Month: March 2021

PSALM 42 & 43

When thinking afresh about a topic I find it is often useful to consider the vocabulary that is used in discussing it before ordering the concepts.  Apart from the second sentence of the repeated verse at the end of each stanza ^{Ps 42.5,11, 43.5} there is little that is positive. The vocabulary includes these words and phrases: thirsts, tears, pour out my soul, cast down, turmoil, breakers and waves have gone over me, mourning, oppression, taunt and reject me.  The psalmist is in despair and experiencing repeated mental and spiritual turmoil. Frequently if we are in that place our internal dialogue is circular and although we imagine ways out of the position we return again to the same set of feelings.

We do not know if the circumstances he describes are metaphors or physical reality but it is not necessary to know to understand the nature of his experience and how it relates to contemporary experiences.  He describes being in the far north of the country ^42.6 well away from Jerusalem in the south, the centre of his spiritual highs with God. He understands his relationship with God through his role as a musician and leader of worship in Jerusalem and is now deprived of it. ‘How I would go up with the throng, and lead them in procession to the house of God.’ ^{v 42.4} When the capacity to continue in the things that have been a blessing to us and others is removed it can seriously damage our spiritual health, cause a period of mourning and adjustment. It can challenge our identity, for the Christian it is helpful to meditate on our identity in Christ and what he has done for us. ‘But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.’    ^{John 1.12}

The psalmist describes his longing for God as a dryness and unresolved thirst. ^vv42.1,2 These feelings will not go away and they are destroying his appetite. ‘My tears have been my food day and night.’ ^{v 42.3} He recognises his spiritual and mental state impacts his physical wellbeing. He keeps going back over memories of times when he was fulfilled and cannot move on.

The second stanza ^42.6-11 describes the feeling of being overwhelmed and out of control. In truth there are no major waterfalls or seas with massive breakers and waves to cover him ^{v 42.7} in northern Israel. He is drawing on repeated biblical and ancient Hebrew imagery where the depths of the sea represent chaos and disorder, a place where unknown evils may come from. He is desperate for something firm to stand on. ‘I say to God, my rock: Why have you forgotten me.’ ^{v 42.9} The sense of desertion by God that can overwhelm one creates a spiritual loneliness.  Whether his enemies are real or imagined ^42.9-10 he is oppressed by them. The taunting in his head will not go away, ‘Where is your God?’ ^42.10

In the midst of his turmoil he again resolves to praise God, knowing that he is his salvation, but that does not make him feel better. One has to admire the psalmist, he has faced up to his problems, he has rationalised them and knows the way forward is with God whatever his current feelings. In the third stanza (Psalm 43) he starts his fight back. He calls on God to vindicate him against his oppressors even though his feelings tell him God has rejected him. There is a conflict between his inherent trust and experience of God and his overwhelming feelings. To cut through this he needs two things. He needs light to shine through his spiritual darkness and God’s truth to guide him into the presence of God for which he has so longed. ^{V 43.3} He wants to express his faith and love for God in the way he knows he connects with God, through music. That is undoubtedly true for very many now, however for others their core way of relating with God may be different. For some it will be in silence, for others through the written or spoken word. Some find the easiest way to pray is when walking, others need to be on their knees. Others like me may prefer to spend time with an open bible, moving between reading, reflecting and prayer. However we find God in our deepest souls we also need to spend time in the company of other disciples.  Their presence and faith will build us up.

We could pray that:

We will recognise and understand when people are experiencing depression.

We will be prepared to stand alongside them with patience and love.

That our church will be a place where God’s light and truth can gently lead them into God presence.

Holy overshadowing – Graham Kendrick

PSALM 42 & 43

Over 3 million people in the UK are diagnosed with depression.

Depression is a mood disorder, characterized by the persistent feeling of sadness, lack of motivation and interest.

(My Therapy website)

Depression is a major issue throughout the population and disciples of Jesus are commonly subject to it along with everybody else. We could ask, why is that? When Jesus promises such a glorious hope.  Isn’t Christianity all about love, forgiveness, healing and joy? The songs are full of praise and upbeat. If we have enough faith, it could be assumed, God will bless us with good things and problems will be solved and we will and should be happy.

