Sanctity of Lives

Sometimes it is good to take a step back from a portrait being painted to take it in as a whole. Our artist, Luke, has been painting a portrait of Jesus who cares about people, specifically, people the world overlooks. God sees and loves and saves those who believe and gives them meaning as he uses them for his glory. There are so many examples. Just recently in Luke 12:

⁶Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. ⁷Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows.

While preparing for this message I was studying at home and watching the birds at the feeders on our deck. Chickadees, doves, wrens, cardinals, finches, and sparrows are regulars. Sparrows are many bird-watchers' least favorite. They’re the brownish-grey birds at McDonalds. Fact is, biologists tell us that our "house sparrows" as they are known here, are an introduced species that originated in the middle east, are now all over the world, and are perhaps the most common wild bird on earth. Coincidental? Everyone in the world knows the sparrow as a ubiquitous, hardly noticeable, insignificant little bird. But they're not to God. He knows them all by name and provides for and prospers them. Jesus uses the lowly sparrow to illustrate how important we are to God—so much so that every single hair on our heads has an individual number. Wow.

Next week we will study vv. 22-34. Here’s a little preview, and I want to pull out one aspect that illustrates what we’ve seen from Jesus as we’ve been studying Luke 12.

²⁴Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! ^...27Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. ²⁸But if God so clothes the grass, which is alive in the field today, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you… ³²“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

We’ll unpack the whole passage more next week (there’s so much good stuff!) but I want to focus on how this reveals God’s heart for people. God loves all human lives. They are special, holy to him. Why? Because he created human beings in his own image. All other life forms and everything that makes life possible he made for us. To support human life. Not just for sustenance and survival, but for prosperity, productivity, awe, and purpose.

How important are you to him? He made you unique and wonderful, he created all things for you, he has created a plan to show you his love/forgiveness/grace by dying in your place, and he wants to give you the kingdom! And not just you.

Today is what Christians call “Sanctity of Human Life” Sunday. Yes, that's when we acknowledge that God cares for human beings, even at their most vulnerable place—beginning in the mother’s womb.

Psalm 139:13-16
¹³For you formed my inward parts;
   you knitted me together in my mother's womb.
¹⁴I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
   Wonderful are your works;
      my soul knows it very well.
¹⁵My frame was not hidden from you,
  when I was being made in secret,
      intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
   in your book were written, every one of them,
      the days that were formed for me,
      when as yet there was none of them.

God sees every human life—beginning with it’s very inception—as precious.

Here's my question:
If Christians don’t stand for life in the womb, who will?

One of the many reminders that evil is alive and well in the world is the continuing diminishment of the most innocent and vulnerable lives—unborn children. This is our age’s infanticide—an evil common to most ages (be it ancient civilizations like the Aztec, Maya, Inca, as well as some Euro-asian tribes, and seen in the Bible in ancient Egypt when Moses was born and even Israel when Herod heard of one "born King of the Jews" killed the children around Bethlehem). Abortion is ours. There have been about 60 million abortions since Roe vs. Wade. Half of them little girls, and 18 million of them black babies (that's 1/3). That's stunning.

Good news is we’re making a difference. A report released this week showed that the abortion rate has fallen 50% from it's height, to a historic low since Roe in the U.S. For the first time since 1973, under 1 million babies were aborted in a year.

One million...babies killed. Wow. We still have so far to go.

The issue of abortion is certainly not where it ends. Too many times when we hear “Sanctity of human life” we think only of the unborn. But they are not the only lives being diminished and devalued in our culture. Yes, you no doubt know that racism & sexism still exists. There seems to be a lot of conversation about these things. Of course, racism is evil. God sees no color. Of course sexism is evil. Gen. 1:27 NIV So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. We, regardless of race or sex are image-bearers of God.

Unfortunately not all the conversation regarding these hot topics is healthy. In fact, when you throw in political aspirations and people who have other self-serving agendas, we can find ourselves taking steps backward. It is important that Christians stand for truth and demonstrate God’s love to all. As bad as these things are—and they have many derivatives—I want, today, to talk (frankly and briefly) about some other denigrated people, who don’t get as much press.

