Author: David Fortune

The summer season is almost here. For some it has already started, while others haven’t given it much thought. Thanks to the lingering covid restrictions this summer will again be different. Keeping the rhythm between work and rest remains important. It is a necessary component to staying healthy in body, soul, and spirit.  God provided the pattern for us during the week of creation. For six days God was at work and on the seventh he rested. When he formed the nation of Israel, he commanded them to keep the Sabbath because in Egypt they didn’t have the freedom to rest.  “Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.” (Dt. 5:15) The children of Israel were also commanded to take time to celebrate feasts and festivals. These occasions offered a chance to take a break from the ordinary and get in touch with God and others.   In our digital world it is difficult to really disconnect from the office and our work. It is vital that we do so in order to:   Renew our body through rest – we are physically limited  Refresh our soul by enjoying family time, doing something fun, being creative – we must engage with others and with the world around us  Replenish our spirit though time with the Lord – we need to hear his voice and know his presence  Don’t put off a time of rest because you are waiting for some future date. Put something in your calendar for this summer and take a break. The work will never be finished, it’s a merciless slave driver. God offers his people rest and refreshment, we can trust him when he encourages us to “come away and rest for a while.” (Mark 6:31)   

For many people, June marks the end of the school year and perhaps means it is time for graduation. It is nice to feel a sense of accomplishment and to have the opportunity to move on. While there is normally an end to our formal education, we should never stop learning.   We refer to ourselves as disciples of Jesus. The meaning of the Greek word is really ‘a learner.’ When we follow Jesus, we begin a lifelong learning process called discipleship. Jesus calls us, he says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.” (Matthew 11:29, NIV). When we follow Jesus, we are learning about him and from him. We should continue to do so as long as we have breath. So why do so many Christians stop learning and growing in their faith walk? Perhaps it is to avoid looking foolish. Maybe it is just laziness. Or, have we not understand that following Jesus means we have an obligation to continue growing? Perhaps we think we are already transformed enough. Whatever the case, whatever your age, remember God’s kingdom is big and you have not fully arrived yet. If you don’t know where to start, just begin by asking Jesus what he wants to show you today.

Many years ago, I was given a little book of questions. Great questions can help us think and process the different options and opportunities that lie before us. Great questions can help us evaluate the direction of our life and whether we are heading the right way. Great questions can help us imagine a better future or solution to our problems. Jesus knew the power of asking a good question and making people think. Here are just a few examples: What do you think? (Matthew 18:12) Why worry, doubt or be afraid? (Matthew 6:28) Why are you thinking evil thoughts? (Matthew 9:4) Do you believe I can do this? (Matthew 9:28) Do you know what I have done for you? (Matthew 21:42) What do you want? (Matthew 20:21) Who do you say that I am? (Matthew 16:15) You get the idea. Jesus invited his listeners to give thought to his words and to consider for themselves what he was sharing. Over the years, I have held onto my little book of questions and referred to it on many occasions, especially when challenged with different decisions. Good questions can also spur us on spiritually. There is one question from the little book that always challenges me personally, and I will share it here for your consideration: What three changes in me would most please God in heaven? Something to think about this week.

You might not know it from the weather we have been having but it’s spring. It seems like we are getting all of April’s showers in the month of May. Despite the wet and cloudy days this is a season for planting, working the soil and getting seeds into the ground. There is a certain act of faith to planting seeds. We know how it is supposed to work. The seeds go in the ground, germinate, begin to grow, and eventually produce fruit or flowers to be enjoyed. Yet, when that seed goes in the ground it is hard to see the evidence of what will be. Every year people continue to plant seeds in the belief that a harvest will be reaped. Jesus compared this to the Kingdom in Mark 4:26-29: He also said, “This is what the kingdom of God is like. A man scatters seed on the ground. Night and day, whether he sleeps or gets up, the seed sprouts and grows, though he does not know how. All by itself the soil produces grain—first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head. As soon as the grain is ripe, he puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come.” We live in a world of ‘on-demand delivery’ and ‘instant results.’ We aren’t terribly patient with taking time for things to grow. Our own spiritual growth can frustrate us. Jesus’ short parable reminds us that God is at work even when we don’t see it or understand it. But know this, we will reap a harvest based on the seeds we sow. Good gardening takes patience, effort, and time but the results come because God is at work in his creation and in our lives. Don’t lose hope if the harvest hasn’t come yet, good things take time.

