Scripture

Chariots and horses

/ The Pastor

Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

I read this verse this morning and almost chuckled at the fact that some people actually trusted in chariots and horses (otherwise the psalmist would not have mentioned it).  Obviously he is referring to those who trust in the military might and strength; making them their god.   But upon further reflection, I began to wonder how the psalmist might write this verse if he were living in the United States today.

Hmmm…

Some trust in __________ (how would you fill in the blank?)
Education
Money
Smartphones (I almost hesitate to write this since this describes me)
Friends
Doctrine
Family
Etc, etc, etc…

Of course I could go on.  And now I am no longer chuckling.

In seminary I had a professor that said “Anything you fear more than God has become your god.”  And I think we can put trust in that quote and get the same meaning. “Anything/Anyone you trust more than God has become your god.”  When I write it that way I get a little nervous and a little shifty in my chair…because it is true.

How many gods do you have in your life?  I know I have a few (which I am not proud of).  Now all of a sudden I am less judgmental towards those who trusted in chariots and horses.

In scripture we read about people who trusted in the name of the Lord our God.  They were fulfilled and happy.  They felt safe and secure.  And why not?  When God, the creator of the universe, is your god then you have a God who is above all things…and all gods.  The things and people we trust in this life more than God can not do for us what God can.  The things and people in this life can not give us life beyond this one; they can not give us hope; they can not give us strength.  Holding onto my smartphone may give me comfort; for I have instant access to the world, but nothing can compare to holding onto God who IS the world.

Let us place our trust in the Lord our God and not in gods. Amen!

-edh-

God vs. Man

/ The Pastor

Proverbs 29:25 says “Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.”

Brings up an interesting question, doesn’t it?  Who do we fear more ~ God or man?  Who’s opinion do we care about more~ God’s or man’s?  Who do we try to please more~ God or man?  Who’s direction do we follow more~ God’s or man’s?

I can’t help but think (and confess) that I fall into the trap of trying to please people in my life more than God.  It is almost like I am more afraid of their judgment of me more than God’s.  Maybe it is because man’s judgment of us is more immediate in some ways.  Maybe it is because we choose to give people in our lives more power than they should have so we feel the need to listen to them and consider seriously what they say.  Sometimes we are afraid of letting people down.  Sometimes we consider their experience and knowledge more valuable than God’s.

But Proverbs tells us that it is not wise to rely on (or fear) man over God.  People in this life may want the best for us but they do not see the whole picture ~ God does.  People in this life may think they are wise, but that wisdom is foolishness compared to God.  People in this life have their agendas but God’s plan is perfect.  Some people in this life want to have power over us but God is the one in control.

I am not saying that we ignore people in our lives.  God does work through people in this world to accomplish His purposes.  The issue at hand is this:  Who do we fear more?  Basically…when a major decision is upon us we need to seek out God first and try to determine what GOD wants us to do.  Maybe that is through other people, but in the end, the fear of God is what leads to wisdom.  The fear of man is nothing more than a snare.

[I just love it when God is this timely with what I am reading in scripture 🙂  God is indeed faithful.]

Praise be to God and Amen!

-edh-

Proverbs 28:5

/ The Pastor

The text that caught my attention this morning was Proverbs 28:5.  Here’s what it says:

“Evildoers do not understand what is right, but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.”

One of the reasons I am reading scripture is this verse.  The fact of the matter is that I am an evildoer; a sinner.

We all are.

And the only way I can come to a true understanding of right and wrong is through seeking out God.  I have my own version of right and wrong but it often conflicts with God ~ so I need to seek out God and learn from Him.

God is the one who sets me straight.
God is the one who convicts me.
God is the one to teaches me.
God is the one who guides me.
God is the one who LOVES me.

I need God’s direction and wisdom ~ we all do.  Seek God out and learn His ways.  Don’t try to speculate rather hear it from the Authority ~ the Creator of the universe who is madly in love with you.

-edh-

Psalm 13

/ The Pastor

Today’s assigned Bible readings were many: 2 chapters from Leviticus (which is always a challenging book to read but one not to be ignored), 2 Psalms, a chapter from Proverbs (which has some great pieces of wisdom) and from 1 Thessalonians.  Normally there are only 4 chapters a day to read during this plan.

Today it is not a single verse or two that capture my attention but the entirety of Psalm 13 which I included below:

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2     How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and every day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me?
3     Look on me and answer, O Lord my God.
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death;
4     my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
and my foes will rejoice when I fall.
5     But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation.
6     I will sing to the Lord,
for he has been good to me.

Verses 1 – 4 contain a lament/complaint to God.  The psalmist is wondering when God will answer him and act.  The psalmist feels alone, is wrestling with sorrow, is in a dark place and feels the whole world is against him.

