Summer Song: 2015

Forever Begins NOW! (Week 16 - September 8, 2015)

Here we are at the very last verse of our Summer Song…and what a verse it is! King David said a lot in these final few words. “My mouth WILL speak the praise of the Lord.” There is an emphatic element there that cannot be overlooked. “I will!” Worship happens when we make a conscious choice to ascribe glory, honor, dominion and power to the King of kings and Lord of lords, pouring our hearts out in love and adoration to our God as a conscious act of our will.

What happens when we worship—when we engage our will to exalt the Lord? In Psalm 22:3, David lets us in on an amazing secret: God inhabits the praises of His people, or as some translations put it, He is enthroned on the praises of Israel. However you say it, the meaning is clear. There is a direct correlation between us speaking words of praise and God building His throne among us. If you want to talk about Heaven on earth or Heaven invading earth, you have to begin with worship because worship is the medium through which it all happens.

The idea of “beginning” with worship is compelling because of all the things we do here in our earthly existence, worship is the ONLY thing that will endure, that will continue on into eternity. “…and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.” Since we are going to worship God throughout all eternity, why wait? Forever begins now!

Names/descriptions of God from one of my favorite songs:

You Are Worthy

(Art by Sarah Wagner)

Week 15 - September 1, 2015

I have read Psalm 145 numerous times this summer—often two or even three times per day. I feel as if I know it quite well and can, if pressed, quote much of it from memory. I love the praise and adoration the Psalmist expressed in his writing of this amazing song. Over and over throughout the verses he extols his Creator. But he is not alone…all creation joins in a veritable symphony of praise. It is one of the most uplifting psalms I have ever had the pleasure to read.

And then you come to verse twenty: “The Lord protects all those who love him, but he destroys the wicked.” (NLT) In my journal I have listed forty-seven different statements made throughout this Psalm. Now here is the surprise: Out of these forty-seven statements, only ONE could be put in a negative category! Isn’t that interesting?

It got me thinking today, and my pondering led me to analyze my own life—the things I think about and, more importantly, the things I SPEAK about. I was left with this question: Like this wonderful Psalm, is MY speech 46/47th’s positive? Do I encourage people at least 46/47th’s of the time? Do 46 out of 47 people leave my presence feeling good about our encounter?

On our RiverChurch Facebook page we’ve been running what Ron calls a #ReMix of a popular sermon series from several years ago. It was called, “Change The Way You Think.” It was a great series. You should consider listening to some of the episodes. A couple of weeks ago the episode was, “Change The Way You Think: About Your Words.” Your words are powerful. You have the ability to change the trajectory of someone’s life just by what you say. Why not give it a try this week as you flow in and out of your circles of influence. Shoot for 46/47th’s positive speech, but expect to exceed that mark.

Week 14 - The Lord is near!

NEAR

I live in a city where block walls of six feet and higher enclosing backyards are the norm. In this transient place isolation reigns. Knowing your neighbors is uncommon and it’s downright difficult to be close to them. It is in this context that I find myself focusing on the phrase “The Lord is near…” In a society that thrives on division, where people in cities and neighborhoods increasingly live in seclusion often self-imposed, these words from Psalm 145:18 grab me.

Families and friends may be broken apart or separated by miles but the Lord is near! In Deuteronomy, Moses encourages the Israelites with this knowledge as does the New Testament writer of Hebrews. In fact, Jesus’ final words before He ascended as recorded in the very last verse of the very last chapter of Matthew’s gospel were: “I am with you always…”

I am captured by the line in a song penned by Ben and Sara Lunn: “I’ve got you by the heart and I’m not leaving.” YES, friends...He’s just that near!