A few years ago, a friend remarked that he wished his church was a New Testament church. In a moment of sarcastic response, I asked him which one he would prefer. There was the carnal church in Corinth with its immorality problems. The church in Galatia was legalistic. A social division between different personalities was hindering unity in Philippi. Even the church in Jerusalem, which had experienced many blessings was troubled by deception (Acts 5) and arguments over who was getting preferential treatment (Acts 6). My point was that even in the New Testament it was hard to find a church that didn’t have some issues. An old preacher I knew used to joke, “You’ll never find a perfect church. And if you do, do not join it. You’ll ruin it!” It is not wrong to have high expectations of a local church, a community of people who profess to follow Jesus and live out his way of life. We forget that we still live on this side of heaven. Christian believers are in the process of being sanctified, we aren’t perfect yet, and neither is the church, universal or local. Often, we hold others and the church to higher standards than our own. We excuse our mistakes, but we won’t tolerate them from others. The truth is church life can be messy and disappointing because the church is made up of people, like us. The body of Christ is fully divine and fully human. It is the human part we have trouble with and until the return of Christ, always will. Christians should not withhold their participation because the church is imperfect. We are all called to minister to one another.  To engage and take part, to learn and to model, to receive healing while we help others find the same. A better church community starts with each one of us recognizing what we are contributing to the greater whole. Owning our behavior, acknowledging our limitations, and showing up to be responsible will make the church a healthier place all around. Sure, there will always be something to critique but keeping the right attitude will help all of us stay focused on what is most important. A church that practices Ephesians 4:2 sounds attractive to me: “Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other’s faults because of your love.” (Ephesians 4:2, NLT)

She was thrilled. Her son was admitted to Harvard.  He would be a success. But then, he dropped out. A dropout for a son. Now she was embarrassed. He was a failure. No one hires a dropout. It took many years before Mrs. Gates was able to see that perhaps her attitudes around success and failure needed to be adjusted. Her son, Bill, was a smart guy and he chose a different path. Eventually, he was given an honorary degree from Harvard but not until long after his little company, Microsoft, had proven it was successful. Where do we get our ideas about success and failure? Why are we so quick to feel something was one or the other? We use these rather vague labels to define not only events but often people. And who is to be the judge? Some people will tell you that their ‘failures’ in life only made them stronger and led to better outcomes. Others will say that ‘success’ ruined their lives and only made them miserable. Our focus on success or failure is most often shaped by the culture around us rather than by our Biblical understanding of what it means to be a child of God. He is far more forgiving of our failures than we might think. He is far less impressed with our successes than we might hope. When we are confident in his love, we find it much easier to enjoy life without being labelled by the world around us. The writer of Proverbs asked that God give him neither poverty nor riches, but just his daily bread. Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you    and say, ‘Who is the Lord?’Or I may become poor and steal,    and so dishonor the name of my God. (Proverbs 30:8-9) When we are trusting God for all our provision, he knows just what we need.

“Sound travels slowly. Sometimes the things you say when your kids are teenagers don’t reach them till they’re in their forties.” (Anon) That’s a funny quote but it doesn’t just apply to teenagers. We all have the ability to exercise selective hearing at times. It is easy to tune out the sounds, or sound advice, that we do not like. As adults, who say we desire to follow Jesus, we are often cautious in obeying his commands. For example, why is it that when reading Luke 6:27-31 we want to add a number of exceptions to Jesus’ words? “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. Do to others as you would have them do to you.” Our tendency, after reading this, is to say, “Well, what Jesus really meant was…” or “I don’t think Jesus had my current situation in mind when he said that so I can just…” It is a hard passage and there is no question that it goes against our nature. However, our Christian discipleship demands that we wrestle with these words of Jesus. He was not giving us helpful advice we could use in some circumstances where we think it might be helpful. He was telling us what exactly it means to follow after him. Sound travels slowly. Words spoken 2000 years are still reaching us today. The question is, what do we do when we finally hear them?  