When haven’t WE been there?

But then the psalmist closes with some incredible words of faith.  He trusts in God’s unfailing love and rejoices in God’s salvation. And if that is not enough the psalmist will sing to the lord for the Lord has been good to him.  Despite what is going on the psalmist maintains his faith.

My prayer is that when times get tough for me I may remember that God has been good to me through sending Jesus to die and rise that I may live.  Even though I may feel alone at times; even though I may feel like the whole world is against me, God is for me.  God is with me.  God has been good to me.  And God has not forgotten about me.  I pray I may always remember this that I may praise God in the good and the bad.  For God has been and will always be good to you and to me.

Praise be to God!

-edh-

Reading through the Bible

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

A couple months ago I started a reading program that will take me through the Bible in a year.  I have started programs like this before but have always gotten behind…and eventually stopped because I got so far behind.  But so far I am still going strong.  I begin each morning by reading my “assigned” texts on my Droidx smartphone and then I post a verse or two to Facebook; verse(s) that have caught my attention.  But when I have done that I usually don’t make any comments about those verse(s); no explanation of why they caught my attention.  My plan here is to offer a few words on this blog of why those texts hit me on a particular day.  I might not post something everyday but I do plan to use this as a spiritual discipline in helping me engage scripture more deeply.

But before I begin this particular spiritual discipline I want to say a couple words about the spiritual discipline of scripture reading.  I know there are many of you out there that read scripture daily (or often).  But I also know there are many out there that don’t.  Allow me to encourage you today to either continue or to begin.

Each day when I read my 4 to 5 chapters I always (and I mean always) encounter something meaningful.  God uses those morning moments to speak to me.  Each morning a particular verse grabs my heart and it becomes clear that I need to share it.  This morning it was Proverbs 25:21-22 which reads as follows:

“If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the Lord will reward you.”

Even though there is a “burning coals” aspect of this text in relation to my “enemies” I still find this text challenging.  It is usually easier to turn away from your enemies and ignore their plight.  It is tempting to think that helping one’s enemies is a sign of weakness.  But in the eyes of God it is not weakness but rather strength and a sign of the love of God in your life.  It puts God in control.  How your enemies react to your kindness is not your problem.  This text challenges me, not just today, but everyday.  But even so I am glad God hit me with this today.  And I hope God strengthens me to show this kind of awesome love to all.

So…you don’t read scripture?  Get to it.  God is waiting to share some incredible truths with you as well.

Praise be to God!

-edh-

A day off

/ The Pastor

Wow…I get a day off today, but it is not what you think.

I have this Bible app (YouVersion) for my Droid X smart phone.  It’s a great little app.  It has a few different versions of the Bible.  I can bookmark favorite passages.  I can share favorite passages with Facebook and Twitter.  I can make notes on my favorite passages.  I like this app…but there is a glaring flaw.

Another feature of this app is that it contains a number of different Bible reading plans (devotional, partial Bible, topical, whole Bible and youth).  One of the plans I have subscribed to is a Lenten plan.  It has a short thought to consider and then a couple texts to read each day…almost.

Well…today I signed in to read my text and this is what I found: Sundays are days off in this reading plan, as they are traditionally not considered a part of Lent.  Every Sunday is a “mini-Easter”, when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ and his victory over sin and death…”

I have no problem with that part as it is true but this is what came next:  “There is no reading for today, enjoy your day off…“

Did they really tell me to enjoy my day off from reading the Bible?  So I read it again and sure enough, “…enjoy your day off…”  I have a problem with that.  True…Sundays are technically not counted in Lent but a “day off” from reading scripture?  But not just a day off but “enjoy it”?  That doesn’t make any sense whatsoever.  It almost sounds like they believe reading scripture is a chore and that they we need a break from time to time.  Maybe they are concerned that people will think that reading the Bible everyday is too much work and will be turned off from their app.

Seriously people…if you want to communicate how Sundays are not counted in Lent, fine, but at least include a “non-Lent” scripture reading (on Sunday) to encourage people to read everyday.  The Sabbath Day is a day of rest but not a day of rest from reading God’s Word.  In Matthew 4, as Jesus is weak and tired from fasting for 40 days, Jesus responds to Satan’s temptation by saying, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”  We need this word everyday…you can never get too much.  And if you are getting tired from reading God’s word (and need a break) then you’re simply reading for information (like for class) and not for nourishment.   You should never need a “day off”.

OK…I am done ranting now.  I am going to go and violate my Bible reading plan.  Hopefully I won’t get struck down 🙂

Happy reading and may God bless your day.

