The pilgrim in this Psalm may well have a different more insidious danger in mind: idolatry. Hills in the ancient Near East were places of idol worship; it would not have been uncommon for a person to look up to the hills and see cult shrines scattered here and there (Jer. 3:23).  So, the pilgrim looks to the hills as he anticipates his journey to the House of the Lord, and recognizes the dangers of the journey.  Having recognized the dangers of the journey, he sees the many places of idol worship begging for his devotion in order to gain false protection, and he is provoked to ask his rhetorical question, “I lift up my eyes to the hills.  From where does my help come?”  With deep desire and confident expectation the speaker in Psalm 121 proclaims, “My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”  With the full cultural context in mind, we can almost hear the speaker’s scorn and contempt for the idols, which tempt pilgrims to abandon their trust in the LORD.  “My help comes for the LORD, who made heaven and earth.” 

Now, you and I don’t face a treacherous journey up rugged arid mountain paths as we anticipate gathering for worship.  We don’t wind our way past cultic shrines or centers of idol worship as we prepare for worship.  Or do we?  We may not face the same perils that the pilgrim in Psalm 121 faced, but we do face perils every day or our lives (physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually).  It would be impossible to enumerate all the ways our lives can be hurt, wrecked, or ruined with each passing day.  And, we may not be tempted to seek protection against these perils from a cult shrine, but, if we are honest with ourselves, we do get a false sense of wellbeing and protection from all sorts of people, things, and stuff we idolize.  We fear aging and death, so we put our hope in diet and health fads.  We worry about our financial security, so we put our hope in investments.  We agonize over fitting in, so we put our hope in gossip and fashions.  We are plagued by insecurity, so we put our hope in our careers, education, and social circles.  We have a tendency to gaze out over the terrain or our lives, and seeing perils (real or imagined), we too quickly run to our favorite modern day idols for help, hope, and happiness. 

At this point, we are challenged with an implied question in the Psalm, “What could possibly give us the confidence to affirm that our help comes from the Lord?”  How do we come to have the same deep desire and confident trust that compelled the Psalmist to proclaim, “My help comes from the LORD, the maker of heaven and earth”? 

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus is credited with saying, “It is not so much our friends' help that helps us, as the confident knowledge that they will help us.”  Before Epicurus spoke these words, the speaker in Psalm 121 tries to convince his traveling companion that the Lord is a sure and certain help in any and every situation.  And, this confidence, trust, or faith heightens the pilgrims’ anticipation for worship.  The Psalmist bolsters his fellow pilgrim with three points in three pairs of verses.

First:

“He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber.  Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.”  (vv. 3—4)

God protects his people despite their weakness.  The perilous journey to Jerusalem exposes the pilgrims’ weakness.  Weary travelers slip and fall.  Tired pilgrims fall fast asleep with bandits lurking in darkness of night.  Despite the individual pilgrims’ weakness, he can trust that the Lord won’t fail to keep watch over him.  And, just in case there is any doubt, the Psalmist directs his pilgrim companion’s attention to the history or Israel.  In effect, the Psalmist says,

“If you doubt that the Lord will protect you, just look at how the Lord has protected his people Israel.  He delivered Israel from the land of bondage, out of the land of Egypt.  He led Israel through the wilderness to the Promised Land, a land filled with cities, homes, vineyards, orchards, fields, and wells.  He established his people in the Promised Land, and secured them from all oppressors.  If the Lord can keep and protect his chosen nation, how could you think that he would fail to keep you, a single pilgrim?”

How many of us let our weaknesses drag us down, and, then turn our weaknesses into a long list of excuses that keep us from worship?  At these moments, we need to be reminded that God protects us and keeps us despite our weaknesses.  If we need proof, we just have to look at the masses of feeble, frail, fragile, fallen Christians throughout history who have been kept by God. 

Second:

“The LORD is your keeper; the LORD is your shade on your right hand.  The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night.” (vv. 5—6)

God protects his people in the midst of real danger.  The heat of the Middle Eastern sun is enough to cause a weak pilgrim heat stroke.  And, when the sun goes down, there is no respite from danger; the shadowy moon lit night conceals its own stalking dangers.  In the midst of this dangerous treck, the Lord is not only with the pilgrim, the Lord is at the pilgrim’s right hand.  In the ancient Near East, the phrase “on your right hand” is used to refer to the place of a king’s closest servant, advisor, or officer.  This word picture in this Psalm is astounding; God almighty avails himself for the protection of a lowly pilgrim.  Could you imagine calling God your right hand man?  If this sound ridiculous, just remember the Jesus took on the form of servant in order to save us from sin and death (Phil 2:6—7).  He wasn’t just any ordinary servant; he was a suffering servant who humbled himself to the point of dying upon a cross for our salvation (Phil 2:8—10; Isa. 53).  

Life is full of very real perils; and, these perils all too often hold us back from worship.  Financial troubles, family difficulties, work issues, health problems, and the death of loves ones can weigh the heart down so much that worship is unfathomable.  Yet, in the midst of all such situations, Christ promises to be with us, and no situation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus (Matt. 28:20b; Rom. 8:37—39).  Let’s take an all too common example in the current economic climate.  As much as a job loss can weigh on a man’s spirit and threaten his future well being, that job loss can’t keep that man out of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Third:

“The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life.  The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.”   (vv. 7—8)

These last two verses press the reality of the human condition to the core.  It’s not just our personal weakness that God protects us from.  It’s not just the perils and dangers of life that God protects us from.  Ultimately, it is evil that God protects us from.  Since the sin and evil entered the world at the fall, perilous dangers have become common place in daily life.  We live in a world that is filled with ravishing poverty, terminal illness, tragic accidents, violent wars, devious crooks, and dishonest politicians.  We could survey the world around us and come to the conclusion that we are poor innocent prey in world of predatory evil.  However, the Bible is clear that we are fallen, sinful, evil creatures; and, it is the sin of humanity that unleashed sin and evil upon creation.  Following the fall, “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Gen. 6:5).  When confronting the Pharisees, Jesus was very clear that evil flows from heart of fallen human beings (Matt. 12:34; 15:19; Mk. 7:21).  We need deliverance; but, we need deliverance from more than just the perils of this fallen world, we need deliverance from ourselves.  The Lord delivers us from evil by giving us a spiritual heart transplant; the Lord removes our sinful hearts and gives us a new heart – a Christ-like heart (Ezek. 36:25—27; Eph. 3:17; Heb. 10:22).  A renewed, living, vital heart is the greatest evidence we have that God keeps and preserves us.  When we have a new heart we have eternal life; we are kept by God for all time.  Nothing bolsters our confidence in Christ and moves to worship more than a transformed heart – a renewed spiritually alive heart. 

“Therefore brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain that is through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, les us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscious and our bodies washed with pure water.  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promises is faithful.  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Heb. 10:19—25)

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