pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: awe


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Majesty and Glory

Reading: Psalm 8:1-4

Psalm 8:1 – “Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!”

Photo credit: Greg Rakozy

Moving from Genesis 1 and 2 to Psalm 8, we stay within the framework of God’s power and creative presence. The Psalm begins with a familiar refrain about God’s majesty and glory. This line is found in other Psalms as well as in hymns and contemporary Christian music. It is natural and just feels right to pronounce, read, and sing about the majesty and glory of the Lord our God.

In verse 2 the psalmist recognizes the breadth of God’s power. The cries of “nursing babes” are heard by God, motivating God to stop Israel’s “vengeful enemies.” God’s attention to the least of these is a testament to both God’s love for humanity and to the special place that the vulnerable and lowly hold in God’s heart.

Instead of leading to pride, though, this thought leads David to a moment of humility. Looking upward into the night sky, seeing the moon and the vast array of stars, David reflects, writing, “What are human beings that you pay attention to them?” In the expanse of creation, a space that reaches beyond the furthest star, God’s power and majesty and glory are fully revealed. This thought makes David feel oh so small. Maybe you have felt this too at times as you gaze upward to the stars or outward across an endless ocean.

While it is good to feel our smallness at times, the reality is that God is mindful of us – of you and of me. God knows each of us intimately and personally. This too is a testament to God’s majesty and glory. All praise and honor are yours, O God!

Prayer: Lord God, thinking of the vastness of the universe and realizing that you created it all, we are awed and amazed. Recognizing that like the stars, you know each of us by name, we are humbled. In this place, we offer up a word of praise and a simple “thank you.” As almighty and all-powerful as you are, you still know us down to the detail of the hairs on our head. Wow. Thank you, Lord. Amen.


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Whole Being Praise

Reading: Psalm 104:24-35

Psalm 104:33 – “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I’m still alive.”

Our reading from Psalm 104 begins in the created world. The psalmist praises God for this earth that is “full of your creations.” From the dirt to the sea, from the valleys to the sky, God created our earth. In all of the earth’s beauty and diversity – from desert to rainforest, from rugged mountains to endless plains – God “made them all so widely” and filled these spaces with life abundant and diverse. The earth and all that are in and on it are amazing, like our God.

The psalmist then turns to these creatures that inhabit the earth. These “countless creatures” are another example of God’s creative nature at work. And we are reminded of God’s care and provision for all of creation. God gives food and each is filled. God gives life and breath. But when God “hides,” creation is terrified. In the end, the breath of life leaves and each returns to dust.

Without naming it, the psalmist is also describing humanity. We are scientifically one race yet are very diverse and unique. Seven billion of us are the same in almost endless ways, yet none are exactly alike. We can see great beauty in the canvas of humanity. And we also depend on God for life and blessing, given to us until we too return to dust.

In verse 31 the psalmist begins to praise God. He or she rejoices in creation – in all of it. The psalmist recognizes God’s power still at work. And they declare, “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I’m still alive.” Lifting voice, may our whole being praise the Lord, creator and sustainer for all.

Prayer: Lord God, you remain present in creation and in us. Open our eyes to see you and your fingerprints – in the sunrise or sunset, in the infant and in the elder. Fill us with wonder and awe, praise and rejoicing. Use us to help those who don’t see and don’t have a relationship with you to recognize your presence in and through us and all of creation, drawing them closer to you. Amen.


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Devoted?

Reading: Acts 2:42-45

Acts 2:43 – “A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles.”

Today and tomorrow we walk with the early, early church. The Holy Spirit has just come upon the apostles and other believers. In the opening verse we see what the first “church” was like. They studied the word of God and the example of Jesus. They gathered regularly to be in fellowship and to share meals. They spent time in prayer. To all of these practices of faith, “they devoted themselves.”

Before pressing on in the passage, we must ask ourselves a few questions. Does this sound like your church or community of faith? Are the people in your community of faith devoted to these practices? And are you, an important part of the body of faith, are you personally devoted to giving daily and regular attention to these practices of the faith? Devotion to the spiritual disciplines, as individuals and as a community of faith, it is a necessity if verse 43 is to be realized in and amongst us.

In verse 43 we read, “A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles.” The sense of awe and the signs and wonders – these are the actions of God. We cannot in any way manufacture these things. The awe, signs, and wonders are, if you will, God’s “response” to our faithful devotion. When we are faithful to the practices of our faith, we open ourselves up to God working and acting in our lives and in our faith communities. The Spirit at work then leads to unity, to caring well for one another, and to the revelation of God’s goodness in the world. These faith practices will, in turn, lead to adding to the community “those being saved.” So, again, the questions: Are you and is your faith community devoted to these regular practices of the faith?

