Deus Misereatur

  (I gave this charge to a ministerial candidate at the 11 October 2022 meeting of Hills and Plains Presbytery) I’m doing something a bit different today. I’m presenting this charge to you from a passage that is disputed by all textual critics. It’s that portion of the Lord’s Prayer that ends in a doxology: “For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen.”   Right now, I’m going to give you two reasons for continuing to use this verse, and then at the end I will give you two more. First, it is a summary of Scripture, specifically, 1 Chronicles 29:10-13. There, after the people have given lavishly and generously for the building of the Temple, David breaks out in that prayer, “Blessed are you, O LORD, the God of Israel our father, forever and ever. Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours. Yours is the kingdom, O LORD, and you are exalted as head above

  (You can find the book here: Aggressively Happy ) Some people are like sparklers on the 4 th of July. They glitter, sizzle, snap, and pop. And sometimes they annoy those around them who get singed by one of their sparks. To use a few Winnie the Pooh analogies, I am a Tigger, with a raging inner Eeyore, and I know that I normally set off the Rabbits and Piglets in my circles. I used to take it personal, though no longer. So, I was delighted when my oldest daughter sent me a gift-copy of “Aggressively Happy: A Realist’s Guide to Believing in the Goodness of Life”. I thought, “Oh boy! A fellow Tigger has written a book!” And I was pleasantly surprised how Joy Marie Clarkson, author, podcaster and PhD recipient in Theology, Imagination and the Arts, pulled together the beautiful, enjoyable and sensible aspects of Tigger, Pooh, Rabbit, Eeyore, Piglet, and Christopher Robbins in this 244-page softback. I had so much fun tripping through its pages and think older and younger alike will as

  ( Below is the manuscript of the sermon I preached on 11 October for the worship service of Hills and Plains Presbytery. You can listen to it here: Take Heart ) Take Heart Paul had tons of reasons to lose heart! He was writing to a fickle congregation that was enamored with high-powered topnotch orators, whom he will call “super apostles” later in this letter. A large portion of Paul’s first letter to this church (the 1 st four chapters) dealt with that problem, and they didn’t fully listen then. So, he tackles the problem again, which is what consumes 80% of this second letter (11 of 13 chapters). And to dispirit you even more, this congregation continued to have similar problems into the next generation, which is why Clement of Rome wrote his letter to Corinth in 95 AD (…). On top of this, there were other very obvious, empirical, observable, categorical reasons for Paul to lose heart in his service for Christ. He mentions some of them in generalities v.7-11. He states them broa

  O our God and Father, who is making the first last and the last first, who has made little children the measure of your kingdom; please give us that wisdom from above which is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere (James 3:17). As we operate, deliberate, expostulate, and at times, remonstrate, may it not be as enemies and adversaries, but as fellow human beings made in your image, made to have unending fellowship with you, O Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. May we grasp right from wrong and chose that which is right, for ourselves, our families, and our people. May partiality and prejudice be put far from us, and integrity and equality gain the upper hand. O Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, as we pray for our local, State and National leaders, we affirm that the wisdom of the prudent is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deceiving (Proverbs 14:8). We cry out to you to endow our leaders with discerning hearts and

  Mighty God, Loving Father, who sent your Son, Jesus Christ to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified (Isaiah 61:2-3). In this confidence we lift up our hearts and hands and voices to give you praise, to thank you, and to rejoice in your goodness! Creator and Sustainer, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; we pray for the nations and peoples of the world; for our own country, and for our friends, foes and family. Please execute justice for the oppressed; give food to the hungry; set the prisoners free, specifically those who are innocent or unjustly imprisoned; open the eyes of the blind; lift up