•There are orphans and kids needing foster care who need parents and families to do as God has done when he pursued & adopted us as his children. Most of us never consider what it must be like to not have someone to call mom or dad. We Christians can make a difference.

Because their lives matter to God.

•Homelessness is an ongoing problem in our nation. You can’t drive to Turkey Creek or downtown without seeing homeless people. What isn’t as obvious is the brokenness and mental illness and addiction and abuse from which these people suffer. We support KARM. You can give… but you can also volunteer, serve meals, and help in many other ways.

Because their lives matter to God.

•Elderly and disabled/handicapped/infirm— Our culture seems to discard the elderly. We who are healthy forget those who are disabled or sick. This category includes people all around us, and so many times they are overlooked. Who in your life needs help, encouragement, or just a friend? 

Because their lives matter to God.

•Immigrants and refugees—Knoxville is a city that has been chosen by our government to receive refugees from war-torn parts of the world, and because of our universities and Oak Ridge, we attract people who legally are here from other parts of the world. We can welcome these people. We support KIN and Bridge, but more importantly, we want YOU to seek friendship with internationals. Most of the time they are eager for friendship. We have ESL and we need volunteers.

Because their lives matter to God.

•Addicted people. There are people in this room who have overcome addictions by God’s help. I know many who are in process. The best hope people have is Christ. One thing we want to do is create a mentoring ministry to help people overcome. Addiction is a HUGE problem in the USA. If the church isn’t the answer, what is? I am praying that God will raise up some who will lead us in meeting this need.

Because their lives matter to God.

•Victims of sex slavery- Y’all may know that I’m on the board of Street Hope. There is a real problem of especially girls pushed by pimps or sometimes family to have sex with men for drugs or money. The exploding porn industry is much behind it. I just read a 25 page report by Vanderbilt and government agencies that horrified me. There is so much pain, and we have so far to go. The church must respond to this evil, as we did in abolition.

Because their lives matter to God.

•Unborn babies and women in crisis pregnancy- now back full circle to abortion. Let’s not forget our church's first partnership. Way back in 1996 at the height of the abortion crisis, we decided to be a part of the solution in a positive way and were a founding church that supported Hope Resource Center. Many of you are a part, and we need many more. Here in Knoxville, over half of the abortion clinics have shut down since HRC began. Our prayer is that more unexpectant moms will have their babies, and that God will continue to redeem these women who find themselves in bad circumstances. This happens often at HRC. You can be a part.

Because their lives matter to God.

All these lives are precious to God.

So what can you do?

1. Repent from diminishing people. That means stop seeing them as less-than-precious. Search your heart regarding your own attitude toward others. Do you consider some as less-worthy to be image-bearers? Turn from sin to surrender. See things God’s way, embrace it, and adopt it as your own. Get off the intellectual bench and recognize all lives are precious to God and change your attitude wherever need be. Go through the categories: Do I have racist feelings? Do I have sexist feelings? Do I feel ill-will toward homeless, immigrants, addicts? Or how about this: Do I consider a gay man’s life any less important to God? Do I harbor hatred toward a transgendered person?

Here's the minefield we're in: many voices (even some "Christian" ones) are urging us to compromise. On the one hand we are urged to soften the Bible's definition of sin. We must not. On the other hand (and just as harmfully) we are urged to shrink from the Bible's call to love. We must not. On either side of Christ's hard way there are ditches of sinful compromise. What it means to be Christian is to be like Christ. Regardless of what culture says, be it the media or Hollywood or political pundits or someone at work or your parents or neighbors or anyone else. We obey Christ. That means truth AND love.

Check this out: In Ephesians chapter 4, Paul tells us that God gave leaders to equip you for ministry and to build up the church... ¹⁴so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. ¹⁵Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, Speaking the truth in love. 

We do not compromise truth. Sin is sin. BUT WE ALSO DO NOT FAIL TO LOVE. If you claim to be a Christian, and there are people who you can’t love, you need to repent. 

John Barber this week reminded me of Cory Ten Boom, a Dutch Christian who wrote The Hiding Place, who was sent along with her sister Betsie to a Nazi concentration camp for hiding Jews. After being cruelly treated by their captors, Betsie (who eventually died in the camp) made it a habit to pray for these inhuman guards who abused them and the other prisoners. Cory objected, but her sister reminded her that Christ said to pray for our enemies, and that if we look at them through Christ's eyes, we can love them.