Prayer: Lord God, pour out your Holy Spirit upon us, upon our faith communities, and upon our neighborhoods. Filled with your Spirit, increase our devotion: to you, to the example of Jesus, to the community of faith, and to the unsaved world. Draw us day by day closer to you so that you may use us and our communities of faith in more and more transformational ways. Amen.


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The Lord’s Voice

Reading: Psalm 29:1-5

Psalm 29:4 – “The Lord’s voice is strong; the Lord’s voice is majestic.”

Photo credit: Rainier Ridao

Psalm 29 offers praise for God’s power and glory. It begins with a scene in heaven, where the divine beings worship God’s glory and “holy splendor.” In verse 3 the scene shifts to the earth. Here the Lord’s voice is over the waters. This image evokes many things. It first connects back to the Genesis 1 story, where God was the creator. God’s voice hovered over the waters and brought order and purpose. The voice of God swept out over the waters as a wind – the Holy Spirit. It was not booming and powerful, but was quiet and steady. This is how we most often experience the voice and Spirit in our lives.

The “waters” would evoke fear and awe in the original audience’s heart and mind. In that culture, the waters were an untamed place of chaos and raw power. The depths were unknown and unstable. Yet in this Psalm, readers then and now are reminded that God is in control of all things – even the chaotic and unknown. This is a good reminder for us in those times when our lives and world feels chaotic and unstable.

The Psalm then declares, “The Lord’s voice is strong; the Lord’s voice is majestic.” David uses an earthly example to demonstrate this. God’s powerful voice shatters cedar trees. Here where I live, we recently experienced this as 100+ mph winds shattered and toppled and uprooted many trees. Hearing the wind howl and then seeing the results, I was reminded of God’s power in and over the created world.

At times, God’s voice speaks this way into our hearts and lives too. A strong word of conviction humbles us. A powerful nudge shakes us out of our preferred complacency. A gust of love lifts us up and sets us on our feet once again. And then, at other times, God’s powerful and almighty voice becomes quiet and still, gently guiding us, meeting us right where we are at. For all of the ways that God speaks, in our world and in our hearts, we say, thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, we rejoice today for the many ways that we hear your voice. In the mighty and unmistakable, in the quiet and steady, in the word and in the world, you speak again and again. For the deep love that drives this constant connection with you, we offer our thanks and our praise. Amen.


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Radical Love

Reading: Luke 6:27-36

Luke 6:35 – “Instead, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing in return. If you do, you will have great reward.”

Jesus defines behaving as God’s children by loving our enemies, by doing good to those persons who hate us, by blessing the people who curse at us, and by praying for the folks who mistreat us. He continues on, explaining how these actions become real. For Jesus, love is not a sentimental feeling. It calls us to offer the other cheek, to give our cost and our shirt, to give money without seeking or expecting repayment. To materially support those who hate, curse, and mistreat us? This is a deep and encompassing love that Jesus calls his followers to live out.

Why would Jesus call us to such a radical love? First, it is the love that he demonstrated in both his ministry and in his death on the cross. More practically, in verse 31 he says, “Treat people in the same way you want to be treated.” Jesus calls us to this radical love as a means to change hearts and to change culture. Loving in this way will attract attention and will raise questions in other’s minds. When this kind of love is given to our “enemies” it shows that this love is deep in our hearts. It is not founded upon the other person’s behavior but upon Christ in us. When we love all people with a radical love, then the compassion of the Father will then be our compassion. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, how great your love is for us. It is beyond measure and past comprehension. When we ponder this we are left in awe, able only to muster a meager “thank you.” Lord, empower us to reflect this love to others, drawing them towards that place of awe. In this way may you be glorified and praised. Amen.


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Communion = Community

Reading: 1st Corinthians 11:23-32

1st Corinthians 11:28 – “Each individual should test himself or herself, and eat from the bread and drink from the cup in that way.”

Photo credit: Geda Zyvatkauskaite

We seek to “stay in love with God” through various means of grace. One of these is Holy Communion. This sacrament first reminds us of Christ’s loving sacrifice on our behalf. The giving of his innocent blood in place of ours made atonement for our sins, paying the price for forgiveness. We approach this gift with a deep sense of awe and reverence.

Sometimes we do something for a while and it becomes just going through the motions. Perhaps you’ve felt that before with something like the Lord’s Prayer. For the church in Corinth, the Lord’s Supper had become one of those things. It was now causing more harm than good. It was creating division in the church. At this point it was more like what we’d call a “love feast” than what we recognize as a communion with its liturgy and formality. In Corinth, it had become a “private meal” with the rich getting drunk and stuffed while the poor were left hungry and thirsty. The church has forgotten that love, sacrifice, service, and community were at the heart of the Lord’s Supper.

