Sermon for June 3rd, 2018 - Revision history

Iraneal at 12:59, 3 June 2018

2018-06-03T12:59:31Z

Iraneal at 22:29, 1 June 2018

2018-06-01T22:29:37Z

Iraneal at 22:23, 1 June 2018

2018-06-01T22:23:25Z

Iraneal at 21:37, 1 June 2018

2018-06-01T21:37:33Z

Iraneal at 20:22, 1 June 2018

2018-06-01T20:22:53Z

Iraneal at 19:56, 1 June 2018

2018-06-01T19:56:08Z

Iraneal at 19:31, 1 June 2018

2018-06-01T19:31:32Z

Iraneal at 19:30, 1 June 2018

2018-06-01T19:30:08Z

Iraneal at 19:14, 1 June 2018

2018-06-01T19:14:50Z

Iraneal at 19:12, 1 June 2018

2018-06-01T19:12:53Z

@@ Line 19: / Line 19: @@
 ==Psalm 2==
-The year is 871, and the Great Heathen Army, hoardes of vikings from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, have invaded England, bent on conquering the island and its loose alliance of Christian, Anglo-Saxon Kings.  The Vikings have largely succeeded, as kingdom after kingdom falls under their advance. All except for one, in the remote soutwest corner of the island:  The tiny kingdom of Wessex is the last to offer any resistance.
+The year is 871, and the Great Heathen Army, hoardes of vikings from Denmark, Sweden, and Norway, have invaded England, bent on conquering the island and its loose alliance of Christian, Anglo-Saxon Kings.  The Vikings have largely succeeded, as kingdom after kingdom falls under their advance. All except for one, in the remote southwest corner of the island:  The tiny kingdom of Wessex is the last to offer any resistance.
 Its aging King, Æthelwulf, left behind five strong sons, but one by one they fell, and only the youngest, Prince Ælfred, remains.  Ælfred, at 22, is not a warrior; he is an intellectual, a deeply religious boy who suffered from illnesses throughout his childhood.

@@ Line 57: / Line 57: @@
 But there's something else I think is important to understand when reading the psalms, and Psalm 2 is a good example of this.  A lot of times, when we think of the Bible, we imagine a collection of sacred writings handed down to us from the heavens by God himself, in final unchanging form, reflecting God's perfection in every word.
-And so, when Psalm 2 describes God as wrathful, angry, derisive--"kiss his feet or he will be angry and you will perish in the way!" what are we supposed to do with that?  It is the "Word of God" after all.  It comes from God, so it must be true. And we, as progressive, peace-loving, 21st century Christians have a hard time wrapping our heads around this kind of God.  Even a 7th century BCE context has a hard time explain that away.
+And so, when Psalm 2 describes God as wrathful, angry, derisive--"kiss his feet or he will be angry and you will perish in the way!" what are we supposed to do with that?  It is the "Word of God" after all.  It comes from God, so it must be true. And we, as progressive, peace-loving, 21st century Christians have a hard time wrapping our heads around this kind of God.  Even a 7th century BCE context has a hard time explaining that away.
 Here's what we need to remember:  The book of Psalms is a little bit different than the other books of the Bible.