That's what it means to be Christian.

2. Make a change in your mind to care. Do you feel indifference? I think that’s probably the more important question we should ask ourselves. Even if some of us do not have racist/sexist/condescending feelings for others. We’re so often indifferent. We’re so preoccupied with our own lives that we have no energy or concern for others. It’s time to look at people as Jesus did: with compassion. He looked at a sister who lost her brother and wept. He looked at a crowd stuck in sin and without leadership and wept. He had compassion on those who were lepers, Samaritans, gentiles, poor, blind, lame, hungry. But as Jesus demonstrated, our job doesn't end with just feeling compassion.

3. Pray. When you feel the darkness and hopelessness and anger and hurt (and you will if you change your mind from sin or indifference to surrender), you should pray. Make this an automatic response to the high blood pressure that compassionate people feel. It’s not a stress-management methodology. It’s not the least you can do. It’s the MOST you can do. Phil. 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything… Pray for those HARD to love. Pray that God will HELP you love. Ask God HOW you should show love.

4. Get in the game. Do something. Get uncomfortable. Talk with someone who’s not like you. Stop being indifferent and start loving people and showing it by your actions. Yes, you’re going to be misunderstood, so was Jesus. Yes, you’ll probably be hurt by some you try to love, so was Jesus.

If you remember earlier in Luke, a man asked Jesus what was the greatest commandment. He said, love God and love your neighbor. Remember what followed? The man asked, “Well, just who is my neighbor?” And Jesus told the parable of the good Samaritan. In it, those religious Jews who knew better walked by the beaten man on the other side of the road, indifferent. They were content to let him die. But thankfully for the man, a Samaritan—a hated, half-breed, unclean heretic—saw the man, had compassion, and took a risk at great personal cost to care for him unconditionally. 

Jesus said, "You go, do likewise" (Luke 10:37).

You who know better—you Christians—don’t walk by on the other side of the road. The greatest witness of Christ and the reality of the Gospel is Christians who love with their actions.

Give toward impacting these problems. Your missions giving through Providence helps these ministries. But don’t stop there. Volunteer in these ministries.

And look for ways to be Christ to those image-bearers around you who are diminished by others.

One more devotional in Psalm 119

We usually study the Bible at Providence Church. Right now we're studying about the Bible. While doing so on Sundays, on the weekdays we're devotionally studying the longest chapter of the Bible, Psalm 119. It, too, is about the Bible. 

Psalm 119:145-152 (Qoph)

Today’s stanza, perhaps more than any other in this longest of the Psalms, shows the great stress the psalmist is feeling. Reading the first half of the first six verses makes this clear. 

¹⁴⁵With my whole heart I cry; answer me, O Lord!

¹⁴⁶I call to you; save me,

¹⁴⁷I rise before dawn and cry for help;

¹⁴⁸My eyes are awake before the watches of the night,

¹⁴⁹Hear my voice according to your steadfast love;

¹⁵⁰They draw near who persecute me with evil purpose;

The psalmist sounds desperate! He is being hounded by people who want to hurt him. He is pleading with God to hear his cries and save him. He can’t sleep at night. His is a vivid description of situations that many of us have faced. 

Have you ever had people at your workplace try to ruin you? Have you ever been falsely accused? Have you had a boss who made you the scapegoat? Have you been the subject of a frivolous lawsuit, or a malicious rumor, or a cruel joke? Then you, no doubt, can relate to the psalmist. I can definitely relate. 

His response? 

^145…I will keep your statutes.

^146…that I may observe your testimonies.

^147…I hope in your words.

^148…that I may meditate on your promise.

He’s determined to hold firmly to God’s word, no matter what. And he is convinced that this trial is only going to give him an opportunity to know God through his word even more.

^149…O Lord, according to your justice give me life.

Because he knows God’s word, he knows God’s character. God is just. He will have the final say.

But there is one more thing he knows. And it is something that we all learn when we face trials while clinging to God’s word. He is close. Listen to how the psalmist ends this otherwise intense stanza:

¹⁵¹But you are near, O Lord,

    and all your commandments are true.