Paul addresses this situation by reminding the church that the Lord’s Supper is centered on and celebrates the new covenant made by Jesus Christ. He also reminds them, though, that this communal celebration begins with individual preparation: “Each individual should test himself or herself, and eat from the bread and drink from the cup in that way.” Each person must come before God, humbling confessing and repenting of their sins. This necessary step prepares each to be made “new” again as the blood of the Lamb washes away their sin. To not take this step is to hide or hold onto one’s sin. This brings judgment and condemnation instead of forgiveness and grace.

For each person to come before God, to confess and repent, it levels the playing field. It places us all equally before the table of grace, all sinners redeemed by his blood. In this way, community is restored. It brought one body to the one bread, one blood. That was Paul’s goal. It should be our goal. May it be so.

Prayer: Lord God, draw us to our knees, to the place of confessing and repenting of our sins. Open up our hands and hearts to release all that separates us from you and from one another. As we come clean, thank you for making us clean. Thank you for your great love that washes away our sins and failures. Thank you for your redeeming love. Amen.


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That Line

Reading: Nahum 1-3

Nahum 1:12-13 – “I won’t afflict you further, Zion. Now I will break off his yoke from you and tear off your chains.”

Photo credit: Nadine Shaabana

Nahum walks a fine line. The historical content of the book covers Assyria’s fall. The capital city, Nineveh, is the focus. In Jonah we saw a mighty God who was rich in mercy. In Nahum we read of a mighty God who pours out divine wrath on the Assyrians. In the long game, God will not tolerate any form of human pride or the existence of injustice. Here is where we get near that line. It can be tempting to rejoice in the downfall of an enemy. Is this not another form of pride?

Nahum describes God as “jealous… vengeful… strong in wrath… very patient… great in power.” The prophet declares that the world and all who dwell on it cannot stand before God’s indignation and fury. And he declares that God is “good, a haven in a day of distress.” In this spirit, Nahum assures God’s people. Though in exile now, God says, “I won’t afflict you further, Zion. Now I will break off his yoke from you and tear off your chains.” Hope is just around the corner.

From 1:14 through the end of the book, Nahum describes the great fall of Nineveh. God is against the city. The enemy’s sword will devour just as Assyria once devoured others. Assyria will become a spectacle. God declares there is “no remedy… your wound is grievous.” At the end we again come to the line. Nahum shares that all who had suffered under Assyria’s cruelty will “clap their hands over you.” To be relieved, even happy, when the yoke is broken,when the bully gets his or her due, – nearing the line. To be joyful and to celebrate someone’s utter destruction? Where did that line go?

Prayer: Lord God, we can sense your power and might today. We can feel your sense of justice and righteousness. You alone are the judge and the giver of just consequences. Help us to hold these things in holy awe. Curb in us the human tendency to find joy in another’s defeat. Keep us in our own lane. Focus us on our walk with you. Amen.


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God Has Spoken

Reading: Ezekiel 1-5

Ezekiel 3:4 and 7 – “Human one, go! Go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them… they will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to me.”

The book of Ezekiel begins with the prophet in exile. He was brought to Babylon in the first wave of exiles, five years before the fall of Jerusalem. On his 30th birthday he is called by God to speak God’s word to these hardheaded and hard-hearted people. If not for exile, Ezekiel would’ve begun his formal duty as a priest in the temple on this day. He sees a vision – four magnificent creatures, each with four spinning wheels. Above them is a dome with a throne. On the throne is the glory of God. Ezekiel can feel God’s power and might in this scene.

God commissions Ezekiel to be the prophet to Israel, saying, “Human one, go! Go to the house of Israel and speak my words to them… they will refuse to listen to you because they refuse to listen to me.” God prepared Ezekiel, hardening his face so that he can speak to these rebellious people. God appoints Ezekiel as a lookout. His duty is to warn the people – no more, no less. Obedience falls on them. Or punishment for disobedience. God declares to Ezekiel that the prophet will speak when God speaks and will be silent when God is silent.

Chapters 4 and 5 describe Jerusalem’s fate using “sign acts.” These vivid visuals have a strong impact, amplifying his message. First, Ezekiel depicts the coming siege on Jerusalem. He then lies on his left side for 390 days then on his right side for 40 days – one day for each year of Israel’s and Judah’s rebellion, respectively. Ezekiel then makes bread from scraps. He eats and drinks a small ration of bread and water each day, representing the famine that will befall Jerusalem. The prophet then shaved his head and beard and divides the hair into thirds. He burns the first third. One third of Jerusalem will die by famine and plague. Ezekiel cuts up the next third. One third will die by the sword. Lastly, he scatters one third to the wind. The last third of Jerusalem will be taken into exile. The few strands in his pocket represent the very small remnant that will be left behind. When all of this literally happens to Judah, then God’s “anger will be complete.” Then Israel and Judah will know that God has spoken.

