Moment's Reflection Sept 14, 2022
by Dr. Dan Jones on September 14, 2022
“O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy.” -Psalm 98:1, 8
As we were putting together this month’s newsletter, our office administrator texted me.
“Dan, I’m putting together the front page about the Stewardship Campaign and noticed that the passage refers to ‘floods.’ Given the recent floods in our area, do you think we should change that?”
Uber-pastoral minded Dan is inclined to say, “Yes. Absolutely. Change it. The last thing we want to do is use a word that evokes a traumatizing emotional experience.”
“Let the flood clap their hands,” the Psalmist says. “Let the hills sing together for joy.” What kind of passage is that? “Floods” and “clap their hands” in the context of joy. It seems out of place in a yearly campaign that tries to motivate folk to give by doing everything possible to promote joy and hope.
And yet, this is precisely the point of the passage. In God’s world, because of God’s rule, even the otherwise destructive powers of a mighty flood pause in their paths to clap their hands and join all creation in singing a song of God’s joy.
It would be great to live in a world where there are no floods, or pandemics, or illness, or rising inflation, or wars, or rumors of war, of worries that keep us up at night. And yet, this is the reality of the lives we inhabit. Just as we need to train our eyes to “praise God from whom all blessings flow,” so too we discipline our souls to behold God’s compassionate and faithful presence in the places where such song isn’t our first inclination.
This October 9, during morning worship, we’ll set aside a day to remember that God is Lord of all creation, of all the moments of life. On that day, I’ll invite you to promise to give to the Church’s continued ministry in 2023.
None of us can guarantee what the next year will bring. But that can’t be the premise of our faithful giving. The motivation is based on a certainty that, as the Psalmist preaches, God helps us be victorious in all circumstances of life.
Sometimes we do sing it, “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future.” If perchance you’ve forgotten to sing this song of faith, sing it anew this Consecration Sunday. -Dr. Dan, Consecration Sunday 2022
Click here to read the rest of the September 2022 newsletter
backAs we were putting together this month’s newsletter, our office administrator texted me.
“Dan, I’m putting together the front page about the Stewardship Campaign and noticed that the passage refers to ‘floods.’ Given the recent floods in our area, do you think we should change that?”
Uber-pastoral minded Dan is inclined to say, “Yes. Absolutely. Change it. The last thing we want to do is use a word that evokes a traumatizing emotional experience.”
“Let the flood clap their hands,” the Psalmist says. “Let the hills sing together for joy.” What kind of passage is that? “Floods” and “clap their hands” in the context of joy. It seems out of place in a yearly campaign that tries to motivate folk to give by doing everything possible to promote joy and hope.
And yet, this is precisely the point of the passage. In God’s world, because of God’s rule, even the otherwise destructive powers of a mighty flood pause in their paths to clap their hands and join all creation in singing a song of God’s joy.
It would be great to live in a world where there are no floods, or pandemics, or illness, or rising inflation, or wars, or rumors of war, of worries that keep us up at night. And yet, this is the reality of the lives we inhabit. Just as we need to train our eyes to “praise God from whom all blessings flow,” so too we discipline our souls to behold God’s compassionate and faithful presence in the places where such song isn’t our first inclination.
This October 9, during morning worship, we’ll set aside a day to remember that God is Lord of all creation, of all the moments of life. On that day, I’ll invite you to promise to give to the Church’s continued ministry in 2023.
None of us can guarantee what the next year will bring. But that can’t be the premise of our faithful giving. The motivation is based on a certainty that, as the Psalmist preaches, God helps us be victorious in all circumstances of life.
Sometimes we do sing it, “Because he lives, I can face tomorrow. Because he lives, all fear is gone. Because I know he holds the future.” If perchance you’ve forgotten to sing this song of faith, sing it anew this Consecration Sunday. -Dr. Dan, Consecration Sunday 2022
Click here to read the rest of the September 2022 newsletter