We could ask, is there a spiritual dimension to depression? If so, what comes first depression for other reasons or is the cause of depression spiritual? Spirituality and depression has been researched around the world, although it is more difficult to identify outcomes specifically concerning Christian faith and depression. Even in the more general research it is difficult to be definitive about the connection between faith and specifically depression although there are general trends that clearly connect to peoples experience of the Christian faith.

A review of over 400 related research papers between 1962 and 2011 concluded, ‘Religious beliefs and practices may help people to cope better with stressful life circumstances, give meaning and hope, and surround depressed persons with a supportive community. In some populations or individuals, however, religious beliefs may increase guilt and lead to discouragement as people fail to live up to the high standards of their religious tradition.’ (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3426191/) I think that seems realistic and has both positive and negative implications for the communication of the Christian faith and in particular how the bible’s teaching is shared and understood.  It also raises a number of questions about how the church approaches its mission in relation to peoples experience of depression and in particular spiritual depression.  Psalms 42 and 43 are originally one psalm divided into three stanzas, each one concludes with the same repeated question, ‘Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? The psalmist then urges himself to, ‘Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.’ They recount the internal dialogue of an individual experiencing spiritual depression.

Please read through the two psalms and consider how much do they reflect your own experience and possibly that of a good friend.  A closer look at the text will be in part 2.

As the deer pants for the water – Robin Mark

Psalms Book 2 (42-49) and Numbers 16

If someone and all their family, all those who were associated with them and their possessions fall into the depths of the earth as God opens up fissures in the earth’s surface and it is then closed over them, one would assume there is no coming back from that. That is what is recorded in Numbers 16.31-33.  Indeed, for those individuals there was no good ending but somehow some descendants did survive and they became significant authors of psalms.  Korah was a ring leader of a rebellion against Moses and consequentially against the Lord’s authority. ^{Numbers 16.1-3} Their rebellion included trying to usurp Aaron’s priesthood ^{Num 16.10,11} and Moses’ leadership of them into the desert and out of slavery in Egypt.  The Old Testament contains examples of the fear of the Lord that are usually more graphic than in the New Testament.  They are however there, consider Ananias and Sapphira ^{Acts 5.1-11} and Herod Agrippa. ^{Acts 12.20-25} Whilst salvation through the grace and love of God through Jesus is the dominant gospel message a caution about the seriousness of rebellion against God and fear of the Lord in the rounded biblical sense is appropriate.

Repeatedly in scripture where God has taken action in judgement there is a message of restoration as well.  We see this worked out in the history of Old Testament Israel and Judah. The ‘Sons of Korah’ (descendants) are an illustration of this.  They were musical worship leaders appointed by David and would lead processions to worship God.  ‘I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng’. ^{Ps 42.4} The Sons of Korah were the composers and authors of the first eight psalms in Book 2 of Psalms. A feature of their writing was the use of Elohim (God) in preference to Yahweh (Lord). This represents a change from David’s use of Lord (Yahweh) in Book 1. Whilst we cannot be certain of the reason for this it may reflect the fear of the Lord, as in their family history, as possibly Yahweh, the great Name, was thought too holy for common use.

As we progress in our reflections in Book 2 of Psalms we will find the theme of lament occurs repeatedly. From this we can gain comfort that bringing our sorrows, regrets, disappointments and griefs to God is a positive thing to do. Even in our saddest of times we can worship the Lord in honesty.

How conscious are we of the holiness and greatness of God?

Are we able to give thanks for the times the Lord has restored our relationship with him?

Can we support someone else in finding restoration through the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ?

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom – Tommy Walker

Titus

Some of the content draws upon but not exclusively on the ESV Global Study Bible.

Titus was written to one man on a relatively small Mediterranean island in an ancient Roman Grecian culture.  How is this applicable now in a global context?

Titus was a principal member of the second generation of the early church leaders.  He was converted under the ministry of an apostle and as such received primary source teaching. He was exposed to firsthand accounts of Jesus life and teaching. Now it was his role to pass on the same teaching, however as we know oral traditions are subject to variation as the accounts are passed on. The Apostles therefore left written accounts for permanent reference although in many cases they were assisted by other disciples who brought their clerical and research skills to bear, such as Mark and Luke.