¹⁵²Long have I known from your testimonies

    that you have founded them forever.

Wow! That is a great truth. No matter how hard life gets—no matter how unfairly or cruelly we might be treated—God is near. We sense his nearness most when we hear his voice. We hear his voice when we read his word.

For Christians, hardships and injustice do not make us victims. They bring us closer to to our God who loves us. They make us better.

Another Psalm 119 Devotional

Psalm 119:105-112 (Nun)

This stanza of Psalm 119 begins with verse 105:

¹⁰⁵Your word is a lamp to my feet

    and a light to my path.

It’s probably the most familiar verse in this, the longest of the Psalms. Songs have been written that quote that verse as the primary line. One in particular came out in the 1980s that was written by Michael W. Smith and performed by Amy Grant. It was sung by a generation of Christians in worship:

Chorus: 

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.

Verse 1: 

When I feel afraid, 

And think I've lost my way 

Still, you're there right beside me 

Nothing will I fearAs long as you are near; 

Please be near me to the end.

(Chorus)

Verse 2:

I will not forget 

Your love for me and yet, 

My heart forever is wandering. 

Jesus be my guide, 

And hold me to your side, 

And I will love you to the end.

It’s amazing that a line of a Psalm written 3000 years ago can still resonate so profoundly in our hearts today. It’s because it is SO true. When I read and know God’s word, I am not stumbling in the darkness. I know there is meaning to this path I’m on. I see where I’m going. No matter what the circumstances, God gives me his light and confidence that it’s all in his plan. It’s going to be ok.

This truth was practically made known to me (as it probably was to you) when I was a new believer. When I started developing the discipline of having a quiet time and began memorizing Scripture, the darkness and fog that caused me so much fear and stress lifted regarding my life’s purpose and future. Almost suddenly, there was clarity and light! I remember thinking, “Why didn’t I see this a long time ago?” Because God’s word makes things clear.

I think the psalmist realized the same thing. You can see it in the verses following that most famous verse:

¹⁰⁶I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,

    to keep your righteous rules.

¹⁰⁷I am severely afflicted;

    give me life, O Lord, according to your word!

¹⁰⁸Accept my freewill offerings of praise, O Lord,

    and teach me your rules.

¹⁰⁹I hold my life in my hand continually,

    but I do not forget your law.

¹¹⁰The wicked have laid a snare for me,

    but I do not stray from your precepts.

No matter what life throws at us, the psalmist knows that God’s word puts everything in context, gives everything meaning, and is more valuable than anything. 

¹¹¹Your testimonies are my heritage forever,

    for they are the joy of my heart.

¹¹²I incline my heart to perform your statutes

    forever, to the end.

God, give us the same determination to make your word our joy and light.

Devotional from Psalm 119:65-72

In continuing our devotional walk through the longest chapter in the Bible, it was my turn again to write thoughts in response to the following stanza:

Teth

⁶⁵You have dealt well with your servant,

    O Lord, according to your word.

⁶⁶Teach me good judgment and knowledge,

    for I believe in your commandments.

⁶⁷Before I was afflicted I went astray,

    but now I keep your word.

⁶⁸You are good and do good;

    teach me your statutes.

⁶⁹The insolent smear me with lies,

    but with my whole heart I keep your precepts;

⁷⁰their heart is unfeeling like fat,

    but I delight in your law.

⁷¹It is good for me that I was afflicted,

    that I might learn your statutes.

⁷²The law of your mouth is better to me

    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

The first verse that jumped out to me when I read today’s stanza of Psalm 119 (vv. 65-72), is the last one:

⁷²The law of your mouth is better to me

    than thousands of gold and silver pieces.

It reminds me of Psalm 19:10 that tells us that God’s words are to be desired more than much fine gold and are sweeter than honey. Here the psalmist doesn’t suggest that they should be desired, here he says that he actually considers God’s word to be better than thousands of gold and silver pieces. 

The Bible is better than money?

As I think about that, I wonder if I really feel that way. 

Although it is hard to know the worth of a single “gold piece” when Psalm 119 was written in today’s dollars, a solid-gold coin can be worth $500-2500. Just think what “thousands” of them would be worth! We’re talking at least $1 million!