@@ Line 60: / Line 60: @@
 Here's what we need to remember:  The book of Psalms is a little bit different than the other books of the Bible.
- It is a book of prayers.  Psalms is sacred and divine NOT because it perfectly expresses God's thoughts and intentions, but because it perfectly expresses the hopes, fears, desires, and full range of very human emotions from some very human people.
+It is a book of prayers.  When we pray, we imagine a God who hears, who understands, who is sympathetic, and because of that, sometimes the God to whom we pray begins to resemble...well...us!
 If we're honest, there's not a single one of us who hasn't at some point in our lives, wanted to punch somebody in the face, sometimes for very good reasons.   Or better yet, you may have secretly hoped that God might do the dirty work for you, punishing the people who antagonize you, making sure they "get what's coming to them."
@@ Line 72: / Line 76: @@
 But 400 years later, when God finally answers the prayer at the heart of Psalm 2, he sends a different kind of king, a different kind of messiah.  One who, instead of attacking his enemies, tells his followers to turn the other cheek.  One who, instead of threatening with power and might, reaches out to the poor and the disposessed with kindness and love.  One who, instead of taking lives, gives up his own.  This of course, is Jesus, the carpenter's son, the peasant king from the rural town of Galillee, who leads a relatively tiny army of fishermen, prostitutes, lepers, and tax collectors.  This irony is not lost on his followers: At his baptism, the writers of the gospels quote from Psalm 2, placing in God's mouth the words of verse 7, "You are my son; today I have begotten you" but thankfully leaving out the part about dashing his enemies in pieces like a potter's vessel.
-Jesus never gets a formal coronation ceremony, unless you count the crown of thorns forced onto his head at his crucifixion.  But near the end of his life, he does institute a different kind of ceremony, a ritual he asks his followers to carry on after he is gone:  It's the ritual we celebrate every month when we gather around this table.  It's a ritual that emphasizes sacrifice and service rather than conquest and vindication.
+Jesus never gets a formal coronation ceremony, unless you count the crown of thorns forced onto his head at his crucifixion.  But near the end of his life, he does institute a different kind of ceremony, a ritual he asks his followers to carry on after he is gone:  It's the ritual we celebrate every month when we gather around this table.  It's a ritual that emphasizes sacrifice and service rather than command and conquest.

@@ Line 68: / Line 68: @@
 The beauty of Psalms is that we get to see and hear all those heartfelt prayers--the joyful ones, the pious ones, right alongside the nasty and vindictive ones.  And so we know we're not alone.  And we're not wrong for pouring out our desires to God, even when those desires are less than charitable.
-But while God listens to us, and God answers us, it's not always in the way we might want or expect.  And that's the most beautiful thing about God, and the Psalms.
+But while God listens to us, and God answers us, it's not always in the way we might want or expect. The prayer of God's people in ancient Israel, when they crowned a new King, was that their king might smash their enemies into tiny bits.  That didn't work out so well for them--in fact, most of their kings are defeated, and ultimately their temple is destroyed.  Twice.
-The prayer of God's people in ancient Israel, when they crowned a new King, was that their king might smash their enemies into tiny bits and (in the infamous, harsh words of Psalm 137, that the children of their enemies might be seized and dashed against the rocks!).  But that doesn't happen.  In fact, it's the other way around.  Israel and Jerusalem are ultimately defeated by the empires that surround them.  Their kings cannot save them.
+But 400 years later, when God finally answers the prayer at the heart of Psalm 2, he sends a different kind of king, a different kind of messiah.  One who, instead of attacking his enemies, tells his followers to turn the other cheek.  One who, instead of threatening with power and might, reaches out to the poor and the disposessed with kindness and love.  One who, instead of taking lives, gives up his own.  This of course, is Jesus, the carpenter's son, the peasant king from the rural town of Galillee, who leads a relatively tiny army of fishermen, prostitutes, lepers, and tax collectors.  This irony is not lost on his followers: At his baptism, the writers of the gospels quote from Psalm 2, placing in God's mouth the words of verse 7, "You are my son; today I have begotten you" but thankfully leaving out the part about dashing his enemies in pieces like a potter's vessel.

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:22, 1 June 2018
Line 54:		Line 54:

	Despite the common themes, Kennedy's words likely sound to us more sophisticated, more "civilized" than the promise in Psalm 2 that the king, with God's help, will break his enemies "with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel." Here again, it's important to remember historical context, and that in many respects, we've made a lot of progress in the last 3,000 years. Maybe.		Despite the common themes, Kennedy's words likely sound to us more sophisticated, more "civilized" than the promise in Psalm 2 that the king, with God's help, will break his enemies "with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel." Here again, it's important to remember historical context, and that in many respects, we've made a lot of progress in the last 3,000 years. Maybe.
		+
		+	But there's something else I think is important to understand when reading the psalms, and Psalm 2 is a good example of this. A lot of times, when we think of the Bible, we imagine a collection of sacred writings handed down to us from the heavens by God himself, in final unchanging form, reflecting God's perfection in every word.
		+
		+	And so, when Psalm 2 describes God as wrathful, angry, derisive--"kiss his feet or he will be angry and you will perish in the way!" what are we supposed to do with that? It is the "Word of God" after all. It comes from God, so it must be true. And we, as progressive, peace-loving, 21st century Christians have a hard time wrapping our heads around this kind of God. Even a 7th century BCE context has a hard time explain that away.
		+
		+	Here's what we need to remember: The book of Psalms is a little bit different than the other books of the Bible.
		+	It is a book of prayers. Psalms is sacred and divine NOT because it perfectly expresses God's thoughts and intentions, but because it perfectly expresses the hopes, fears, desires, and full range of very human emotions from some very human people.
		+
		+	If we're honest, there's not a single one of us who hasn't at some point in our lives, wanted to punch somebody in the face, sometimes for very good reasons. Or better yet, you may have secretly hoped that God might do the dirty work for you, punishing the people who antagonize you, making sure they "get what's coming to them."
		+
		+	That sentiment is just as alive and well in our time as in ancient England and ancient Israel. Like the psalmist, we still pray those prayers to God, consciously or unconsciously.
		+
		+	The beauty of Psalms is that we get to see and hear all those heartfelt prayers--the joyful ones, the pious ones, right alongside the nasty and vindictive ones. And so we know we're not alone. And we're not wrong for pouring out our desires to God, even when those desires are less than charitable.
		+
		+	But while God listens to us, and God answers us, it's not always in the way we might want or expect. And that's the most beautiful thing about God, and the Psalms.
		+
		+	The prayer of God's people in ancient Israel, when they crowned a new King, was that their king might smash their enemies into tiny bits and (in the infamous, harsh words of Psalm 137, that the children of their enemies might be seized and dashed against the rocks!). But that doesn't happen. In fact, it's the other way around. Israel and Jerusalem are ultimately defeated by the empires that surround them. Their kings cannot save them.

@@ Line 49: / Line 49: @@
 I'm explaining all of this in order to make the point that the context in which a Psalm was written, and the purpose for which it was used is important.  That's true for all scripture, but especially for the Psalms.  And Psalm 2, right here at the beginning of the book, is a little bit hard for us to relate to.  In our country, we haven't had a king or a coronation for hundreds of years.  That's why I started with the story of King Alfred.
-But if even that story feels remote, consider this one:  On January 20, 1961, a young John F. Kennedy stood on the steps of the United States capitol and said "I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago."  In his inaugural speech, he addressed other countries, saying "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
+But if even that story feels remote, consider this one:  On January 20, 1961, a young John F. Kennedy, recently elected President, stood on the steps of the United States capitol and said "I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago."  In his inaugural speech, he addressed other countries, saying "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
-His words included promises, thinly veiled threats, appeals to God, and the acknowlegement that we as a country were "embattled" in a struggle against powerful enemies--in essence, the same kinds of sentiments we find in the words of Psalm 2.
+His words included some promises, some thinly veiled threats, some appeals to God, and the acknowlegement that we as a country were (in his words) "embattled" in a struggle against powerful enemies--in essence, the same kinds of sentiments we find in the words of Psalm 2.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:31, 1 June 2018
Line 51:		Line 51:
	But if even that story feels remote, consider this one: On January 20, 1961, a young John F. Kennedy stood on the steps of the United States capitol and said "I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago." In his inaugural speech, he addressed other countries, saying "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."		But if even that story feels remote, consider this one: On January 20, 1961, a young John F. Kennedy stood on the steps of the United States capitol and said "I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago." In his inaugural speech, he addressed other countries, saying "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."