Paul’s letter to Titus whilst it was a personal letter was also an open letter intended to be shared with the churches.  It gave authority to Titus’ teaching and responsibilities. The concluding blessing of grace ^3.15 is for the church as a whole and implies it was to be read to the entire church. It was in a sense a bit like a modern job description, openly disclosed, so that all will understand the parameters of the job.

Titus places the current age in the context of redemptive history. God promises eternal life before time, ^{v 1.2} he then reveals the grace of God keeping that promise through Jesus Christ’s first appearance, ^{v 2.11} he also speaks of Christ’s appearing as a future event as our blessed hope, ^{v 2.13} that is, his second coming.

Titus’ message that sound teaching leads to God pleasing lives is not time or culturally restricted, whether people are currently embroiled in false teaching or are church leaders. Titus contains three universal themes: doctrine fuels godliness, ^{v 1.1} the character qualities required for church leadership ^{vv 1.6-9} and the twin connected gospel messages of grace and obedience. ^{vv 2.11-14}

In the light of the above teaching the contemporary church is called to, ‘devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need.’ ^{v 3.14} The broad scope of the whole bible’s gospel message encompasses that, ‘humans are made in God’s image and human life therefore has intrinsic worth and dignity.’ ^{ESV global study bible}

So what things globally would now be included in urgent need?

The provision of basic needs such as clean water and sanitation, the welfare of unborn and young children, universal education, protection from war and violence, the capacity to be heard and understood, a right to flourish mentally, physically and intellectually and the capacity to live free from personal oppression including forced marriage and FGM.

What makes the Christian response to urgent need distinctive? It is the combining of the gospel life with the gospel message, aptly represented by Christian missionary, aid and development charities. Paul’s letter to Titus summons us to a life of self-giving love as we walk with Jesus, “who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works” (ESV study bible).

Create in me a clean heart, O God

Titus 3.1-8, 13-14

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was ill and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” _{Mathew 25.36-36}

During the 19^th Century many of the great social reformers were inspired by their Christian faith and a clear perception that should Christ return they wanted to be about his work. Such characters as Elizabeth Fry, Lord Shaftesbury, William Wilberforce and Thomas Barnardo. Modern Society has significantly changed, we have the welfare state, the NHS, a minimum wage and legislation to protect children and vulnerable adults. Is there then a place for distinctively Christian good works?

The Trussell Trust is an example of a contemporary Christian charity rooted in the person of Jesus and his teachings. They provide an example of what contemporary Christian good works can look like. Their passion comes from God’s passion for opposing injustice. They stand in solidarity with their clients placing their wellbeing as their highest priority. Their work is not only face to face service but it is also advocating for the poor and needy as well as holding to account those who are in power. They are creative and innovative in their approaches. Through carefully listening to their clients they seek to empower the powerless.

But if we grasp that our personal salvation does not come from good works we do, why should we be so devoted to good works? Paul explains that it’s source is the understanding of what Jesus has done for us. He reminds us of the transforming work God had done in the lives of believers. ‘For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slave to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another.’ ^{Titus 3.3} From this state Jesus took compassion on us, ‘But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his great mercy, by the washing and regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.’ ^Titus 3.4-5 It is the regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit that is the motivator and empowerer of good works. As heirs of Jesus Christ we fix our hope on eternal life through the grace of God. ^{Titus 3.7} It was this motivation that drove on the 19^th Century reformers and it is the same motivation for the Christian church today. As Paul puts it, ‘So those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works.’ ^{Titus 3.8}

Good works are not limited to organisational activities, they are to permeate our personal lives and the needs of the fellowship. Paul urges Titus and the church in Crete to care for the Christian workers Zenas and Apollos, seeing they lack nothing. ^{Titus 3.13} Good works are clearly the calling for all believers. Paul adds, ‘Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.’ ^{Titus 3.14}

Have we asked the Holy Spirit to continue his regenerative work in our lives?
How do we stand alongside those in urgent need?
Can we be an advocate for justice?
Lord we long for you – (heal our nation)