Hmmm. Think of what you could do with that kind of money. Pay off your house, buy another house…or two, cars, vacations…or manage it well and you could be set for life! Early retirement! Or (if I want to think more spiritually) if God gave me that kind of wealth, I could bless so many people. I could help our church accomplish her mission. I could do so much!!

I can start day-dreaming about this pretty easily. Can you? Have you?

But the psalmist says that God’s word is better.

In the preceding verses of this stanza, he explains why: 

God deals well with me (v. 65).

He teaches me good judgment and knowledge (v. 66).

He keeps me from going astray (v. 67).

He shows me his goodness and does good to me (v. 68).

And even when people treat me wrongly, I understand the good in it and grow (v. 69-71).

All this happens when I believe, keep, delight in, and learn from God’s word.

I think I understand now. These are things that money really can’t buy. Things much more valuable. 

A Devotion in Psalm 119

We're doing something pretty cool at Providence: we're going to focus on Psalm 119 while we're learning about the Bible. Why? Psalm 119 is all about God's written word. It also happens to be the longest chapter in the Bible (Coincidence? Don't think so). It's divided up into 22 stanzas of 8 verses. Interestingly, it is an acrostic. In the Hebrew, each verse of a given stanza begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet. So verses 1-8 begin with Aleph (the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet), verses 9-16 with the letter Beth (the second letter), and this pattern continues for all 176 verses. Scholars believe this longest of the Psalms was taught to Jewish children so that they could learn the alphabet--and about the centrality and importance of God's word.
As a church, we're also devotionally meditating on this Psalm each morning. Several leaders of the church are contributing. Today (day 4) it's my turn.

The stanza (Psalm 110:25-32):

Daleth

25 My soul clings to the dust;

    give me life according to your word!

26 When I told of my ways, you answered me;

    teach me your statutes!

27 Make me understand the way of your precepts,

    and I will meditate on your wondrous works.

28 My soul melts away for sorrow;

    strengthen me according to your word!

29 Put false ways far from me

    and graciously teach me your law!

30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;

    I set your rules before me.

31 I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;

    let me not be put to shame!

32 I will run in the way of your commandments

    when you enlarge my heart!

Devotional:

Today’s stanza in Psalm 119 has a different tone than what we’ve seen thus far. You can hear it from the very the beginning (v.25):

My soul clings to the dust;

    give me life according to your word!

If it sounds to you like someone who is desperate, you’re right. Verse 28 continues the theme:

My soul melts away for sorrow;

    strengthen me according to your word!

The writer is obviously experiencing some sort of hardship or period of deep sadness or grief. 

Have you been there? 

It worries me that in some Christian circles, going through a period of difficulty or sorrow can be looked down upon, as if a truly spiritual person should never experience trouble. If that’s the case, I’m not very spiritual. There are times when I can get discouraged. I totally know what the psalmist means by his soul clinging to the dust or melting away! That’s how it feels! Am I weak spiritually if I sometimes feel this way? Does that make me a failure?

No. 

That’s something I love about the Bible. There are so many examples of real people who have real struggles. There are lots of people struggling through different types of pain, frustration, and melancholy. Some of these are among the greatest saints in the hall of faith!

In fact, Jesus wasn’t always smiling. He had times of human sadness. He wept. In Isaiah 53:3 it says of him:

He was despised and rejected by men; 

a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; 

and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, 

and we esteemed him not.

It is not a sin to be sorrowful, neither is it a sign of spiritual immaturity. The telling thing is HOW we respond to these very human emotions. That’s the beautiful thing demonstrated for us in Psalm 119. The writer finds his comfort in God’s word, and pleads with God to deepen his knowledge of it.

²⁶…teach me your statutes!

²⁷…I will meditate on your wondrous works.

²⁸…strengthen me according to your word!

²⁹…graciously teach me your law!

³¹I cling to your testimonies, O Lord;

    let me not be put to shame!

³²I will run in the way of your commandments…

Wow. There’s my lesson. 

When I feel down, when my world isn’t making any sense, or when I’m falling apart—it should drive me toward God’s word.

Because that’s where God is.

