GATHERING RESPONSIVE CALL James 1:26, 3:5–8 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. [...] So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. SILENT MEDITATION or MUSICAL MEDITATION: listen to this meditation from Psalm 120 ASSURANCE John 17:6, 11b [ESV] I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. [...] Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read Psalm 3 2nd Reading: Psalm 4 “In peace I will both lie down and sleep; for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalms 3 and 4 are psalms that have many references to sleeping. As such they have been used by the church as prayers that can be offered first thing in the morning and last thing at night. This is a way of showing that all of life is meant to be a platform for prayer. As the Apostle Paul wrote, we should "pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17)." That does not mean that the best Christian life is spent doing nothing but praying on your knees. Rather, it means that all times and locations are good locations for prayer. These two psalms also offer direct prayers to God. The voice of the psalms is one in which the speaker is addressing God. This is quite common in the psalms and one of the reasons that it is so easy to use them in our prayers and songs of praise. But, that is not on the only perspective found in the psalms. Sometimes, the psalmist seems to shift his focus and address other humans. For example, “O men, how long shall my honor be turned to shame? (v.4:2)” The change of reference can at times feel jarring in the psalms, but if we think about it, it is quite relatable. If we are to be people who pray at all times, we will find ourselves alternating between addressing God and addressing the people around us. (I’m not suggesting that you pray out loud in the midst of a conversation and without warning – that would be disorienting for people around us.) We should be people who live in communion with God and recognize that all of our life situations are opportunities for prayer. ABIDING SING | Psalm 120
CONTEXTUALIZE | Psalm 120 Consider ways that you can let the Psalm form your imagination, that you might share it with others. Perhaps you can journal about it, write poetry or prose, learn a song, create visual art, or reexpress it in ways that speak to your context. If you are planning to fellowship with other people this weekend, consider how you might share these imaginations with your community. SENDING LORD'S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. COMMISSION As you go into your calling and vocation, take special care to observe the ways you are tempted to join in words of war from those you live with. GATHERING
RESPONSIVE CALL James 1:26, 3:5–8 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. [...] So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. SILENT MEDITATION or MUSICAL MEDITATION: (listen to this meditation from Psalm 120) ASSURANCE John 17:6, 11b [ESV] I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. [...] Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read" Psalm 2 2nd Reading: Acts 4:23-31 Psalm 2 begins with a question: “why do the nations rage and plot against the Lord’s anointed?” It is a reminder that the two characters found in Psalm 1 (the righteous and the wicked continue to be found in later chapters.) The psalms are not merely personal reflection of a mind set on God. Rather, they are found against the backdrop of human conflict. Often the setting is one in which the psalmist feels like they are being oppressed by their enemies. Rather than ignore this, or stuff those feels in the sock drawer, the psalms assume this setting and show us how to pray to God from that position. The key point in this psalm is that God is aligned with his people.[1] This means that following God will bring a measure of opposition. But it also means that the opposition that comes because of our commitment to following Jesus is an opposition that he can deal with. After all, God is not intimidated by human enemies. Jesus has been seated at the right hand of God and has been given all rule and authority. Currently, that rule is contested, but one day the absolute power of God will be fully revealed. Until then, Jesus is working through all events for the purpose of establishing and building up his church. When the early church first began to face opposition from the religious authorities, they gathered together and prayed Psalm 2. (See Acts 4:25-26.) They made the direct connection that Jesus is the Christ, the “anointed one” referenced in verse 2. He is also the “son”[2] who has received the nations as an inheritance (v.8), and before whom all the nations will be broken (v.9.) They will tremble and serve him (v.11.) When we face opposition for our faith, we are reminded that Jesus has all rule and authority and he is able to deal with our problems. We can join the early church in praying for boldness, knowing that “greater is he who is in us, than he who is in the world.” (I John 4:4) ABIDING SING | Psalm 120
