Tag: Psalms

Links for today’s readings:

Dec 10  Read: 2 Chronicles 10  Listen: (3:01) Read: Psalms 119.1-24 Listen: (15:14)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 119: 18-19

18 Open my eyes that I may see
    wonderful things in your law.
19 I am a stranger on earth;
    do not hide your commands from me.

Reflection: Peace in a World Not Our Home – Peace of Advent

By Erin Newton

“This world is not our own”—a phrase we have heard many times. It is an idea that ought to bring us peace. It should identify us as strangers on this earth. But we fall prey to the attempts of conforming to our world and its wishes, its desires, its motivations, its means.

But this world is not always kind, and motivations are often self-serving or abusive. The goals of one sometimes mean the subjugation of another. We cannot be at home here, not now, not as it is.

The prophets cried out in the wilderness against the same social injustices we have not found freedom from yet. We join the call: “Prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert  a highway for our God” (Isa 40:3).

And so one day, Christ left his home in the heavens to abide with us. Now, he bids us all to leave our home here and join him. We are, in fact, strangers on earth.

We are estranged from the impulses of society, the human-centered goals of a self-centered populace. For such reasons, we must see the beauty and wonder of God’s law. We must find peace in going a different direction than what the world says is “the way.” The Way tells us to find our peace in him.

Wendell Berry expresses the need for “the peace of simple things” in his poem “The Want of Peace”:

     All goes back to the earth,
     and so I do not desire
     pride of excess power,
     but men who have had little:
     the fisherman’s silence
     receiving the river’s grace
     the gardener’s musing on rows.

     I lack the peace of simple things.
     I am never wholly in place.
     I find no peace or grace.
     We sell the world to buy fire,
     our way lighted by burning men,
     and that has bent my mind
     and made me think of darkness
     and wish for the dumb life of roots.

As we reflect on the peace of knowing we are truly strangers here—never exactly conforming, never assimilating to those around us—we find peace. The peace of Advent is rooting ourselves in who God calls us to be.

Let us find the peace of simple things. Let go of the ways of the world and embrace the beauty of God’s direction in your life. The peace of Advent calls us to our true home.

Divine Hours Prayer: A Reading

In due course John the Baptist appeared; he proclaimed this message in the desert of Judaea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.’ This was the man spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said: A voice of one that cries in the desert, ‘Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’ This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather loin-cloth round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptized by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. — Matthew 3.1-6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

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Read more: People of Two Cities

The righteous, eternal city…is a city of people who trust God for their peace. It is a shelter for refugees escaping the wicked city.

People of Two Cities

Links for today’s readings:

Dec 9  Read: 2 Chronicles 9 Listen: (5:07) Read: Psalms 117-118 Listen: (2:52)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 118:17-18

17 I will not die but live,
    and will proclaim what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.

Reflection: Peace and Second Chances – Peace of Advent

By Erin Newton

Since Advent falls at the end of our calendar year, it can be a time of reflection and anticipation. What went well this year? What went wrong? Cherished memories can also be accompanied by moments we’d rather throw away. The days wind down, and in the long night of winter we remember “what the Lord has done.” Sometimes with a sigh of relief that we are still here, a second chance at life.

I would never limit God in the number of chances he gives us. He is an infinitely merciful God. But since our language has already enshrined the phrase “second chance”—I will use the phrase with the caveat that “second” to God is likely a number with an asterisk (*to the infinite degree).

As God’s people waited for the coming of Messiah, they were already accustomed to the “second chances” given by God. They had their frequent rituals of sacrifices and feasts. They had been exiled and scattered but then returned and rebuilt the temple. They knew what it meant to be “chastened severely.”

True, some people literally did die in those moments of warfare. Their tragic ending probably damped the community’s hope for the peace that the prophets heralded over and over. But on a wider scope, God did not sever his relationship with his people. He did not abandon them to “death.”

When God incarnated himself and dwelt among us, he made his promise of eternal communion something tangible. Jesus’s presence was a testimony to his faithfulness to us. He wasn’t going anywhere, even when things got hard (and even if his people were responsible for such hardships).