[This is where I had to end the devotional that was sent out to the church due to length. But God was not done teaching me from this stanza in Psalm 119. There was more.]

The last verse is curious at first glance (v.32):

I will run in the way of your commandments

    when you enlarge my heart!

I was with a close friend last night discussing this Psalm. He's going through a very hard time in his life right now. Those words, "when you enlarge my heart" stood out to him, and we discussed it. Interesting thought, really. It seems to read that after God enlarges the psalmist's heart, that's when he will be obedient. But it's more than that. The Hebrew use of "heart" is a little different than the English (or Greek, for that matter) usage commonly referring to passion or love. It is more often a metaphor for one's core being, one's character. So instead of a "I love you with all my heart" kind-of-meaning, it has a "a man after God's own heart" connotation—an enlargement of character, an improvement in one's core being.

I think the psalmist is recognizing a very important truth. 

When trials come and we respond to them by running to God by finding answers and comfort in his word, our character is enlarged and our core being is improved. In other words, we grow significantly in spiritual maturity. This, in turn, causes us to "run" (as opposed to walking) "in the way" (the road, the trail, the path) of God's "commandments" (God's will for us). 

My youngest child is about to get her driver's license. As with all my kids, learning to drive was an adventure! When she turned 15 and got her learner's permit, we began in abandoned parking lots and worked our way up to busier and more challenging driving experiences. She started, as everyone does, going very slowly and swerving all over the place while both hands gripped the wheel with white knuckles, over-correcting her route by lunging back and forth. But when she grew in experience and through failure, her confidence grew. Staying on the correct path became second nature. She was able to do this through persistence and with the guidance of her father, who offered words of experience and advice (and sometimes screams of panic—but that doesn't fit my analogy!). This is life. Trials make us better as we walk through them with God and his word. It enables us to run with confidence—in obedience.

James says,

²Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, ³for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. ⁴And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ...¹²Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. 

So the next time you have a bad day, don’t push away from God. Pray that you will draw close to find help and healing in his arms. You will find him where he speaks—in his word. And pray that he will grow your character as a result. 

Stay-cation at Grayson Highlands

As I wrote in the previous post, we went on a little trip to SW Virginia/NW Tennessee. It was a great time. Here are some more pictures and comments from our day hanging out at Grayson Highlands:

Yes! We needed the warm clothes. It was chilly there! We've learned that it's always cooler at Grayson Highlands than anywhere else.

Drew climbing up some nameless peak. 

I'm sure this peak has a name, but I don't know it. Yes, the clouds were beautiful! They were whipping by, too. We would get a few moments of sunshine followed by a few of cloud cover.

Happy Drew. Sitting with Sparky, looking toward Mt. Rogers. 

Happy Chad. Yes, I needed the jacket! The wind was kicking! When the sun was behind the clouds it was downright cold! Mo's on the leash because I didn't want him falling off the cliff.

Duncan resting on Sparky in a grassy wind break. Awesome spot!

Drew and Sparky finding a grassy windbreak in the cleft of a rock. 

Duncan made it to the top with Sparky.

Picking blueberries. This is truly one of God's great gifts.  

Blueberry were everywhere! Delicious, tart, and bursting with juice. Mmmm! I couldn't get enough. I could easily live a week playing Survivorman up there.

Sparky and Mo want blueberries too!

Beagle heaven! Too many rabbits to track! And deer... and ponies... and squirrels... and groundhogs... Mo exhausted himself!

Here's me trying to keep up with Mo. 

It's the simple days like this that are great. I want more of them! They also remind us of God's glory.

David sang (Psalm 72:18-19),

 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel,
   who alone does wondrous things.
 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
   may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
 Amen and Amen!

He Restores My Soul

Another feeble attempt at poetry. Don't make fun! I'm just trying to exercise the right (read: creative) side of my brain, and express my heart as well. I've been dwelling on Psalm 23:3 this week. It's rich.

He Restores My Soul
by Chad Sparks

My soul, you need restoring!

My life is dry, forlorn. 

The thought of mere enduring

A dreadful, painful thorn.

The “re-” in restoration

Says something once was fresh,

Alive with foliation;

A vibrant, healthy flesh.

But now my leaves have fallen,

My skin is pale and cracked.

