Refuge in the Community of God-Psalm 52

                Psalm 52 again addresses the evil of the love of money.  Too often people in positions of wealth and power use that wealth and power to oppress the weaker.  The Psalmist here calls that evil.  He says that those boast of their wealth and power are boasting of evil.  He says that this evil leads people to be deceitful and to lie.  These things are not pleasing to God.  When we make other things our refuge rather than God, the path leads to destruction.  It is easy though to try to escape into other things as our refuge.  Money, material possessions, Facebook, video games, shopping, alcohol, drugs are among those things where we find ourselves seeking refuge.  Many of those things by themselves are not evil, in fact they can be used for good.  However, when we escape into them, seeking refuge in them, we have put ourselves on a path of destruction. 

                The Psalmist is clear that the righteous person finds their refuge in God.  When we need to escape from the troubles of this world, we need to find our refuge with God.  We can find that refuge in many forms.  We find in in the written word.  We find it in music.  We find it in prayer.  We find it in friends. 

                In the final verses the psalmist compares himself to “a green olive tree” in God’s house.  An olive tree is an evergreen.  Its leaves do not die and fall off.  It is green year round.  The psalmist is saying that he is a permanent fixture in God’s house.  It is in God’s house with his community of believers that he finds hope and refuge. 

                We live in an age where people have become mistrustful of the church and unfortunately that comes sometimes with good reason.  The church is made up of flawed human beings and like any family, it can become messy.  We have to continually work at making the church, God’s House, a place of safety and refuge.  We must be a community where people can come and find hope, love and a safe place to call home. 

                Where are you finding God in Community?  Search for that today.  Do not delay.  Find refuge there.    

Create in me a Clean Heart-A Reflection on Psalm 51-Tales of a journey to health and wholeness

                When Jesus taught us to pray he taught us to ask that God forgive our trespasses.  The Psalmist of Psalm 51 shows us what it looks like to examine yourself and realize that you have fallen short and then to cry out for forgiveness.  With that forgiveness comes action on our part. 

June 11^th I had a moment where I took a hard look at myself and said Whoa what is going on here?  My house looked like a tornado had run through it.  My weight was out of control. I was putting stuff into my body that wasn’t good for it.  I was reminded that my body is God’s temple and that if I was not healthy I could not fully live into God’s call on my life.  If my body was not healthy I couldn’t fully fulfill my other roles.  My role as parent.  My role as friend. My role as Pastor.  My surroundings reflected the condition of my body and I wasn’t taking care of either.    I reached out to the health and fitness coach I had been talking to for the last two years.  She had been so patient with me.  For two years I would jump on the bandwagon for a week or two and then I would disappear for a while.  This cycle would repeat.  She recommended a book to me by Joyce Myers:  Making Good Habits:  Breaking Bad Habits.  In this book Joyce Myers states that our bad habits are a result of some emotional trauma we have suffered.  We tend to stuff those emotions with bad habits.  It may be food.  It may be compulsive shopping.  It may be cigarettes, alcohol or drugs.[1]  It may be sitting mindlessly in front of the television or in front of Facebook.  Insert your habit and it is likely that there is some emotion you are stuffing with that habit.  She then goes on to name 14 good habits to develop.  When we spend time developing good habits it takes away from the time to indulge in the bad ones.  Rather than focusing on quitting the bad, we cultivate the good.  I finished reading the book around June 20^th and I decided on 4 habits that I wanted to institute immediately.  They didn’t necessarily fall into the 14 she mentioned but there ones I knew I need to develop and develop now.  First, I needed to cultivate my relationship with God.  I had found that as a pastor most of my time spent in the word and with God had become sermon preparation.  While that feeds me tremendously, it wasn’t time I was intentionally spending with God for the sole purpose of spending time with God.  Secondly, I wanted to get my body healthy and I made a decision to immediately change my eating habits, to create a different eating lifestyle.   Thirdly, I wanted to develop the habit of blessing my home every week at the same time through the normal routine of changing sheets, sweeping, dusting, mopping and gathering the trash.  As I go throughout the home I pray for who and what is represented by each room.  Lastly I wanted to give more attention to my appearance and how I was carrying myself and caring for the body that I currently have. 

