God's Power in Forgiveness

Happy are those whose

 transgression is forgiven, 

whose sin is covered.

(From Psalm 32 )

One Sunday, after preaching a sermon on sin and forgiveness, a church member said to me, "I'm a nice person and do good things.  I don't' think I sinned yesterday and I know I haven't

today. Why do I need to pray for forgiveness?

Sadly, when the concept of sin is based on social offences, bad behaviors, or some vice, the concepts of sin and forgiveness are very limited.  

Probably none of us has fully loved God with all our hearts, souls, strength, and minds, nor our neighbor as ourselves 

And so we pray, 

Merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in 

thought, word, and deed,

 by what we have done and

 what we have left undone. 

Sin is a persistent force in our lives.

It doesn't take me much to think of what I have left undone. I don't mean little projects around the house. I mean showing appreciation for something someone's done.

It doesn't take much to recall angry or hurtful words or thoughts either.

But if sin is persistent, so is God's forgiveness.

An Old Testament pattern goes like this: God's people turn away; God forgives and the cycle repeats. Transgression.  Forgiveness. Transgression. Forgiveness.

Because he understood the power of God's forgiveness, John Wesley recommended that Methodists meet weekly to confess their sins to one another. He said "confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another that ye may be healed"

Now, Behold the butterfly. Through metamorphoses is changes from a cocoon to something beautiful. Something bound to something free.

I believe that when we truly accept who we are, recognizing our human limits, by confessing to our limits to God we are set free live a new way of life. 

Will we mess up?  Yes.

Will God forgive us? Yes.

Thanks be to God. 

Thirsting for God

Desert's Hand, Chile

O God, you are my God,

I seek you, my soul thirsts for you;

my flesh faints for you,

as in a dry and weary land

 where there is no water.

(from Psalm 63)

For what do you thirst?

Currently I am receiving physical therapy to improve my balance. The therapist works me through a set of exercises designed to strengthen certain leg muscles and sensitize my brain. 

After completing some of the exercises, the therapist pauses and asks me if  I need to rest or need water. Usually, I am doing fine and don't need either.

The image above suggests to me that we can experience a profound stillness and isolation. 

This isn't such a bad thing because the Desert Fathers have shown that stillness and isolation can motivate us to reflect on the things which satisfy our deep thirst.

The poet of Psalm 63 says it's his soul that thirsts for God. The poet is looking everywhere to satisfy the thirst and it feels like searching in places where there is no water.

Finally, the poet concludes it is the steadfast love of God that will satisfy the deepest, most profound thirst.

The message of hope in the poet's writing is that because of God's unfailing love, our souls' thirst will be satisfied.

In my first church there was a retired, single Math teacher living in the desert of cancer. She had received chemo multiple times, but it was apparent the cancer was continuing to conquer her body.

She was well aware of this.

I visited her regularly for conversation, prayer and scripture reading.  Her favorite verses were from Psalm 121:

"I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help?

My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth."

Her soul was thirsting for God and God satisfied that deepest thirst through the poet's writing in Psalm 121.

Seeking God

Remember
Ukraine

Astico Gardens
Acaia, NP 

“Come,” my heart says,
“seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, do I seek.

(from Psalm 27)

 I clearly remember the time I told the church I was giving up chocolate for Lent. Immediately after the service a little girl approached me and said, "I hate chocolate!!!" 

What followed was an organized effort to have as many chocolate goodies at Coffee Time as possible. Pastor, are you going to yield to temptation?

I don't buy into sacrificing something for Lent that society tells us we need. 

Instead, I see Lent as looking at my spiritual life and asking what needs attention?

 

Is it "search the Scriptures" through Bible reading and study?

Is it acts social justice as Micah 6:8 points out?

Our urge to seek the Lord comes from an awareness of distance. We are aware that we haven't fully completed our spiritual journey in to "the house of the Lord."

Compare a journey to my physical trials. I have an issue with balance which means I walk well on smooth surfaces, but when walking on rough places, such as my lawn, I need a walking stick. 

In other words, I see a Cristian journey as having smooth places with an easier journey and rough places requiring more determination and assistance. Our journey has places where we have to lean on something.

Each of us has to draw on our own inner resources of faith going through the rough places as well as celebrating the smooth places

Our hope and strength are in knowing God is with us.

The poet of the Psalm 27 shares encouragement saying: 

    For in the day of trouble

    he will keep me safe in his dwelling.

And then again:

    I remain confident of this:

    I will see the goodness of the Lord

    In the land of the living.

The poet reminds us, from personal experience, that when seeking the Lord's face, God is with us.

God's Word to Our Fears.

Shelter on Sunrise Mt.

When they call to me, I will answer them;

I will be with them in trouble,

I will rescue them and honor them.

(from Psalm 91 )

Franklin D. Roosevelt once stated his that “We have nothing to fear but fear itself.” He was referring to the attack on Peral Harbor. 

For the people in Ukraine and the surrounding countries, it may well feel there is more to fear than "fear itself". 

Fear emerges also from real, even serious threats to mind, body, or spirit.

Walter Brueggemann said in a Lecture at Luther Seminary, “You gotta have a place where you process your fears, because if you don’t process your fears, they will devour you [and] they will immobilize you.”

That processing begins, I believe by speaking to the Lord saying something like: “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.” knowing the Lord will provide that  safe space "under his wings." 

The process continues by naming our fears like verse 3 indicates in the "snare of the fowler", the "deadly pestilence", and the "terror of the night"

Finally, Psalm 91 provides hope when the Lord says, 

"Those who love me, I will deliver;

    I will protect those who know my name.

When they call to me, I will answer them;

    I will be with them in trouble."

Our reassurance, our hope comes from knowing we have had a conversation with God on our journey. The world isn't any safer than before, but we know God travels with us.

For Ukraine and the surrounding countries, the world isn't any safer. 

Evil has befallen them. 

But they know and we know, the Lord is with them during this time of suffering.