Day: October 29, 2019

October 2019

…since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God; they are now justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a sacrifice of atonement by his blood, effective through faith. (Romans 3:23-25a)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

As we celebrate the Reformation each October, we can be tempted into commemorating a historical era. While the ‘Protestant Reformation’ is indeed an era in the history books, reformation cannot be relegated into the past. Reformation is an ongoing movement and work of the Holy Spirit that continues in our lives and in our world.

God did not cease His salvific work. We do not cease being changed by God. We are re-formed regularly. Our faith is re-formed. Our congregations are re-formed. The Holy Spirit continues to influence our lives and our choices – re-forming the people whom God has called and chosen. We pray that we do not remain static – and God’s ongoing Reformation continues in us and among us. We pray that all the world be able to confess with the full confidence of the Holy Spirit … Jesus Christ is Lord!

The grace and peace of God which h surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla

…because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.  (Romans 10:9-10)

November 2019

1O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1-3, 26)

Dear brothers & sisters in Christ,

Grace and peace to you from God our Father and Jesus Christ the Lord and Savior. Amen.

God’s steadfast love endures forever. God’s mercy endures forever. God’s lovingkindness endures forever. His faithful love will last forever. God’s love never fails. …his love is eternal. His love endures forever. No matter how you translate it from the Hebrew – God’s love lasts longer than we can imagine. The Psalmist repeats that promise – over and over again. All 26 verses of the Psalm follow the same pattern. Give thanks to the Lord or God did (insert praiseworthy action), his steadfast love endures forever.

The repetition drives home the main point of the Psalm – God’s everlasting love. Traditionally, the verses were/are sung (chanted) in a call and response structure by half verse. A cantor sings the first half of the verse, and the congregation responds with the second half – God’s love endures forever. Thereby obligating the congregation to repeat (26 times) a refrain extolling the eternal nature of divine love. The repetition of the promise commits it to memory.

The Psalmist is using liturgical tradition and ritual to form faith. By continually reciting the truth about God’s love, the people come to believe and trust that truth. Their recitation fortifies their faith.

Even if they manage to forget the rest of the Psalm – the congregation should remember, ‘God’s steadfast love endures forever’ after singing or reciting Psalm 136.

Imagine a Psalm 136. ‘quiz’ (answers in parenthesis).

  • To whom do we give thanks? (God.)
  • What lasts forever? (God’s love and mercy.)
  • How long does God’s love endure? (Forever.)
  • Why do we give God thanks? (His love endures forever.)

It should be fairly easy to ace such a quiz after reciting the Psalm just once. The repetition drills God’s steadfast love into our consciousness – individually and collectively. God’s love for each of you as individuals endures forever. God’s love for you as a community endures forever. Reciting Psalm 136 drills that promise into us.

Many sports or other activities do drills to create ‘muscle memory.’ The goal is to change a desired reaction into a natural reflex. For example, a ball player wants his or her body to automatically react a certain way to match the circumstances. If a fly ball is coming, the mitt goes up not down.

Psalm 136 is a drill to put the promise of God’s steadfast love into our ‘spirit memory.’ Our spirits ‘remember’ “God’s steadfast love endures forever’ even when our minds are not consciously trying to remember. The sentiment that God’s love is eternal is always there within reach. It goes with us and strengthens us when we need it. Like ‘muscle memory’ reflexes, our ‘spirit memory’ reflex pops into action whenever the circumstances dictate its necessity. In the trials and tribulations of our lives (and in all the in-between times) our spirits know – “His steadfast love endures forever.” The promise is sure.

The grace and peace of God which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

In Christ,

Pastor Carla