Where Do You Go for Protection from Unhealthy Fear?

When my spiritual director suggested I pray the psalms, our loving God soon gave me a new meaning for “enemy “... and a place to go for protection from my enemies. 

The psalms are filled with enemies, and although I may not have enemies in the same way the people and kings of ancient Israel had them, I have them in my head. Those Falsehoods Experienced as Reality, that Rev. Donna spoke of during Lent, are everywhere…and they are heavily armed.  

Remembering Donna’s teachings, I'm referring to unhealthy fear, of course, not the healthy fear that causes us to take action to protect ourselves against speeding cars and food poisoning. When Jesus advised us not to worry, I'm pretty sure he wasn't referring to healthy fear. 

I wonder if the very human Jesus experienced unhealthy fear and worry? If so, where did he go for protection? Where do you go for protection? 

Perhaps Jesus prayed Psalm 27.  On Sunday, we will sing and read some excerpts from Psalm 27:

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
    yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
to live in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
    and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will set me high on a rock.

Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud,
    be gracious to me and answer me!
“Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!”
    Your face, Lord, do I seek.
    Do not hide your face from me.

Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.

I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living.

If we seek his face, the Lord who loves us and is always present with us and our fear, hides us in his shelter.

Why Does God Want to be Present With Us?

I’ve been thinking this week about one of God’s promises to us - his promise to be always near.  It’s an amazing promise, really, this idea that no matter where we are or what we are doing, he is always with us, always present…with all of us at the same time! 

You might remember one of the songs we sang last week - it mentions his presence four times!

You are holy, you are whole.

You are always ever more

than we ever understand.

You are always at hand.

Blessed are you coming near.

Blessed are you coming here

to your church in wine and bread,

Raised from soil, raised from dead.

 

You are holy, you are wholeness; 

you are present.

Let the cosmos praise you, Lord!

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, our Lord.

What is God doing when he is present with us, I wonder?  Why does he want to be present with us?  How does this promise make you feel?  Have you ever wanted to be with someone all of the time?  If so, why?

Our scripture reading for this week (Romans 8. 22-28 MSG) also mentions God’s presence:

All around us we observe a pregnant creation.  The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it's not only around us; it's within us. The Spirit of God is arousing us within. We're also feeling the birth pangs. These sterile and barren bodies of ours are yearning for full deliverance. That is why waiting does not diminish us, any more than waiting diminishes a pregnant mother. We are enlarged in the waiting. We, of course, don't see what is enlarging us.  But the longer we wait, the larger we become, and the more joyful our expectancy.

Meanwhile, the moment we get tired in the waiting, God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter.  He does our  praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God.  That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.

I hope to see you on Sunday (at 10AM in the Dogwood Room) for worship on Sunday - in the presence of our Lord.

Can We Ever Love Like God Does?

The Last Supper- John August Swanson

On the night that he was betrayed, Jesus shared bread and wine with his close friends…a symbolic Passover meal, and yet one like no other. With a new metaphor they didn't yet understand, he tried to explain (again), that his love was so great, he was giving his body and blood - his life. 

“Do this in remembrance of me”, he said.

We will do this on Sunday, and read about human love from the letter of Paul to the Corinthians 13. 1-7 (MSG)

​​If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.

If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.

If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.

Paul is pretty clear here that nothing is as important as love…not what we say, what we believe or what we do. 

Why is love so hard for us?  Can we ever love enough?

Can we ever love like God does? Can we grasp the size of God's love for us that he would die for us and then continue to love us despite our failure to love?

Come and experience the Lord's compassionate mercy at his Table on Sunday, as we gather for Holy Communion and Worship. (10AM in the Dogwood Room)

Open our hearts Lord

Help us to love like you

Open our hearts Lord

Help us to love

       - Jesse Manibusan