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Apr 2019, Christ Mountain Top, Palm Sunday
Apr 2019, Christ Mountain Top, Palm Sunday
Praying
the Psalm, Psalm 31
the Psalm, Psalm 31
Children,
Luke 19.28-40 (triumphal entry)
Luke 19.28-40 (triumphal entry)
With folding of palm crosses
Message,
Luke 23.33-49 (crucifixion)
Luke 23.33-49 (crucifixion)
Mission
Moment, NONE
Moment, NONE
“Most prominent feature”
Lurches from plea for help to expression of trust several times over (McCann,
800).
Lurches from plea for help to expression of trust several times over (McCann,
800).
· Psalm
31:10-11 For my life is spent
with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away. 11 I
am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of
dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.
31:10-11 For my life is spent
with sorrow, and my years with sighing; my strength fails because of my misery,
and my bones waste away. 11 I
am the scorn of all my adversaries, a horror to my neighbors, an object of
dread to my acquaintances; those who see me in the street flee from me.
· Psalm
31:19 O how abundant is
your goodness that you have laid up for those who fear you, and accomplished
for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of everyone!
31:19 O how abundant is
your goodness that you have laid up for those who fear you, and accomplished
for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of everyone!
Help:
Deliver, rescue, save, redeem
Rock, refuge, stronghold, fortress
God as
faithful (amen) and steadfast love (chesed)
faithful (amen) and steadfast love (chesed)
Psalm 31:5 you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.
Psalm 31:7 I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast
love
love
Trust vs mistrust,
the first stage of development
the first stage of development
If basic needs are not met during that
first year, children learn mistrust rather than trust
first year, children learn mistrust rather than trust
Separation anxiety
Knowledge that we are loved so completely
1
John 4:18 There is no fear in
love, but perfect love casts out fear
Chemistry with Robin,
but we were friends
but we were friends
No interest in just “dating”
Already knew we enjoyed each other’s
company
company
Not right to play at romantic love with a
best friend
best friend
Did I have a love that was ready to dare,
and to commit?
and to commit?
Robin
scared to see me after we began dating
scared to see me after we began dating
1
John 4:18 There is no fear in
love, but perfect love casts out fear
John 4:18 There is no fear in
love, but perfect love casts out fear
Same
basic process in our faith journey:
basic process in our faith journey:
Trust vs mistrust
Addressed positively as we learn
that we are beloved
that we are beloved
Rooted
in the “fundamental characteristics” (McCann, 800) of God
in the “fundamental characteristics” (McCann, 800) of God
Faithful
Steadfast love
Psalm
31:5 Into your hand I
commit my spirit
31:5 Into your hand I
commit my spirit
Psalm
31:15 My times are in your
hand (my future, McCann, 801)
31:15 My times are in your
hand (my future, McCann, 801)
This is not prayed when things are going
well but when
well but when
Terror on every side
It
is prayed by Jesus as he dies: Father,
into your hands I commend my spirit (Luke 23.46). Things are not going well. Terror is on every side.
Yet Jesus offers his trust. There is nothing strange about this for Jesus,
however. He has learned the trust vs mistrust lesson and he has practiced trust
over and over in the many conflicts that led to the cross. He did so in a God
he understood to be faithful (amen) and loving (chesed).
is prayed by Jesus as he dies: Father,
into your hands I commend my spirit (Luke 23.46). Things are not going well. Terror is on every side.
Yet Jesus offers his trust. There is nothing strange about this for Jesus,
however. He has learned the trust vs mistrust lesson and he has practiced trust
over and over in the many conflicts that led to the cross. He did so in a God
he understood to be faithful (amen) and loving (chesed).
This kind of prayer, this kind of trust is
not just about how we die but about how we live
(McCann, 800-803). Jesus talked about
it when he invited us: Luke 9:23 deny themselves and take up their cross
daily and follow me.
not just about how we die but about how we live
(McCann, 800-803). Jesus talked about
it when he invited us: Luke 9:23 deny themselves and take up their cross
daily and follow me.
Reinhold Niebuhr talked about it when he
wrote, “there is an adventure in the Christian message…. If a gospel is
preached without opposition it is simply not the gospel which resulted in the
cross. It is not, in short, the gospel of love” (Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, in McCann, 803).
wrote, “there is an adventure in the Christian message…. If a gospel is
preached without opposition it is simply not the gospel which resulted in the
cross. It is not, in short, the gospel of love” (Leaves from the Notebook of a Tamed Cynic, in McCann, 803).
Clinton McCann writes that “to entrust our
lives and futures go God, to belong to God in living and dying means ultimately
that we derive our identity not from the worthless idols of our culture but
from the character of God to whom we entrust ourselves” (803). He points out
that, at the very end of the psalm, God’s prayerful and struggling people are
described in the very same terms with which God is described: Amen (faithful)
and Chesed (steadfast love).
lives and futures go God, to belong to God in living and dying means ultimately
that we derive our identity not from the worthless idols of our culture but
from the character of God to whom we entrust ourselves” (803). He points out
that, at the very end of the psalm, God’s prayerful and struggling people are
described in the very same terms with which God is described: Amen (faithful)
and Chesed (steadfast love).
Psalm
31:23 Love the LORD, all
you his saints. The LORD preserves the faithful.
31:23 Love the LORD, all
you his saints. The LORD preserves the faithful.
Hebrew translated as “saints” is unlike the Greek word translated as
“saints.” In Greek, the root is the same root for “holy.” In Hebrew, the root
is chesed. The plural noun is hasidim (the same as for Hasidic Jews)
(McCann, 802). Of course, in the Wesleyan tradition it is love that drives
holiness.
“saints.” In Greek, the root is the same root for “holy.” In Hebrew, the root
is chesed. The plural noun is hasidim (the same as for Hasidic Jews)
(McCann, 802). Of course, in the Wesleyan tradition it is love that drives
holiness.
As
we navigate faith development in the context of trust vs mistrust, we learn to
put our lives and our futures into the hands of a God who is faithful, a God
who is love. No matter the struggle, no matter the terrors, no matter the
sorrows, we trust. And as we trust,
we become like God in faithfulness and love. What an amazing gift!
we navigate faith development in the context of trust vs mistrust, we learn to
put our lives and our futures into the hands of a God who is faithful, a God
who is love. No matter the struggle, no matter the terrors, no matter the
sorrows, we trust. And as we trust,
we become like God in faithfulness and love. What an amazing gift!
Resources:
The New Interpreter’s
Bible, vol VI, Psalms, J. Clinton McCann, Jr.
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.
Bible, vol VI, Psalms, J. Clinton McCann, Jr.
Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.