My sin like ragweed pollen

Has now my soul ransacked.

Do I possess the power

To change this weary soul;

Rise up like Babel’s tower

And wrest from God control?

No! I stand as helpless.

Frustration is my cell.

Useless, conquered, feckless,

Condemned to earth-bound hell.

Regardless of my straining,

No matter how I try,

There waits beyond my feigning

A higher Rock than I.

He is Righteous Creator!

Incomprehensible!

How can he love this traitor?

I’m indefensible.

His Grace is my salvation

Oh how I love him so!

Beyond justification

He now restores my soul!

By grace I was forgiven;

New birth from spirit death.

By grace I am now given

New thirst, new strength, new breath!

My Shepherd is my rescue!

He stands me on my feet

So I can eat green fescue
And find delight replete!

Twenty Three

Twenty Three

By Chad Sparks 

YaHWeH

A word that’s like no other

We know not how to speak it;

The Word and Wholly Other

All else lies far beneath it.

Shepherd

Protector, guide, provider

I feel your presence near me,

No arms are open wider

To love and hold and heal me.

Contentment

My wants in you assuaged

All others left me longing,

Thirsty, empty, enraged

Before to you belonging.

Renewal

From you my needs extinguished,

You give me rest sublime. 

Restorer of souls distinguished

From others of all time.

Direction

You map and know the way

To holiness and pleasure

Which are the same you say.

Your glory is the measure.

Courage

When the trail of life grows dark

Your presence gives me cheer;

You are my strong bulwark,

I have no use for fear.

Indulgence

You feed me while foes hunger.

You make me shine with health.

My heart feels pleasant languor

As one who earned great wealth. 

Future

And what now of the morrow? 

As long as earth I roam

His grace and good will follow.

‘Til his house is my home.

Attempting Poetry

Poetry? You’re kidding, right?

I’m really wanting to exercise the right side of my brain. For some reason poetry has become meaningful to me in recent years. I know, it’s probably more proof that I’m getting old. I mean, who reads poetry? Certainly not many people in my circles…that I know of. There are always those English majors around who say they do. I sometimes wonder if they really do…as in regularly read poetry. Kind of like the pastors I know who say they pray a lot. I hope they pray as much as they say they pray (but that’s another subject). I have found an interest in the writings of poets long dead, vis. Frost, Kipling, Wordsworth, Cowper, Burns, Dickinson, Longfellow, Milton, Tennyson, Emerson, and others. This interest was piqued when my son, Drew, a lover of old books, bought some volumes on poetry. I admit I sneaked into his room and read from them. I also have noticed that many old hymns were first poems (before later being set to music). Inspiring and beautiful! Where have these works of art been? Why have I not read them before?

Poetry seems to be a dying art. I have wondered why. There was a time—most of human history in fact—when poetry was ubiquitous. Books, magazines, newspapers; all printed some verse. Most sermons of generations past included poetry. Is it the changing of communication media? Is it that we are too busy and distracted with other more- and less-worthy pursuits? Is it, as some friends of mine have suggested, that people aren’t as smart as they used to be? None of those answers satisfy my curiosity.

Granted, poetry is not entirely forgotten. There are small societies for poets and poetry among the literary sort. And hip-hop (i.e. rap), a wildly popular form of music, is indeed lyrical poetry with meter and rhyme. But why are we no longer encouraged to write poems? Why don’t we read them as previous generations did? Do you know of someone, anyone, who makes their living by writing poetry (a.k.a. a poet)? I don’t.