READ | Psalm 120 Spend time understanding and memorizing the outline of Psalm 120, taking special note of the flow or transition points. If you are in a group, discuss the main themes and emphasis together. SENDING LORD'S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. COMMISSION As you go into your calling and vocation, take special care to observe the ways you are tempted to join in words of war from those you live with. [1] This is central to the covenant promise first made to Abraham in Gen 12 & 15. “I will be your God, and you will be my people… I will bless those who bless your and curse those who curse you.” Jesus also repeatedly warned his followers that the opposition he faced would be felt by his followers. “I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you (John 15:19.)” [2] It can be a little confusing when we read that the son was “begotten today.” Does that mean that the eternal son of God was a created being? Well, further examination shows that cannot be the meaning of the passage. The context is one in which a king is given power and authority. It would make no sense, in the original context, for the anointed king of Israel to be addressed by God on the day of his birth. Rather, this refers to the day of receiving power. The phrase “son of God” can be applied to human kings in the Bible, but finds its ultimate significance in Jesus. He is the eternal son of God who became the head of all people, and was given all power and authority (Matt 28:18-20) after his ascension into heaven. GATHERING
RESPONSIVE CALL James 1:26, 3:5–8 If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless. [...] So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. SILENT MEDITATION -- or MUSICAL MEDITATION (listen to this meditation from Psalm 120) ASSURANCE John 17:6, 11b [ESV] I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. [...] Holy Father, keep them in your name, which you have given me, that they may be one, even as we are one. SING: Gloria Patri Glory be to the Father And to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning Is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Amen WORD Read: Psalm 1. 2nd Reading: John 15:1-11 “Blessed is the man [whose]… delight is in the law of the Lord… He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields it fruits in its season. The wicked are not so, but are like the chaff that the wind drives away.” The first psalm in the psalter (the book of 150 Psalm in the OT) sets the stage for what is to follow. The psalms depicts a way of life that is aligned with God. This way is blessed and fruitful. But it is contrasted with the way of life that is alienated from God. This second way is not blessed. The comparison used in this psalm is one of a fruitful tree and a dry bush. The first is rooted and flourishing. The second is blown away on the wind like sagebrush. What is the key factor that determines whether one is rooted and fruitful? What is the difference between "alienation" and "alignment"? Connection to God through is word. The man who is blessed “delights in the law of the Lord, and on his law, he meditates day and night (vs.2.)” Immediately, we are struck with themes related to worship. There is life that flows from God’s word, which leads to fruitfulness. One of the great principles of the psalter is that the words of these psalms can form prayers and songs which guide our interaction with God. Our goal in this reading program is to spend time focusing on God. This will include meditating on God’s word, in particular the psalms themselves. Our desire is spiritual connection and fruitfulness like a tree planted by water. But, a second thought must surely follow the first. Honesty requires reflection and self-awareness. Is it true that we always avoid walking in the counsel of the wicked, standing with sinners or sitting with scoffers (v.1)? I don’t think that this is about physical proximity (after all Jesus sat down to dinner with sinners), but rather it is concerned with whether we enter into the lifestyle of those around us. Do we get enveloped by worldliness? Sometimes? This necessarily leads us to the second great lesson from the psalms. The psalms are bound up with God’s revelation in Jesus. Jesus not only prayed the psalms, but the NT authors understood the deepest meaning of the psalms to be bound up with Christ. The psalms are fulfilled in Jesus (Luke 24:44-47.) In many cases, the NT authors show that the psalms are about Jesus. We will explore this much more in coming weeks, but for the purpose of psalm 1, let us remember that Jesus is the blessed man of the psalms. He dwelt among sinners but never entered into their sin. He never condoned their behavior, or adopted it… even while loving and serving them. He is the tree planted by streams of water, and by faith we are connected in him. As we read God’s word through this Christological lens, we are “abiding in Jesus.” His life gives us life. Like a branch connected to the true vine, we bear fruit in our union with him. (See John 15:1-11.) ABIDING SING | Psalm 120
LECTIO DIVINA | Psalm 120 We memorize things we value. The brain has an incredible ability to remove information that we don’t need. As we make an effort to memorize the Psalms, the beginning of each week seeks to establish the value of God's Word in our hearts before we view it as information to be remembered. Read more about the Lectio Divina HERE.
SENDING LORD'S PRAYER Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen. COMMISSION As you go into your calling and vocation, take special care to observe the ways you are tempted to join in words of war from those you live with. |
City Reformed Presbyterian ChurchThe 90 Days project is a collaborative effort of many church leaders. Matt Koerber and Daniel Snoke have taken lead roles, with others helping to write daily devotionals. Archives
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