Thankful

In our Life group we are studying the psalms. We have challenged each one in our group to write his or her own psalm with the idea that psalms are an important way to express faith and relationship with God. Our challenge is not a poetry contest nor is it an exercise in theological understanding. We want to join David, the Sons of Korah, Asaph and the others with giving words to our faith, our anxieties, our hurts and our praise. So, here’s my ‘tis the season psalm:

Psalm 151*
For the director of music. To the
tune of, “Joyful Thanksgiving.” Of Dan.

O God and Father of Whom joy surrounds
Your majestic throne;
My soul thirsts for Your presence
as one longing in a desert place alone.
Yet never solitary in these arid places;
deceptive wells are many; ever bitter.
I am a lost child in a crowded marketplace;
too easily sold to the highest bidder
and too quickly branded another’s servant.
But I will offer praise from lips parched;
thanksgiving from a heart that knows
its true master;
I will mount high upon the morning’s sunrise;
and in the bright of day,
proclaim the Lord’s sovereignty.
He is worthy of all praise,
He is the rising and mighty tower,
that provides safety, in a world adrift.
So sing with thanksgiving all ye people of God;
Sing with heart, soul and mind
for He is gracious to his children.
Sing, sing, sing…
O God and Father of Whom joy surrounds
Your majestic throne;
Our souls thirst for Your presence
as a people longing for the Water of Life.

* There are 150 Psalms… so, I figured mine to be 151 not as an addition but as a follower, longing to praise God! -DAN

Baby Pew

Most Sunday mornings I’m sitting in the baby pew… no, that has nothing to do with the olfactory senses or a miniature version of a pew –rather, it is a reference to a gaggle of toddlers that are lovingly held by their relatives and friends that surround me. These fresh eyes see the world of worship in an interesting way. They tilt their heads in curiosity while their loved ones belt out hymns of praise and in frustration squirm while communion emblems are cautiously circumvented around them as the juice and crackers are being passed down the row. Their first vocal response in worship is an echo “amen” they heard. They can’t figure out why they are asked to be quiet or why the adults seem to put their heads down and pretend they’re asleep only to be awakened by an “amen.” They can’t understand for a moment why adults can’t see that pews are great for jumping, crawling under and drawing on. They have no patience whatsoever for songs books staying in the rack and are completely baffled why attendance cards should not be eaten. They’re happy however that it seems they share their adult wards assurance that once the sermon starts it time for a nap. Yes, I’ve learned much from the baby pew about the nature of worship!

So, what have these babes in arms taught you Preacher McWitty? I’m glad you asked because they’ve taught me much. First, they have reminded me that Jesus said of them, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these (Matthew 19:14).” The kingdom of heaven invades our lives to restore a child’s world that is driven by imagination and curiosity. In the innocent eyes of youth is reflected the longing for knowledge and the joy of discovery. A child leads the way because such are not jaded by past failure or intimidated by the unknown future. Babes in arms are armed to tackle any task because they trust they will be protected by those who love them. My child like prayer is for the Lord to revive in me a daily longing to know Him and serve Him. My petition humbly submits that I oft fail because I haven’t come to the task with fresh eyes… a child’s eyes that are filled with imagination and curiosity.

So, if you see me on the pew playing with my young mentors be assured I’m learning… learning to see God and His people with fresh eyes. Learning to trust and obey because it’s fun and never boring on the baby pew! -DAN

Panoply

Last Sunday I challenged you to look up the word “panoply” if you were unclear of its definition. I suggested that if we are to sing to one another in psalms, hymns and spiritual songs it works best if we know the vocabulary we are using. I also suggested that the dictionary is a delightful read even though the narrative is a little thin on plot. Charles Wesley’s stirring lyrics in “Soldier of Christ, Arise” recommends that if we are “to arm (ourselves) for the fight” we’ll need the panoply of God. This song was originally entitled, “The Full Armor of God.” It also included 19 more stanzas in addition to the 5 we have in our hymnals (Powerpoint slides). My favorite of the edited out portion is the concluding stanzas in Wesley's original song. He rallies the troops in the spirit of historic battle cries with the emotive lyrics:

From strength to strength go on, wrestle and fight and pray,
Tread all the powers of darkness down and win the well fought day.
Still let the Spirit cry in all His soldiers, “Come!”
Till Christ the Lord descends from high and takes the conquerors home.

You see God’s panoply is as Webster defines it, “2. Anything protecting completely or forming a magnificent covering.” As soldiers of Christ we are armed not with our wits or military precision but rather with truth, righteousness, gospel, faith, salvation and the most powerful weapon known to man… the Word of God. These are property of the divine (i.e. the armor of God) and form a magnificent covering when we are alert and keep “on praying on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” Our battle is not with flesh and blood but Satan and his substantial resources. We are in the battle of our life. We may be only foot soldiers but it’s not about rank but rather assurance that we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us (Romans 8:37).

Every generation needs the panoply of God. No matter when you were born or where you reside the battle is on. It may be as fierce as death knocking on the door or as personal as internal struggles of a relentless sin. You may be hoary headed or wet behind the ears. You may be a seasoned veteran or a recent recruit. But everyone and I mean everyone needs the armor of God, the panoply of His magnificent covering to make it through everyday! -DAN

Tribute Tattoo

The headline caught my eye and the eerie nature of it evoked an unsettled feeling but a genuine curiosity. A British tattoo artist was designing a tattoo to memorialize his young son who passed away from a rare disease at the age of two and half. He planned to use an ink mixture that included ashes from his cremated son’s remains. After a little research I discovered that ancient Middle Eastern people memorialized their dead this way and I uncovered many headlines of a variety of people who have these very personal tattoos. It made me wonder if this was more than just trying to hang on to the physical presence of past loved ones. Was it as simple as the funeral remarks that loved ones will live on in our memories? Or was this an act of denial that death can not separate us from our loved ones? Whatever the answer might be to these questions it is obvious that once again we are reminded how precious life is and our longing for immortality underscores the reality of a God who created us in His image and put eternity into our hearts (Ecclesiastes 3:11).

No doubt there may be some who’s first reaction is that this is more than bizarre behavior and is a blatant disregard for the sacred in both the living and the dead. I grew up in a household where we were not allowed to put bubblegum tattoos on because the bible strictly forbade tattooing the body (Leviticus 19:28). Besides, only riffraff sported tattoos that more often than not were lewd, crude and unrefined (as the saying went). However, even a brief glance at the text reveals that to be consistent you would also have to be adamant about forbidding certain hairstyles and beard trimming. The scaring and tattoo prohibition in Leviticus was a warning to Israel to not indulge in pagan religious practices. In verse 19 one of these miscellaneous laws is not to wear clothing woven of two kinds of material (raise your hand in you are presently in violation of this one). Again this is a reference to pagan religious practices that was wrong by association not by nature.

So, are you suggesting one should get a tattoo that mixes inks with cremation ashes? I’m reserving my judgment even though it still seems eerie and bizarre. What I believe to be important is that we never forget that the sting of death has been swallowed up in the Christ victory of the cross (1 Corinthians 15:50-57). Thus, what I desire is the ultimate marks… the marks of Jesus (Galatians 6:17). Then we can honor those who have gone before us by sharing the faith that they shared with us. Now, that’s a tattoo! -DAN