I must confess, until recently, I’ve never really been into poetry. I liked the poetry in the Bible (of course it is translated into English, losing much of its original grammatical impact), and pithy sayings and quotes my parents and grandparents recited were pleasant. I grew up reading poems for children: from Dr. Seuss to Mother Goose. But in school I became intimidated by poetry. Shakespeare, and other ancient forms, were toilsome for me. Teachers seemed to make poetry aloof. Some focused on rules and gave assignments to write accordingly. It lost it’s fun. Others (later) discouraged all guidelines, and advocated more variety and complexity, reflecting our changing culture. Poetry seemed darker, more political, nuanced, existential and relative. These more recent (read: 20th century) varieties seemed odd to me. There was little or no meter or rhyme, and I couldn’t tell the difference between good poetry and bad. Can anyone? And because multiple meanings could be inferred, no one could know what the poet really meant—if anything at all! Poetry became in a sense, complex and unstructured. Cold, hard rules were overthrown by verbal anarchism. Yuck and yuck. In my mind, poetry was relegated to the territory of academicians and elitists. Simple minds (like mine) had a hard time understanding—much less appreciating it. Several weeks ago I was in a bookstore that happened to be hosting an "Original Poetry Reading." Thrilled, I conspicuously (not easy, only five or six others were listening) slipped in a seat and listened to a couple of rather lengthy poems. I must admit...I didn't get it. The first one had some interesting word-play, but made no sense to me whatever (the last one I endured was full of profanity and sexual innuendo—no thanks!). I left asking myself, "Am I so dull?" Maybe so. "Is this what Poetry really is?"

Perhaps my experience is not isolated. Could this be a (perhaps even the) reason for poetry’s waning? In The Virginia Quarterly Review, Christopher Clausen, in his essay, “The Decline of Anglo-American Poetry,” recognizes poetry’s loss of audience during the 20th century, and offers some interesting observations that confirm my own experience:

…Poetry became paradoxically more difficult to read, and the familiar series of phenomena began: the decline in the number of original books of poetry published from year to year, the disappearance of poetry as a major cultural force, the virtual extinction of the self-supporting poet…at almost precisely the time when the traditionally realistic novel was seeking other, often more traditionally poetic modes of expression. It is even more ironic that in the process of becoming less narrowly selective in its subjects and adopting free verse and a closer approximation of everyday language as its most conspicuous formal characteristics, poetry should have become less rather than more accessible to the common reader. (Find this excellent essay here: http://www.vqronline.org/essay/decline-anglo-american-poetry.)

Indeed, whenever a 20th century poet did arise who actually captured an audience, the critics (read: elitist academics) crowed and scoffed until the poor soul was ridden out on the proverbial rail. Rod McKuen serves as an example. In the 1950s and 60s he was arguably the best-known poet in the world, having a mainstream, populist appeal. Highbrows, however, spewed incessant indignation for his works. Writer and literary critic Nora Ephron said of McKuen, “[F]or the most part, McKuen's poems are superficial and platitudinous and frequently silly.” Pulitzer Prize-winning US Poet Laureate Karl Shapiro said, “It is irrelevant to speak of McKuen as a poet.” (Nora Ephron, “Wallflower at the Orgy.”) This kind of abuse, despite his popularity, drove him to despondency and clinical depression. My thought? What’s wrong with sentimentalism and populism if that’s what people want? It seems somewhat better than erudite, sophisticated poetry (or mindless babble cloaked as such) that no one reads! I’m no fan of sentimental country music (for example), but I appreciate it’s appeal. And I certainly don’t wish for its demise! Some of the more sincere, patriotic, philanthropic, and likable celebrities are country music stars. Why can’t we view poetry with the same tolerance as we do music? As with many things elitist, though they feign tolerance, in reality they are not tolerant at all.

So, I think I’m going to try my hand at some poetry. I want to free myself a bit! As Emily Dickinson wrote: 

They shut me up in Prose –

As when a little Girl

They put me in the Closet –

Because they liked me “still” –

Still! Could themself have peeped –

And seen my Brain – go round –

They might as wise have lodged a Bird

For Treason – in the Pound –

Well, maybe I’m not that eager to write poetry. I know I may fall flat on my face, but not trying is no fun. I encourage you to try it too! If we don’t we may regret it. As John Greenleaf Wittier wrote (in his wonderful poem, "Maud Muller") 

For all sad words of tongue and pen, 

The saddest are these: "It might have been!"

I think one important thing about art (like poetry) is the opportunity it provides us to be image-bearers of God and create. It satisfies the soul into which God breathed the breath of life to create something unique, beautiful, meaningful, emotional, spiritual, and personal. There is a sense of satisfaction we experience whenever we are more like our God who is supremely satisfied in himself. This is true regarding holiness, and being incarnational, and serving others. And it is true regarding creating art. Because in all these things we are bringing God glory.