The peace of Advent shows us the persistent nature of God’s commitment to us. He laid aside the comforts of heaven to tread our scarred and blemished Earth. He had never given up on us, despite our many wayward paths. The peace of Advent is a commitment beyond our weakness and mercy beyond our deservedness.

In this week, let the peace of Advent guide your reflections on the year. Praise him, you are still here. “I did not die but lived.” Proclaim what he has done, to a friend, on social media, to your children, in a poem, or on a slip of paper that you tuck into a book to be found again some serendipitous day.

The peace of Advent ensures our “second chances” again and again.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Refrain for the Morning Lessons

…when God restores the fortunes of his people Jacob will rejoice and Israel be glad. — Psalm 53.6b

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

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Links for today’s readings:

Dec 8  Read: 2 Chronicles 8 Listen: (3:02) Read: Psalms 116 Listen: (1:34)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 116:3-7

3 The cords of death entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!”

5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;
    our God is full of compassion.
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low, he saved me.

7 Return to your rest, my soul,
    for the Lord has been good to you.

Reflection: Peace and Rest — Peace of Advent

By Erin Newton

Despite the joy of the Christmas season, I find myself utterly exhausted—and it is only week two. In other ways, I am emotionally spent, having been emotionally exhausted from grief, unmet expectations, unrealistic fears, and the uncertainty of our daily lives. It is overwhelming.

This same plea and exhaustion reverberated through the hearts of God’s people two millennia ago. The prophets foretold salvation, but it had not yet come. They promised the people peace and rest for their weary souls, but it had not come to fruition. They cast a vision of things being made right, but so much was still terribly wrong.

But Jesus came. What was promised began its path to fulfillment.

In the darkness of those ancient days, peace and rest had been promised but without the Messiah, our Jesus Christ, it was still only just an unfulfilled promise. Perhaps they enjoyed momentary peace. Things would be okay for a little while. Relationships would get along fairly well. People would find some assurance in their stance before God. But the peace that truly endures comes through faith in Christ. Praise God it has now come.

What I love about Advent is the realization that we are not stuck in the distressing and exhausting “cords of death” that wrap themselves around us. When we have come to know the Lord, we realize that the peace of his advent is with us here and now. We can repeat in our hearts the call: Return to your rest, my soul.

Can you hear it? The promise of peace is a harbor of rest for your soul. It is an invitation to come in, sit down, stay awhile.

The peace of Advent, for us, is knowing that our souls have returned to rest (or at least that opportunity is offered to us). Often we are too busy with the season. Commercial Advent calendars tempt us to keep things exciting for 24 days straight. New items! New projects! New activities!

Can the peace of Advent be letting your soul return to rest this week? That might look like praying Mary’s Magnificat (Luke 1.46-55) with your coffee one morning. It might be laying aside the urge to add presents when your friends and family probably prefer presence. It might be counting the ways “the Lord has been good to you.”

In whatever way you choose, let the peace of Advent guide your soul to rest.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and glorify your Name forevermore. — Psalm 86.12

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

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Links for today’s readings:

Dec 4  Read: 2 Chronicles 3-4 Listen: (5:42) Read: Psalms 108-109 Listen: (4:28)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 108.1, 10-13

Reflection: Steadfast Hope — Hope of Advent

By John Tillman

Do even steadfast hearts waver?

Having a “steadfast heart” is a common theme in psalms and elsewhere in scripture. It typically describes those who are determined to be firm, unwavering, and loyal to God.

The first few lines of Psalm 108 are a beautiful testimony of praise. But even the psalmist of the steadfast heart has moments where his heart skips a beat and doubts, anxieties, and fears flutter to the surface.

In the middle of the poem, the psalmist recalls God’s voice from the sanctuary and his promises. God speaks like a warrior returning from conquering enemies and liberating the oppressed. Shechem, Sukkoth, Gilead, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Judah represent God’s people as prized possessions. Moab, Edom, and Philistia represent the people’s subdued enemies. The psalmist remembers that God promised honor and safety to his people, and victory over their enemies. But where is that victory? The psalmist doesn’t see it. The psalmist doesn’t see God.

