Deus Misereatur

(This is today's email from my friends at The Fellowship of St. James ) The Age of the Martyrs  is Now Upon Us All Christians, in every place and at all times, are instructed by the Epistle to the Hebrews: " Remember those who are in prison, as though in prison with them; and those who are ill-treated, since you also are in the body. " 13:3) Writing in  the Daily Beast , Kirsten Powers wonders why Christians seem either unaware or complacent about the persecution of Christians  TODAY in the Middle East. She writes: In Syria,  Christians are under attack  by Islamist rebels and fear extinction  if Bashar al-Assad falls . This month, rebels overran the historic Christian town of Maalula, where many of its inhabitants speak Aramaic, the language of Jesus. The AFP reported that a  resident of Maalula  called her fiancé's cell and was told by member [sic] of the Free Syrian Army that they gave him a chance to convert to Islam and he...

[I presented this at the Capitol Bible Study on 18 June 2014] Praying in the Heat and the Hurt: Psalm 90.13-17 (NKJV) 13  Return, O Lord! How long? And have compassion on Your servants. 14  Oh, satisfy us early with Your mercy, That we may rejoice and be glad all our days! 15  Make us glad according to the days  in which  You have afflicted us, The years  in which  we have seen evil. 16  Let Your work appear to Your servants, And Your glory to their children. 17  And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us, And establish the work of our hands for us; Yes, establish the work of our hands. Long ago I committed this portion of Psalm 90 to memory. I have used it repeatedly when the heat and hurt of life has been fairly hefty. I have utilized it in praying for congregations where I have pastored, specifically when they were going through tough times. And I have employed this Psalm portion when problem pe...

Below is the short communion meditation I gave today at Heritage Presbyterian Church (PCA) in Edmond, OK, that concluded with a fencing of the table. Fencing the table is one way we, as Presbyterians, guard the sacredness of the supper. In this action we say who is invited to the table, and either say, or clearly imply, who ought not to come to the table. Fencing the Table is very similar to the Eastern Orthodox and others, when their priests, at the Liturgy of the Eucharist, call out, "To the Doors" and exclude the non-baptized from the supper. Here is what I said:      "In Genesis 18.1-8, there are three travelers moving down the road and are met by Abraham. He invites them in, showing hospitality, and prepares a big meal for them. We find out that one of them is the LORD. V.8 says, and Abraham "stood by them under the tree while they ate." Abraham serves and then observes the meal of divine refreshment, but he does so at a distance, standing over there a...