Week 13 - Part Two

I have concluded that my idea of “due season” and God’s are vastly different. In my world, I have an app to order a fully cooked meal and pick it up within minutes. I can get almost anything I want delivered to my door within two days. (Actually overnight, if I would spring for the extra money.) There are very few things in my world that are not instantly available. Perhaps part of the reason I struggle with delay in seeing certain Biblical “promises” or prophetic “words” fulfilled is that my instant world is losing its value for “process”. And yet, James 1:4 says “…let the process go on…”

“What is your due date?” A universal question asked incessantly of every pregnant woman. When I was expecting children, I knew my due date, but I also knew that it was only an estimate. I understood that there was a “process” underway to ensure that my baby would be fully formed and developed before making his/her appearance.

In Galatians 4:19 the Apostle Paul speaks of travailing in birth for his spiritual children “…until Christ is formed in you…” Perhaps you’ve been in a “waiting room” for what seems like an interminable amount of time. If that is true, maybe this scripture can be the friend that waits with you—the friend that reminds you that your time of waiting—this time of “process”—is productive with a value that cannot be fully measured in the moment. A friend that encourages you with the truth that something is being formed in you that is worth waiting for.

“…and you give them their food in due season.” If you haven’t yet received your “food”...maybe, just maybe, it isn’t anything you’ve done wrong or God punishing you for some unknown, unconfessed sin... perhaps instead, it’s just not your “due season”.

Week 13 - August 18, 2015

“The eyes of all look to You…”
It would be hard to come up with a more beneficial posture. In fact, King David declares in the Psalms that because of this posture he is unshakeable and will be rescued from any trap his enemy might set. The passage goes on to say You give them their food and You satisfy desires.

“We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” (2 Chronicles 20:12b) King Jehoshaphat, in a time of national terror assumed the posture that brought miraculous victory for his nation.

One of my favorite short stories is “The Great Stone Face” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. In this story a young boy named Ernest is absolutely captivated by local folklore/prophecy stating that a native son will be “the greatest and noblest personage of his time” and he will be recognized by his resemblance to “The Great Stone Face” that towers over the village. As a result of his fascination, Ernest spends countless hours studying the face that time carved from the stone. Person after person is thought to be the answer…but inevitably displays character flaws that disqualify them from fulfilling the conditions of the prophecy. The story takes us from Ernest’s childhood to “seniorhood”…and throughout all his years the one constant in his life has been his unwavering focus on the “Great Stone Face”. The story ends with Ernest, standing at the base of the towering rock formation, delivering a sunset sermon to the village people. One by one the people begin to realize with utter incredulity that Ernest, their very own native son who has spent his life looking at the “Great Stone Face”, is himself the exact likeness and true fulfillment of the long awaited prophecy.

I submit to you that while there are many incredible benefits to keeping our eyes focused on God, the very best one would have to be that in fixing our gaze on Him…we become like Him.

SUSTAINED! Week 12 - August 11, 2015

YEAR: 1992

PLACE: Barcelona
EVENT: Olympic Summer Games

Derek Redmond was Great Britain’s hope to medal in the 400-meter sprint. He took his place and started well but 150 meters into the race Derek tore his hamstring. He stumbled and fell to the ground in pain…but then something happened that propelled him to Olympic legend. Derek stood and waved off the men coming with a stretcher as he began to hobble toward the finish. About that time a large man pushed his way through the crowd of spectators, past security all the way to Derek. It was Derek’s father.

“We’re going to finish this together!” he declared as he wrapped his arms around his son. And finish they did…with a standing ovation from the 65,000 cheering fans.

“The Lord upholds all who fall.” “The Lord helps the fallen.” “The Lord supports all who are falling.” “The Eternal sustains all who stumble on their way.” Whatever translation you read, the picture is the same: Our Father is right beside us, holding us tightly, making sure we reach the finish line.

Are you stumbling in your race? Are you in pain? Are you on the verge of giving up? The Father stands ready, willing and able to come throw His arms around you and carry you to victory.

FAITHFUL! (Week 11 - August 4, 2015)

via

Words, words, words… In a culture where words are abundant but their value is nil, isn’t it great to come across Psalm 145:13b?