                It has been 6 weeks since this began.  I am happy to report that I have only missed one day of devotional time, I have lost 22 pounds, I have been successful with my weekly home blessings, and the affirmation I have received from paying more attention to how I present myself has been incredible.  What is even bigger is that those things I stuff my emotions with have diminished tremendously.  This week I am adding new habits to develop.  Myers says it takes about 30 days to develop a new habit and for it to stick.  I made it past the 30 days and am ready to add a new one.  It feels wonderful.  It is nice to celebrate some wins in the midst of chaos and confusion.  The only way I could accomplish any of it though is through the fact that God is present with me daily!  Thanks be to God!

                What emotions are you stuffing?  What are you stuffing them with?  How is that effecting your quality of life and the quality of life of those around you? 

                Pray the prayer of Psalm 51 and then get to work!  You won’t regret it! 

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[1] Myers, Joyce Making Good Habits: Breaking Bad Habits (Faith Words, New York, 2013)

Is prayer the missing element? Psalm 50

            This morning in my devotional time I read a quote from Letters to Dolcidia:  1954-1983 by Carol Carretto.  He says the following about prayer:

At a certain point it occurred to me that what the church lacked was not work, activity, the building of projects or a commitment to bring in souls.  What was missing, or at least was scarce was the element of prayer, meditation, self-giving, intimacy with God, fidelity to the Holy Spirit and the conviction that Christ was the real builder of the Church:  in a word, the supernatural element.  Let me make myself clear:  people of action are needed in the Church but we have to be very careful that their action does not smother the more delicate but much more important element of prayer.  If action is missing and there is prayer, the Church lives on, it keeps on breathing, but if prayer is missing and there is only action, the Church withers and dies.[1]

            I believe the same can be said of individuals and families.  Could it be that the brokenness that exists in this world today.  Broken individuals and broken families, like the church, have let go of prayer.  Could it be that we have stopped seeking God.  Could it be that we do so much that we forget to be in relationship with God and with those whom we love?  Are we trying to build ourselves rather than allowing God to build us? 

            The Psalmist of Psalm 50 thought so when he wrote this “liturgy of judgment.”[2] In this liturgy the psalmist points out that there is nothing we can give to God that is not already God’s.  God doesn’t desire the sacrifices.  God doesn’t need to be fed.  God desires for us to come into relationship.  We show we are in relationship by communicating with him.  We show we are in relationship by offering sacrifices of thanksgiving.  It is so important to be thankful.  Jesus taught us to say Our Father in Heaven Hallowed by thy name.  When we praise God we should also thank God.  I have begun a practice of beginning my prayers with thanksgiving for each blessing that I have recognized in my life since the last time I prayed.  This morning I thanked God for three wonderful friends who surround me with love in such practical ways.  I thanked God for parents who always have an open door for their children.  I pictured in my mind other people who God placed in my path yesterday who are such a blessing to me.  When we start our prayers with that kind of intentional thanksgiving sometimes it diminishes the things that are weighing heaviest on your heart.  The load is lightened when we realize God’s presence. 

            The Psalmist here reminds us that God says “Cry out to me whenever you are in trouble; I will deliver you, then you will honor me.”  (vs. 15).  The Psalmist then goes on to name the actions that displease God.  People who talk about God as if they love and honor him but live in the opposite way of God’s way displease God.  Included in the list of things that are contrary to God’s way are stealing, adultery, lying, speaking in evil ways, and causing discord in your family (vs. 17-20)  Notice that each of these things brings harm to another human being, one of God’s creation.  The first of John Wesley’s “3 simple rules” is Do no Harm.  If left to our own devices, without prayer and relationship with God, we are sure to do harm. 

            Let me encourage you to begin your day in intentional prayer and to begin that prayer with lots of thanksgiving.  It is sure to soften your heart and strengthen you to do no harm. 

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[1] Correto Carlo, as found in A Guide to Prayer for All Who Seek God,  Norman Shawchuck and Rueben P. Job, editors (Upper Room Books, Nashville, 2006) pg. 300-301. 

[2][2][2] Green, Joel B and Willimon, William, Editors Wesley Study Bible, (Common English Bible, Nashville, 2012) pg. 722-footnotes 50:1-23