−	His words included promises, thinly veiled threats, and the acknowlegement that we as a country were "embattled" in a struggle against powerful enemies--in essence, the same kinds of sentiments we find in the words of Psalm 2.	+	His words included promises, thinly veiled threats, appeals to God, and the acknowlegement that we as a country were "embattled" in a struggle against powerful enemies--in essence, the same kinds of sentiments we find in the words of Psalm 2.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:30, 1 June 2018
Line 47:		Line 47:
	In the final part (v.10-12), the people, now unified under their God and king, speak their reply to the nations and their kings, warning them and threatening them and making the "circle" complete.		In the final part (v.10-12), the people, now unified under their God and king, speak their reply to the nations and their kings, warning them and threatening them and making the "circle" complete.

−	I'm explaining all of this in order to make the point that the context in which a Psalm was written, and the purpose for which it was used is important. That's true for all scripture, but especially for the Psalms. And Psalm 2, right here at the beginning of the book, is a little bit hard for us to relate to. In our country, we haven't had a king or a coronation for hundreds of years. (That's why I started with the story of King Alfred.) ~~And as progressive~~, ~~peace-loving modern-day Christians~~, ~~we also have~~ a ~~hard time with this image~~ of a God ~~described as wrathful, angry,~~ and ~~derisive~~. We know that ~~people~~ and ~~political leaders can be~~ that ~~way~~, ~~but God?~~	+	I'm explaining all of this in order to make the point that the context in which a Psalm was written, and the purpose for which it was used is important. That's true for all scripture, but especially for the Psalms. And Psalm 2, right here at the beginning of the book, is a little bit hard for us to relate to. In our country, we haven't had a king or a coronation for hundreds of years. That's why I started with the story of King Alfred.
		+
		+	But if even that story feels remote, consider this one: On January 20, 1961, a young John F. Kennedy stood on the steps of the United States capitol and said "I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three-quarters ago." In his inaugural speech, he addressed other countries, saying "Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty."
		+
		+	His words included promises, thinly veiled threats, and the acknowlegement that we as a country were "embattled" in a struggle against powerful enemies--in essence, the same kinds of sentiments we find in the words of Psalm 2.

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:14, 1 June 2018
Line 47:		Line 47:
	In the final part (v.10-12), the people, now unified under their God and king, speak their reply to the nations and their kings, warning them and threatening them and making the "circle" complete.		In the final part (v.10-12), the people, now unified under their God and king, speak their reply to the nations and their kings, warning them and threatening them and making the "circle" complete.

−	I'm explaining all of this in order to make the point that the context in which a Psalm was written, and the purpose for which it was used is important. That's true for all scripture, but especially for the Psalms. And Psalm 2, right here at the beginning of the book, is a little bit hard for us to relate to. In our country, we haven't had a king or a coronation for ~~a couple hundred~~ years. And as progressive, modern-day Christians, we also have a hard time with this image of a God described as wrathful, angry, and derisive.	+	I'm explaining all of this in order to make the point that the context in which a Psalm was written, and the purpose for which it was used is important. That's true for all scripture, but especially for the Psalms. And Psalm 2, right here at the beginning of the book, is a little bit hard for us to relate to. In our country, we haven't had a king or a coronation for hundreds of years. (That's why I started with the story of King Alfred.) And as progressive, peace-loving modern-day Christians, we also have a hard time with this image of a God described as wrathful, angry, and derisive. We know that people and political leaders can be that way, but God?

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:12, 1 June 2018
Line 46:		Line 46:

	In the final part (v.10-12), the people, now unified under their God and king, speak their reply to the nations and their kings, warning them and threatening them and making the "circle" complete.		In the final part (v.10-12), the people, now unified under their God and king, speak their reply to the nations and their kings, warning them and threatening them and making the "circle" complete.
		+
		+	I'm explaining all of this in order to make the point that the context in which a Psalm was written, and the purpose for which it was used is important. That's true for all scripture, but especially for the Psalms. And Psalm 2, right here at the beginning of the book, is a little bit hard for us to relate to. In our country, we haven't had a king or a coronation for a couple hundred years. And as progressive, modern-day Christians, we also have a hard time with this image of a God described as wrathful, angry, and derisive.