The Lord is FAITHFUL in all

His WORDS  and KIND in all His WORKS.

(ESV)

God is not some politician promising the sun, moon and stars; a slick salesman guaranteeing more than his product could ever deliver; nor is He a starry eyed bride/groom reciting vows that they will struggle to honor. Although these last two lines of verse 13 are not found in some ancient manuscripts, the concept of a God who is completely, irrefutably and steadfastly faithful permeates the Scriptures.

Do you have “words” from The Father that you long ago relegated to a box in your “Closet Of The Unexplainable?” Do you have promises you have buried under a frustrating stack of unanswered prayers that we are all so prone to maintain? Retrieve them! Dust off those words, shine the light on those promises and declare over them that “HE is faithful in ALL His words,” for “He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it.”

Week 10 - July 28, 2015

Greetings friends! I apologize for the tardiness of this post. This afternoon we returned from a 2,000+ mile road trip. I just have to tell you that Montana is surely one of God's masterpieces! I agree with Psalm 145:10 "creation...applauds You, God." I wanted to stand and clap about 9:15 p.m. each evening as we watched the sun sink over the mountains. King David must have been someplace like Montana when he penned this Song of Praise!

As we move into week 10 of Summer Song, I thought it might be useful to post the meditation suggestions that I handed out with the original study guide. I hope you are still reciting the Ashrei. (see Change Your Lens...Change Your Life!) Speaking this beautiful song aloud will change your atmosphere. Be blessed this final week of July 2015!

pic via unplash.com

Your kingdom is a kingdom

that will last forever.

Your rule will continue

for all time to come.

Psalm 145:13a NIRV

MEDITATION GUIDELINES

Read & re-read the passage.
Ask The Holy Spirit for insight and revelation.
Explore different translations.
Journal your thoughts/revelations/questions regarding this passage.
Write out this verse(s). There are many studies that indicate writing by hand engages the brain in learning and enhances memory…among other benefits.
Is there a word/phrase that “chooses” you?
Is there an action that David meant to inspire with this passage?
PLEASE share your thoughts with us.

Week 9 (July 21, 2015)

11-12 They will not be silent; they will

TALK

of the grandeur of Your kingdom  &

CELEBRATE

the wonder of Your power until

everyone on earth who has ears to hear knows Your

valiant acts  & the splendor of Your kingdom. (Voice)

Disaster, calamity, upheaval, tragedy, ruin…

Yes, the media knows how to talk and not be silent… Sadly their theme is catastrophe upon catastrophe!

A few days ago as I was reading an article in a magazine given to me by a friend I came upon the most incredible word: Eucatastrophe. It is a term coined by the great writer of “Lord of the Rings”, J.R.R. Tolkien. This word came from joining together a Greek word meaning “destruction” preceded by the Greek word for “good”.

He defines it as “The sudden happy turn in a story which pierces you with a joy that brings tears…” Tolkien further states that, “…this is indeed how things really do work in the Great World for which our nature is made...”

In God’s kingdom it’s always good news! What looks like disaster, calamity, upheaval, tragedy, ruin is transformed…in His hands catastrophe becomes eucatastrophe!

Week 8 - July 14, 2015

Creation and creatures

applaud You, God;

Your holy people bless You.

Psalm 145:10 (MSG)

Our tendency is to look at verse 10 as simply a beautifully constructed piece of poetry that David placed within the context of one of his amazing songs. But, perhaps this verse deserves a second look…

The Bible is full of references to “creation” doing things that we have reserved for us human-types:

In 1 Chronicles 16:33 trees of the forest are encouraged to sing.
In Psalm 65:13 the meadows shout for joy and sing.
In Psalm 69 the heavens, earth, seas and everything that moves in them are instructed to praise God.
In Psalm 98 the rivers clap while the mountains accompany them singing a joyous song together.
In Isaiah 14 juniper and cedar trees are gloating (yes gloating!).

