Scripture: Psalm 9:7-10
The LORD reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment. He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity. The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble. Those who know your name trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.
Thought for the Day: These magnificent words are what we come to expect within the poetry and liturgy of the Psalms. The theological declarations made by the Psalmist are familiar to any of the Abrahamic Faiths, yet I would like to suggest that their power has been dampened by time. Israel and its claims about the nature and character of God were unique in their time, and what we know as the Old Testament should be read with an eye for the fresh explosions of new ideas. Much of what was claimed about Yahweh (“The LORD” signifies the use of the ancient Hebrew name for God) was radical in its time. The idea that a God might actually care and show compassion for the oppressed would have been nonsense, and to suggest that God’s primary characteristics might include righteousness and equity would have had many in the Ancient Near East laughing hysterically. The gods were mostly concerned about their life as gods. Human beings attempted to placate or bribe the gods as we were little more than toys that might occasionally amuse these powerful beings. This was the reality from which Israel’s monotheism begin to develop, and what should catch our attention most should be what would have surprised those first listeners of these words. It was the shockingly beautiful stuff that revealed the true nature of God amidst the old realities.
Prayer: You do a new thing among us, O Lord, and yet it is not new to you. You work with us and among us to reveal the beauty and magnificence of your nature. Where we are surprised and awed, let us pay attention for it is probably you. Amen.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH
(DISCIPLES OF CHRIST)
Officialy begins Saturday
But pre-Assembly Events begin today
