Deus Misereatur

  Most people seem to assume that they know the answer to the question, “What are nations for?” and a similar query, “What are cultures for?” An American might well answer that it is to secure life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, or something along those lines. But as Christians who are drawn into the Kingdom of God by the grace of God, the answer goes deeper. Steven M. Bryan, professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield Illinois, has poured himself into a fuller answer to those two questions in his recently published, 288-page softback, “ Cultural Identity and the Purposes of God: A Biblical Theology of Ethnicity, Nationality, and Race ”. The aim of this volume “is to explore what Scripture has to say about God’s purposes not only for people but also for peoples.” This includes “individuals in families and families within peoples.” The reason for his focus is that “the relationship between peoples turns out to be a crucial, if often overlo...

  “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction pass by. I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me” (Psalm 57:1-2). We look around our big world and see trouble on the righthand and turmoil on the left. We implore you, O God, for all the nations of the world, especially the USA, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Republic of the Congo, and Somalia. Bring peace in our time, preserve the downtrodden and demoralized, raise up leaders who will seek good, and not evil, that life may flourish, leaders who will hate evil, and love good, and establish justice in the gate; and who will let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream (from Amos 5:14-15, 24). “Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, till the storms of destruction p...

  You who are the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy, who has said: “ I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite ” (Isaiah 57.15): we rejoice and give you our great thanks that in Jesus Christ your only Son our Lord, heaven and earth have come together; the high and lifted One has come to dwell among us! Now hear our grateful prayers offered in concert with Psalm 70: Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O LORD, make haste to help me! Hear the groans and grief of those hurting through sickness, weakening bodies, sad hearts and desperate conditions (…). Speedily deliver them and swiftly help them. Hear the cries and despair of those who are down and out, done in and destitute in our congregation, in our city, under our bridges, and around our neighborhoods, and make haste to help them. Let them be put to shame and confusion w...

  (For thanksgiving): Through all the changing scenes of life, in trouble and in joy, the praises of my God shall still my heart and tongue employ. Fear Him, ye saints, and you will then have nothing else to fear; make you His service your delight; he’ll make your wants His care (Trinity Hymnal #624, v.1 and 6). As a congregation, we give thanks to you, O God, for all your care and sustaining mercies (…). We ask you to awaken our hearts – hearts often numbed by the rush and rumble of our daily lives – awaken our hearts to be consistently thankful and grateful for the big and simple things we are given. Things like daily bread, children and grandchildren, friends, parents and grandparents, the ability to enjoy the taste of food and wine, and also a church family. Grant us the wisdom and will to promote peace with all people, as far as it depends on us. O Lord, hear our prayer.   (For troubles): We remember those who are thrown around by the stormy seas of emotional and phys...

  O God, before whom no god was formed, nor shall there be any after you; for you, you alone are the LORD, and besides you there is no savior (Isaiah 43:10-11). We implore you to show kindness and care to those who are facing critical times, those who are hospitalized and weakening, those who are recovering from sickness or surgery, those swallowed up in sorrow and sadness, for exhausted caregivers, for those walking through darkness, depression, or disorder (…). Grant them relief and replenishment, as well as faith and hope so as not to rely on themselves but on you, O God, who raises the dead. For you are he who delivers us from such deadly perils and will deliver us. And so, on you may we set our hope that you will deliver us again (2 Corinthians 1:9-10). O Father, from whom all fatherhood is named in heaven and on earth: we who have come to know you as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:3), you who are over all and through all and in all (Ephesians 4:6), we ...

  As one of my seminary professors said, decades ago, "John Owen never met a word he didn't like." You get a good dose of this when you dive into "Communion with the Triune God" edited by Kelly M. Kapic, professor of theological studies at Covenant College in Lookout Mountain Georgia, and Justin Taylor, executive vice president of book publishing at Crossway. This 448-page paperback was initially penned by John Owen in 1657. Kapic and Taylor have done a wonderful service by (1) updating the language to modern English, (2) smoothing out some of the texture that would seem glitchy to modern-day readers, (3) adding footnotes that define Owen's difficult words and translating his quotations that were in Latin and Greek, (4) a snazzy, helpful introduction that explains what Owen was up to, his key thoughts, and the way he was working out his thinking, and (5) a useful set of notes on how they edited the volume that concludes with a detailed outline of the book. O...

  O God of our salvation, who visits the earth and waters it; who greatly enriches it; who provides us grain, waters the furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth; who crowns the year with your bounty and makes the pastures of the wilderness overflow so that the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, and they shout and sing together for joy (Psalm 65:9-13). We join all creation as we draw closer to Thanksgiving Day, remembering your rich goodness, and rejoicing! God of the Ages and Generations; thank you for our forbearers in the faith who have gone before us, the examples they have left us, and benefit of their wisdom they have bequeathed to us. Just as we honor our fathers and mothers, may we always honor our fathers and mothers in the faith, even in light of all of their shortcomings and sins. Brace and bolster your people who are presently walking in t...