Deus Misereatur

  McGrath, scientist and theologian, cleric and writer, put forth this wee volume in 2000. It is a 160-page softback mapping out the Christian trek as a journey. Following a long Christian tradition, he uses the Exodus-wilderness wonderings-promised land story as the structural map for his approach. But he adds his own twist, the hitchhiker, where the reader occasionally piggybacks onto other wayfarers such as John R. W. Stott, J. I. Packer, John Bunyan, Martin Luther, Jonathan Edwards and others. McGrath addresses many important subjects that arise on this journey of faith. He describes the place of doubt, looks into exile and failure, and speaks on fear and fellowship, to name a few. The author also drops in delightfully helpful suggestions and insights. For example, the role of emotions in our journey, as well as a way of reading sacred Scripture. His easy style makes the book feel like a friend has saddled up next to you to converse on a park bench, and is chatting about the bumps

  (This is from my letter to my congregation today, 22 December 2021) As I mentioned last week, the Sunday evening sermon series will be on Nehemiah, and I’m calling it “ Rebuilding after a Hot Mess: Seeking the Welfare of God’s People .” Therefore, I’m already diving into Nehemiah and spending lots of time with him. And reading Nehemiah during Advent has made an interesting connection that I’m sharing with you.   The memoirs of Nehemiah are full of accounts of trouble. There’s trouble from outside the church, stirred up by fellows like Sanballat and Tobiah (2:9-10; chapters 4 and 6; 13:4-9). And there’s a heap of trouble inside the church with economic injustice and gracelessness (Chapter 5), talking heads (prophets) who foment fear and encourage Nehemiah to make bad decisions based on fear (6:10-14), and a compromising leadership (6:15-19; 13:4-9 and 29). God’s people have come out of a hot mess (captivity and exile) and are in another hot mess!   And Nehemiah meets this hot mess

 This is from Sunday, 19 December 2021. First, the reading of God's prescriptions from Romans 12:14-21, and then the confession of sin in light of that passage. “Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” (Romans 12:14-21) And now with the whole church, let us confess: O God, merciful and gra

  Blessed are you, O Sovereign Lord, God of our ancestors: to you be praise and glory forever. You called the patriarchs and matriarchs to live by the light of faith and to journey in the hope of your promised fulfillment. May we, similarly, be obedient to your call and be ready and watchful to receive your Son and live forward in hope-filled trust and joy. Thank you that in the fullness of time you sent your Son, born of a woman, born under the law, born into a low condition, who, from early on, underwent the miseries of this life. Therefore, we implore you to look in on those who find this time of year a grief and hardship due to painful memories, sorrowful losses, adversarial family relations, broken promises, and impending privations (…). May the Gospel-hope ricocheting around the walls and halls in the Christmas carols, lift their hearts and faces to look up to you and rejoice in Spirit-breathed confidence. As your Son was born in a time of great conflict, in the midst of oppressi