The psalmist is outside a fortified city, where God no longer goes out with his people. The people need to be saved. There are enemies to be defeated and dangers to be delivered from, but where is God? The “right hand” of God does not move to help. The God who would lead them to safety or to victorious battle has rejected them. The “human help” they have reached for is worthless, and the aid of the Almighty is absent. The God who would gain the victory seems to have abandoned them.

Yet the psalmist still hopes. “With God we will gain the victory…” Despite not seeing God, despite feeling abandoned, despite being rejected, despite looking up at the fortified walls of an undefeatable enemy, the steadfast heart hopes.

This psalm ends unresolved. The psalmist waits, sometimes wavers, but holds steadfast hope. Do you feel like the psalmist? I do. Dangers and enemies seem abundant. Where is God in the midst of this chaos and darkness?

Like the psalmist, return to what God has spoken. The psalmist heard God from the sanctuary. Our sanctuary is in the words of Jesus. The promises we have in Jesus are already true and not yet fully manifested. In Advent, we wait and hope in the dark, remembering that the light has already come and has promised to come again.

When your steadfast heart wavers, return to Jesus’ promises. In him, we have and will have victory.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting

Your testimonies are very sure, and holiness adorns your house, O Lord, forever and forevermore. — Psalm 93.6

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Mercy Seat and Manger — Hope of Advent

David met an angel, made a sacrifice, and prepared a place to welcome God’s presence. Generations later, David’s daughter, Mary, did the same to welcome Jesus.

Mercy Seat and Manger — Readers’ Choice

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Links for today’s readings:

Dec 3  Read: 2 Chronicles 2  Listen: (3:41) Read: Psalms 107 Listen: (4:12)

Scripture Focus: Psalm 107.4-16

Reflection: Dependent Hope — Hope of Advent

By John Tillman

In the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson wrote, “mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves.” Jefferson referred to humans suffering from earthly despotism and tyranny, but the principle applies elsewhere.

The psalmist writes of being lost in wastelands from wandering, chained by tyrannies resulting from rebellion, and hopeless in darkness due to rejecting the light. All tyrants promise freedom. All evils call themselves good. All sin calls itself righteous. Believing these claims, we often go step by step down slippery slopes into the sufferings of many kinds.

The sufferings grow slowly, like gradually rising muck in a sinkhole or cave. At our ankles, we say, “It isn’t so bad.” At our knees, we say, “I can always go back.” At our waist, we say, “Well, I’ve come this far.” By the time we say, “This is intolerable,” it’s at our armpits. By the time we say, “I must get out,” it threatens our chin.

How do we hope to get out? The psalmist says we don’t. God comes to get us. That’s what Advent celebrates. God comes to lost wanderers and leads them out of the wilderness. God comes to those in darkness to bring light. God comes to those imprisoned to break bars and shackles. 

Jefferson disbelieved miracles. He called Jesus’ teachings a “sublime and benevolent code of morals” yet cut everything miraculous from his New Testament with a razor blade, including Jesus’ miraculous Advent.

Extraordinarily committed and fortunate individuals, like Jefferson and other Declaration signers, might shake off a human tyrant to enjoy a limited measure of freedom for a limited time. But from the tyrants that really matter, sin and death, we cannot break free. We cannot “right ourselves.” Our hope is not in glorious revolution or declaring our independence. Hope is dependent on God’s arrival. The advent of his kingdom is our only hope.

If Jesus’ kingdom was of this world, we would take up arms to fight. Instead we take up towels to wash feet in service, take up crosses to deny ourselves in humility, and take up his gospel to declare our dependence upon it.

Commit your life, fortune, and sacred honor to Christ’s description of his kingdom’s advent. May the spirit of the Lord be upon us bringing good news to the poor, loosing the captives, making the blind see, and lifting the oppressed to stand in freedom.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer

Let us make a vow to the Lord our God and keep it; let all around him bring gifts to him who is worthy to be feared. — Psalm 76.11

– From The Divine Hours: Prayers for Autumn and Wintertime by Phyllis Tickle.

Read more: Scandalous Surprise of Hope — The Hope of Advent

Who are we to have such hope as advent promises? That Christ would come to us is baffling, surprising, and to some, scandalous.

Scandalous Surprise of Hope — The Hope of Advent

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