-edh-

Post Easter vacation ramblings

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Hi there…my name is Eric…

OK…enough of that…<“we all know you haven’t been around for a while”>.  I hope it doesn’t worry you that I was just talking to myself.  Maybe I need a longer post Easter vacation. Maybe I need some more coffee (which doesn’t sound like a bad idea).  Maybe I need…well…we could go on for a while here so I won’t bore you.

In any case…Easter is done (at least the day of Easter is, we are still in the Easter season) and my vacation is over.  Now I am back in the office and I was greeted with another death in the congregation.  Nothing quite like being thrown into the fire right away.  But hey…the life of a pastor.

I spent the morning attempting to clear off my desk (notice the word “attempting”) and now the call of this 70 degree day is tempting me to leave the office.

<Must…do…some…work…>

Wow…this post has turned strange very quickly.  Maybe I DO need some more coffee 🙂

Anyway…I just wanted to check in with you and share a couple things that you will be seeing here shortly:

(1) I am working on an adult class on Paul’s letter to the Romans.  I have always been intrigued with this book and decided I wanted to dive deeper into this with some people.

(2) I am continuing my preparations for my educational event that I will be attending in June at Virginia Theological Seminary.  I have a case study to write, a book to read and a couple congregational projects to do.  And this is all due on June 15.  I need to get to work.  I hope to share some insights with you here.

(3) More ponderings as a pastor (me) serving in a rural context.  Now that the program year is coming to a close in a month or so, I am hoping to do some more writing.

OK…enough rambling for now.  Hopefully you long time readers aren’t too worried about me.  And hopefully you first time readers aren’t being scared away.  I am really quite “normal” (whatever that means).

So with that…God bless your day…and I hope to see you again soon 🙂

Take care.

-edh-

Many But One: The Final Countdown

/ The Pastor

If you haven’t had a chance to stop by Many But One I encourage you to do so soon.  Many But One is a Lenten devotional blog being written by seven pastors (6 from the east coast area and me in the Midwest) and is scheduled to end by Easter (at least that is when we will stop posting devotions).  We have been using texts from the daily lectionary, commenting on the chosen text and then finishing with a prayer.  It has been a joy to be part of this blogging team.

To those who have stopped by…I hope Many But One has been a blessing to you.

Praise be to God!

-edh-

A Lenten blog – Many But One

/ The Pastor / 4 Comments

Happy Monday!!!

Today is February 8 and in 9 short days Lent will begin with Ash Wednesday.  So much happens during this time of the year (especially for pastors) that sometimes we don’t have time or don’t take the time to really take in all that Lent has to offer.  For us here in the Jackson, MN many churches will be participating in a Lenten round robin preaching rotation where us pastors “take our show on the road”.  It’s a time I really enjoy for I get to share Lent with 5 other congregations.  What a blessing.

Now a number of us want to share Lent with you in another way.  Starting this week there is a Lenten blog that is up and running called Many But One.  Seven pastors from various points in this country will be taking a particular day of the week to share some Lenten thoughts with you from the daily lectionary.  This week we are each submitting a post on our assigned day (mine day is Tuesday) that will introduce us.  Then, starting on Sunday, February 14, the Lenten devotionals will begin (I know, Lent doesn’t start until the 17th, but work with me here).  Each morning we will each submit our post that focuses on a text assigned for the day and follow that up with a prayer.  Feel free to leave comments and/or questions.

For me…I am looking forward to sharing Lent with 6 other people from around the country.  I hope you will join us on this Lenten journey as we walk together to the cross and celebrate at the empty tomb.

The blog is up and running so go and check out…and…happy Lent everyone.

Praise be to God!

-edh-

“And a child shall lead them”

/ The Pastor / 2 Comments

Thank you for the prayers on Sunday.  I was concerned that I would be distracted with vacation coming up and leading two completely different worship services and preaching two completely different sermons on the same morning.  But no distractions and everything went great…Praise be to God.

But here is a highlight for me from worship at Salem on Sunday.  We were praying the Lord’s Prayer when above all the other voices in the sanctuary came a voice of one my kindergarten kids;  she was praying the Lord’s Prayer as well…and with gusto…from way in the back of the sanctuary.  It put a smile on my face hearing that little voice praying and leading us….I mean how can it not.

After worship I made a comment to Olivia on how great a job she did, but her mom seemed a little embarrassed that I could hear her.  I said by no means be embarrassed…I enjoyed it immensely.  Thank you!

“…and a child shall lead them”…it’s amazing how this piece of scripture from Isaiah 11 can be so true in so many ways and in so many places.  In this particular case, Olivia lead us in the Lord’s Prayer.

Praise be to God!

-edh-