pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: Psalm 133


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Good and Pleasing

Reading: Psalm 133

Psalm 133:1 – “Look at how good and pleasing it is when families live together as one!”

Psalm 133 is short – only three verses long. But it lifts up one of the most important aspects of faith: unity. This song celebrates the community of faith and the ultimate blessing of living in a community of faith: “everlasting life.” In verse one we read, “Look at how good and pleasing it is when families live together as one!” Step back and look at your community of faith. Is it good and pleasing to God and to the world around it? Does it reflect unity in the body of Christ?

We must be careful not to mistake unity for conformity. That is a common mistake. Our unity is centered on Jesus Christ and following his teachings and example. Around this, yes, there is conformity. But Jesus certainly did not minister to and include only people like him. He included fishermen and a tax collector and a zealot. And that was just in his “church.” Jesus welcomed children and women and outcasts and even “sinners.” To one and all, Jesus extended love and created a sense of belonging. He found sacred worth in everyone he met. This fostered unity and community in the early church.

In the Psalm, this is described as anointing oil and life-giving dew. The psalmist envisions both flowing freely, pouring down. There is a joy and an abundance in these images. It should be this way in our lives and in our communities of faith. Love and grace should flow freely. Mercy and forgiveness should pour down. Sharing life and what we have should bring joy. These things should be the primary marks of a Christian community. May it be so as our communities of faith – our “families” – strive to be good and pleasing to the Lord and to the world around us.

Prayer: Lord God, our world tends to separate us into categories. It feels like the natural thing to do is to label – so we can divide and define. May it not be so in our churches and lives, O God. All are created in your image. All have sacred worth. All have a place at the table of grace. Shape and form us into people who see you in others, who draw others into our communities of faith so that they can know love, mercy, grace, belonging – both ours and yours. Amen.


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Good and Pleasant Unity

Reading: Psalm 133

Verse 1: “How good and pleasant it is when brothers [and sisters] live together in unity”.

Psalm 133 speaks to and of the community of faith. David identifies unity as something that is “good and pleasant”. It is God’s desire that all his children live in unity and peace. In the Psalm David is writing to the nation of Israel but his words also speak to the whole community of faith and to the local church. Unity draws others in, enabling the body of Christ and the individual believer to grow and flourish.

David uses the yearly anointing of the high priest as his illustration of the blessings of unity. Once a year the specially formulated oil of blessing would be poured over the head of the high priest, symbolizing God’s blessings flowing down over the representative of God’s connection to the people. This act also expressed unity – unity between God and his people. The visual of the oil running down Aaron’s face and through his beard and down onto his robes is a reminder of the abundance of God’s blessings on the faithful.

The Psalm closes with “there the Lord bestows his blessing, even life forevermore”. “There” are the places of unity and harmony. In and through the community of faith is where we find “life forevermore”. So this day and every day may we each do our part to build up the unity of the body of Christ, experiencing God’s blessings and favor as we do so.

Prayer: Lord, it is so good and pleasant when we gather in worship and fellowship to praise your name and to serve one another. Build up our love for one another, raise up a humble servant’s heart in each of us. In all we do and say, together may we bring you the glory and honor. Amen.