Prayer: Lord God, what a call and what a way to show your people what is about to happen to Jerusalem and Judah. These images raise up a level of awe and fear of you. It is good to recognize your power and might and justice. Help us to see the signs and to hear the words of warning and correction that you speak into our lives today. Soften our too often hard hearts and pry open our too regularly closed ears. Amen.


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God Is…

Readings: Exodus 31, Exodus 32, Exodus 33, Exodus 34

Exodus 34:6-7 – “The LORD! A God who is compassionate and merciful, very patient, full of great loyalty and faithfulness… forgiving.”

Photo credit: Diego Gennaro

Chapter 31 begins with the appointment of two skilled artisans to oversee the building of the tabernacle. This is followed up by a reiteration of the Sabbath guidelines. God’s point: even the building of God’s home is not to be used as an excuse to break the Sabbath. All of our excuses pale by comparison.

The story of the gold bull calf fills chapter 32. The people go astray and Aaron goes along. Moses has been gone a long time. The people forget who and what God has been and done. An idol is made and is worshipped. God is ready to “devour” them in fury, but Moses intercedes, reminding God of their history. God’s anger relents. Moses and Joshua return to camp. Moses becomes furious, smashing the covenant tablets. He destroys the bull calf and forces the Israelites to drink its ash mixed in water. Moses then rallies the Levites. About 3,000 are killed by the sword. A plague then follows.

As chapter 33 begins, God refuses to go with these stubborn people. Moses sets up a tent outside of the camp, symbolic of real separation that their sin has created. God meets with Moses in the tent. The people are faithful, paying close attention. Moses again intercedes for the people, laying his relationship with God on the line. God relents. Moses is then allowed to see God’s glory. Passing by Moses, God declares that God is “compassionate and merciful, very patient, full of great loyalty and faithfulness… forgiving.”

God then renews the covenant with the people. God warns the people about making a covenant with those that God will drive out. God instructs them to purge the land of the idols and altars that are there. They are warned about marrying the locals. God then reiterates much of the material from the first covenant. This time Moses comes down with a face aglow – reflecting God’s glory.

In today’s return to a story format we can again see ourselves – at times as the sinful, idol-worshipping Israelites and at times as Moses as he pleads with God. We can see ourselves as the Israelites eagerly watching for God and as the people who need warnings about the pagan culture around us. Through it all, though, both then and now, God remains compassionate and merciful, patient and forgiving. Thanks be to God.

Prayer: Lord God, how true and faithful you are. What a long, patient walk you have been on with your children. I am awed by your love. Amen.


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God Is So Faithful

Readings: Genesis 24, Genesis 25:1-18

Genesis 25:27: “Bless the LORD, God of my master Abraham, who hasn’t given up his loyalty and his faithfulness to my master.”

Photo credit: Shane Rounce

The bulk of today’s reading covers finding a suitable wife for Isaac. In the culture of the day, that meant finding a wife from within one’s kinship group. This would insure continuity of religious and cultural norms and beliefs. Abram has married from within his kinship group and knew that was essential for his son Isaac too. Living as “temporary immigrants” in a foreign land, Abraham knew how important this would be for Isaac and for his future descendants. What follows is an amazing story of our faithful God at work.

The story begins with the oldest servant swearing an oath to Abraham to try to carry out his wishes for Isaac’s wife. Abraham is sure that God will go before and will guide this process, providing the right wife for Isaac. Arriving at the well outside of Nahor’s city, the servant prays to God for a woman who will give him a drink and then will water his ten camels. Rebekah does exactly that. The servant gazes in awe and wonder as this scene unfolds. He praises God, saying, “Bless the LORD, God of my master Abraham, who hasn’t given up his loyalty and his faithfulness to my master.” Once at the family home, he recounts the whole story. Essentially asking to take Rebekah back home with him to marry Isaac, both dad and brother respond, “This is all the Lord’s doing.” The next day the journey home begins. On arrival, Isaac and Rebekah meet each other and are married.

All set in order, Abraham makes final arrangements. He wills everything to his son Isaac and sends his second wife and their children far away. Abraham dies at 175. Isaac and Ishmael bury their father with Sarah. It is beautiful that both “first sons” are a part of this. Our reading closes with another example of God’s love and faithfulness. Ishmael dies at 137, leaving a line of 12 sons/princes to build his “great nation,” as promised by God to Hagar and Abraham. Our God is so faithful and true. Thanks be to God!

Prayer: Lord God, what a powerful witness to who and what you are! All unfolds exactly as you had it planned and we, like the servant, stand in awe and wonder. From that posture, Lord, may we step forward in faith each day, trusting in you to guide and lead our steps as we seek to do your will. Amen.