I have encouraged our congregation to read through the Psalms during January and February this year. We are almost done. If you have been tracking along, congratulations. I know it’s been a lot of reading, but I believe God’s word strengthens and supports us in ways we do not always see at the time.   While many of Psalms were written by David, he wasn’t the final editor of the book. The current arrangement of the chapters was done following Israel’s return from Babylon when they began to place greater emphasis on the Scriptures. From there it has been handed down to each generation who have found the songs and prayers to be of great comfort and encouragement. The Psalms were divided into five books, like the books of the Torah. Each book, or section, involved different themes and types of Psalms. Book Five, from Psalm 107 to 150 focuses on God’s presence among his people and gives thanks for bringing Israel out of the Babylonian captivity. Today’s reading is Psalm 137 to 139 and illustrates how the chapters were arranged to help people remember and give thanks. Psalm 137 finds them in Babylon, longing for home and everything that is normal. There is anger and frustration at their captivity. They are afraid of forgetting their homeland, and wonder “How do we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” (137:4) Going onto Psalm 138 we hear thanks to God for hearing their prayer. “I called, you answered me, my strength of soul you increased.” (138:3) There is a recognition that “in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life.” (138:7) Then the reader comes to Psalm 139 as the writer ponders “Where can I go from your presence?” (139:7) It’s a hymn to the fact that God is ever present and no matter what we go through, he sees it all and he is never far from us. This is an amazing statement of trust and faith in the Lord. In our current season, we might feel the frustration of captivity in our homes. We are not used to restrictions on our comings and goings. There can be that sense of ‘how do we worship God during a pandemic when we can’t even gather together to sing?’ This is why it is so helpful to pray along with the Psalms. To remind ourselves that God truly is good and hears our prayers. Furthermore, he is very near to us, he sees us in our sitting and standing, when we are on Zoom calls and when we get bored. Even when we are on mute, God hears our prayers. And our prayer is like David’s, “lead me in the way everlasting.” (139:24)

For most people, whether driving a car or navigating through life, we like to see where we are going. It is helpful to see the road clearly and to be able to anticipate what lies ahead. When we know what is coming next, we can adjust our speed. When we can see the road conditions, we know how carefully we need to drive.  If it is dark or foggy the road is difficult to see. Thankfully, our cars come equipped with headlights and this allows us to see down the road. We can’t see all the way to our destination but the lights allow us to see just far enough ahead that we can keep moving forward. The lights keep us on the road, keeps us from going in a ditch and this gets us there safely. Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible, is all about the word of God. Almost every verse refers to God’s word by using terms like – ‘word’, ‘way’, ‘law’, ‘precepts’, ‘commands’ and, ‘promises’. The writer praises God’s word and describes the benefits readers receive. Your word is a lamp for my feet,    a light on my path. (Psalm 119:105) It is by the light of God’s word that we can see our way forward, enough for every day. We do not see the full path, we do not see all the twists and turns that will come at us in life, but we can see enough of the path to keep ongoing. Scripture gives us sufficient wisdom and direction for the present moment. As we move forward more will be revealed. And that is plenty to get us home.

Reading through the Psalms can present a number of challenges. First, there is the cultural distance between our day and a millennium before the birth of Christ.  While human emotions and desires have not changed, many of the references and illustrations in the Psalms don’t naturally resonate with us. Second, is the form of poetry. While some folks enjoy poetry many people today are not used to reading it. Hebrew poetry has its own rules and forms which we don’t understand, making it harder for us to make sense of some passages. Finally, there is the whole area of translation. Anyone living in a foreign culture knows that word-for-word translation seldom leads to clarity of message. Bible translators strive to stay faithful to the original wording yet want to convey a more meaningful understanding of the Biblical verse. This is why reading from more than one Bible translation can help us understand a passage better.   For example, I’ve heard a few sermons based on Psalm 101 and verse 3. The reading from the New Kings James Bible says, “I will set nothing wicked before my eyes.” (Ps. 101:3 NKJV) For some preachers this meant that we should not watch television, or at least be very selective in our viewing.  The point of the verse, I was told, was to be careful about what I looked at with my eyes. Indeed, this is a Biblical truth but not totally what this verse means. Looking at the same verse in the New International Version indicates that there is a broader idea being expressed. “I will not look with approval on anything that is vile.” (Ps. 101:3 NIV) Both are considered good translations, but we can see how the choice of words might affect our interpretation. In fact, when we look at the context of this Psalm, we understand that David isn’t just talking about what he looks at with his eyes. He’s using a figure of speech, an expression about evaluating what is good or evil. He is saying that as king, he will not look favorably on evil or those that do evil. This Psalm is about David’s commitment to serving God and administering justice and mercy. So, if you find yourself confused by some of the Psalms you encounter, take a moment and read it in a different translation. It often helps us to get a fuller understanding of the Word.