Deus Misereatur

  (This was from my letter to my congregation sent out on 22 April 2026) Take a moment to look at Psalm 45. The first half of that Psalm is about the coronation of the king of Israel, and the second half has to do with his queen. As good Bible readers that means we quickly recognize this as a Messianic Psalm. It’s a Psalm that looks through the historical king of Israel at that moment to the promised greater Son of David, whose “ increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this ” (Isaiah 9:7).   And we know we’re on the right track because Psalm 45:6-7 is quoted in Hebrews 1 as evidence that Jesus is higher than the angels: “ But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteo...

  O LORD, you who are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, (Exodus 34:6-7): we lay before you our prayers for your world and your church. And so we pray in the name of Christ; O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth (Psalm 54:2). For those who have no one to pray for them: alone, abandoned, abducted, enslaved, ignored, or eliminated, please take up their cause, O Lord, and show them that you know them and know where they are. Rescue them, raise them up, refresh them, and restore them to their families or to society. And where evilness and iniquity have entrapped them, bring justice. And so we pray; O God, hear my prayer; give ear to the words of my mouth . For those who are ailing; for those who have received disappointing diagnoses; for those buried under a suffocating pile of bills...