The Middle of the Action
A discussion of the importance of table fellowship will eventually bring us to the Gospel of Luke. Luke is where all the important stuff seems to be happening during a meal. The table becomes the location of forgiveness and repentance, of preaching and calling. In Luke 6:6-11, amidst several other stories about Jesus creating controversy, comes a story about Jesus healing a man with a withered hand. This happens in a synagogue during Sabbath worship. The scribes and Pharisees present…
The Proclamation of the Water
At the deepest part of our humanity lies the question, “Where do I belong?” Much of our lives are spent finding answers to this question. We want to belong to a family, to friends, to a spouse, to a church, and of course, to God. But we don’t stop there. We find belonging in ideas and the people who share them with us. We find it in the fan base of our favorite sports teams. We experience it when a…
The Water and the Table
The New Testament consistently emphasizes the importance of both baptism and table fellowship. But their importance is not separate from one another. Scripture has a clear trajectory from the waters of baptism to the table. In Acts 2, Peter delivers a masterful sermon in Jerusalem during Pentecost, claiming that the Holy Spirit is pouring itself out on the whole world, claiming that Jesus is in fact everything God has ever wanted for his people and that Jerusalem responded not by…
Steadfast, Enduring
Hunger and thirst are bad enough no matter who or where you are. But on top of that, Psalm 107 places a group of hungry and thirsty characters in the wilderness, in a desert waste. Dirt and dead grass as far as the eye can see. There is no town on the horizon, no refuge. One by one, these weary characters are fainting out of consciousness. The body has no energy left, no more strength to carry on. What is…
It’s Just Who He Is
Something incredible is happening in Psalm 85. First, the poet speaks with a bluntness that makes our expectations of God perfectly clear. In response to God’s anger the poet says to God, without hesitation or embarrassment, that it’s time for God’s anger to subside and for joy and forgiveness to take its place. Second, Psalm 85 paints for us a portrait of a God who is not only willing to forgive, but eager to forgive! This God is so far…
The Judge
Psalm 82 brings us into a courtroom. We get to witness a trial. The judge is none other than God himself. Something about a courtroom drama resonates with us on a deep level; it’s why so many movies and television shows are made about it. It’s deeply meaningful to us to see justice fought for and enacted. We want to see the innocent vindicated and the guilty appropriately punished. Psalm 82 knows this about us. So it begins, “God has…
I Will Give Thanks
Psalm 30 takes us on a roller coaster of joy, praise, hubris, panic, prayer and gratitude all in the span of just twelve verses. It begins at the end, letting us know that everything has turned out for the better. God has come through for the Psalmist, providing healing and restoration. “O LORD my God, I cried to you for help and you have healed me.” (30:2) And this personal testimony overflows into a public call to worship. “Sing praises…
Memory
The apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, which could mean reaching a spiritual maturity in which prayer comes as natural to us as breathing. Or maybe sometimes it means we can’t stop praying until God has proven that he’s heard us and bothered to do something about the hurt we find ourselves in. That is how Psalm 77 prays. “I cry aloud to God, aloud to God that he may hear me. In the day of my trouble…
As a Father Shows
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!” Like many praise hymns in the book of Psalms, Psalm 103 begins with a call to worship, both for the community being called into worship and for the speaker himself doing the calling. May every single piece of our existence reach out to you, God, with praise and adoration and joy! But no hymn in the Psalms ends here. Now must come the litany…
How Majestic
“O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth.” Thus Psalm 8 both begins and ends, with a sudden burst of praise. Our job here in Psalm 8 is simply to praise. Not to analyze or debate, but to marvel and adore. God’s majesty, God’s beauty, everything that makes God wonderful – our whole world is saturated in it. We couldn’t escape if we wanted to. And we don’t want to. God is to be enjoyed,…
The Brag
Throughout 2 Corinthians, Paul has repeatedly challenged us to say yes to the weakness and foolishness of the cross, to embrace everything that makes us an unremarkable clay jar. But as Paul begins to wrap up his letter, he ups the ante. Now our challenge is not only to embrace our weaknesses and limitations, but to actively brag about them! Can you imagine bragging about your flaws and limitations in a job interview or first date? Paul can. Three times…