What this tells me is that since the beginning of time—and perhaps even before—the entirety of God’s creation has been engaged in a symphony of praise to its Creator; a symphony that we are invited to join…not initiate. The song of those redeemed may be the greatest song but it is not the only song!

God is Great, God is Good - Week 7 - 07.07.15

Many of us as children learned specific prayers for specific occasions. Remember the bedtime prayer: “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep…”? Then there is the mealtime blessing: “God is great, God is good. Let us thank Him for our food…” God is great, God is good… A simple child’s prayer that encapsulates the most important things we need to know about our Father.

He’s not predictable, His ways are not understandable, His methods don’t very often line up with ours, His timing doesn’t usually mesh with our plans…however we can trust and relax because… God is great, God is good.

I love the following C.S. Lewis quote from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Two of the characters are engaged in a conversation about Aslan the great lion king, who in this story is a type of Jesus Christ:
“Safe?”… Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.”

As you meditate this week keep in mind that pretty much all we need to know is: God is great, God is good. A life lived against the backdrop of His greatness and His goodness is bound to be amazing!

PSALM 145:9

The Lord is good to all.

He shows deep concern for

everything He has made.

(NIRV)

Week 6 - June 30, 2015

This is a little late being posted today because I have just returned from a month in San Diego. I was honored to help my daughter as she recovered from surgery. She is doing quite well and looks forward to being able to drive again in a few weeks. Anyone who knows me knows that I was in heaven being just two doors away from my daughter and granddaughters. Below is a picture that was taken earlier today by my son-in-law. (L-R: Neely, Sarah, Mabel)

We are more than a month into Summer Song. I hope you are immersing yourselves in this wonderful Psalm...reading it, declaring it, singing it, dancing it...why not step out and try a new expression in your praise!

In the original Biblical languages, words that are translated “meditation” make it clear that this is a practice that involves every part of us. It is not simply an intellectual discipline of our mind but one that is meant to utilize our emotions, spirit and body. Interestingly the word most often translated “meditate” in the Old Testament means to mutter, moan, utter…in other words let your ears hear your mouth speak aloud your “meditative ponderings.”

(TLB) 8 Jehovah is kind and merciful, slow to get angry, full of love.

· What qualities do you value? Kindness, mercy…?

· Practice being intentional about the “slow to anger” portion. (You will no doubt be given many opportunities to pass this test.)

· Begin a list of God’s character attributes that David names in this song.

Call 2 Fall. Week 5. June 23, 2015

Last month when I was dividing up Psalm 145 and planning out the weekly portion for meditation, I came to verse 7 and felt that it should stand alone as a prophetic declaration for our nation. I can now see that Holy Spirit orchestrated this! Within the next seven days the Supreme Court will hand down several decisions that could have major implications for our country. This is a time in the history of The United States of America where prayer is desperately needed!

RiverChurch along with the Nevada House of Prayer and over 2.3 million churches and individuals will be participating in Call 2 Fall 2015, this coming Sunday.

The Call 2 Fall organizers are asking that on Sunday, June 28^th believers come before the Lord on our knees in corporate humility. "Call 2 Fall" on our knees will be happening in many places Christians meet: worship centers, store-fronts, homes, and various other places all across America.We are encouraging believers to kneel at least 3 to 5 minutes before the Lord crying out to God to heal our souls and our land.

The "Call2Fall" will be heeded in our home and church. I'm asking you to strongly consider joining us and countless other believers all across this nation and participate in this holy calling.

via Call 2 Fall

Psalm 145:7 (The Message)

The fame of your goodness spreads across the country;  your righteousness is on everyone’s lips.

Pray for our nation this week.

Let this verse be your prophetic declaration!

The comment section below is for the purpose of interaction. It is my desire to engage you in conversation. Please feel free to comment on, respond to and revisit this blog! It is my hope that this will be a virtual interactive caring community.

Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good

A week or so ago I read a book titled: Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good. This book from The Mitford series by Jan Karon was good but I really don’t remember a lot of details. However, the title seems to have taken up residence in my mind. Today is Father’s Day. Although it is a day that has a “happy” greeting attached to it, it is not happy for many as they look back on their father experiences. Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good…isn’t that a place that we women long to be? As I was doing my first reading of Psalm 145 this morning, I realized that this song of David is a description of the father of our dreams! Someone that can be counted on absolutely, someone who always speaks the truth, someone who keeps promises, someone who lifts us up when we fall, who has the power to fulfill our dreams…

So, regardless of what your earthly “father” experience has been you can joyously celebrate this day because you truly have a Good, Good Father! Cuddle up in Papa's arms and know that you are Somewhere Safe With Somebody Good!

Week 4 - June 16, 2015

Our media-saturated society indulges in celebrity “worship”. We are encouraged to “worship” highly photoshopped photos in print as well as actors and personalities on television and on the theater’s big screen. We hear sound bites of finely tuned speeches and think we have a hero on our hands. Movie/television stars, media sensations, sports celebrities or political operatives all stand ready to receive adulation from an adoring public. HOWEVER, most of these people can only be worshipped from afar. They live behind locked gates and travel with personal security. Their safety demands that they keep a distance between themselves and their worshippers.

Psalm 145 is an amazing song of worship, but THIS kind of worship isn’t relegated to the glossy pages of a magazine or bigger-than-life images on a screen. God doesn’t require that His worshippers keep their distance…He always bids us to come closer.

This week as you meditate on His wonders and sing songs of His worth, do so with the realization that you are not simply reading ancient words from a sacred manuscript, but that you are allowing these living words to spur you into a deeper relationship. Let these verses that flowed from the heart of King David, through his pen and onto scrolls of vellum draw you into intimacy with the King of Kings!

(Voice) 5 Your majesty and glorious splendor have captivated me; I will meditate on Your wonders, sing songs of Your worth. 6 We confess—there is nothing greater than You, God, nothing mightier than Your awesome works.  I will tell of Your greatness as long as I have breath.

What does it mean to be “captivated”? What do you think David referred to when he spoke of being captivated by “Your majesty and glorious splendor?”
Sing a song of God’s worth. A song just between you and God. You are the choir—He is the audience. Regardless of your vocal ability, He always gives His children a hearty round of applause!
Confess means “to agree with.” Can you “confess” along with David?

Remember, the comment section below is for the purpose of interaction and not just stand-alone comments. It is my desire to engage you in conversation. Please feel free to comment on, respond to and revisit this blog! It is my desire that this will be a virtual interactive caring community.

Week 3 - June 9, 2015

Today is the beginning of Week 3 of Summer Song. As I sat out on the deck on this beautiful, foggy, cool morning in OB…my mind recalled stories that my parents told me over and over again, accounts of the supernatural at work in their lives.

It was the mid-1950’s. My dad, Andy, pastored a small church in Lewiston, Idaho. There were four of us children, and with my two younger sisters still in diapers, you can imagine the piles of laundry generated by this family of six. My mother, Alice had a dinosaur of a washer but no dryer. She had a clothesline strung up in the basement of our little house, but given the cold and damp Idaho winters, this method of drying seemed to take forever. Alice began to pray a simple and private prayer: “Lord, give me a dryer.” Within a few days she answered a knock at the door…”Lady, where do you want your dryer?” A local appliance store was delivering a brand new dryer. She never found out who purchased it but she did spend the rest of her life celebrating the giver of every good and perfect gift!

This story, along with many others has been passed down to my siblings and me. My mom was the embodiment of Psalm 145:4 “…they will pass on the story of Your powerful acts to their children.”

(Voice) 4 One generation after another will celebrate Your great works; they will pass on the story of Your powerful acts to their children.

What do I celebrate? How do I celebrate? Do my celebrations extend to spiritual matters?
What “great works” in my life can I record?
What stories am I passing on?