Notes from Pastor Jon Anderson

Psalm 19-“The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky proclaims its maker’s handiwork. One day tells its tale to another, and one night imparts knowledge to another. Although they have no words or language, and their voices are not heard, their sound has gone out into all lands, and their message to the ends of the world, where God has pitched a tent for the sun. It comes forth like a bridegroom out of his chamber; it rejoices like a champion to run its course. It goes forth from the uttermost edge of the heavens and runs about to the end of  it again; nothing is hidden from its burning heat. The teaching of the Lord is perfect and revives the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure and gives wisdom to the simple. The statutes of the Lord are just and rejoice the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear and gives light to the eyes. The fear of the Lord is clean and endures forever; the judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, more than much fine gold, sweeter far than honey, than honey in the comb. By them also is your servant enlightened, and in keeping them there is great reward. Who can detect one’s own offenses? Cleanse me from my secret faults. Above all, keep your servant from presumptuous sins; let them not get dominion over me; then shall I be whole and sound, and innocent of a great offense. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer.”

Psalm 19 begins by declaring that the universe itself proclaims the glory of the One who made it. When I lived in the country, every sunrise and each night sky that was filled with stars showed me the wonder of God’s creation. The beauty and the order of nature-sunrise and sunset that happen each day, the order of seasons that is the same each year-tell us that Someone must be behind it. Indeed, there are many people who claim that they don’t need to come to church to learn about God; they can see God in the way that nature unfolds. And it’s true, you can, so much so that in Psalm 14:1 it says, “Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” But, nature can only point out that there is a creator-it can’t tell us what sort of Creator this is. For that, we need the Scriptures and the church. Psalm 19, after describing the testimony of Creation that there is a God, goes on to point out that this God has laws and judgments, and while those laws are good for us, when we are confronted by them, we realize that we cannot keep them perfectly, no matter how hard we may try. Although this Psalm is part of the Old Testament, written centuries before Christ, the psalmist still recognizes that our hope lies not in our ability to keep the law perfectly, but in God’s ability to cleanse us from sin and lead us in the right paths. In the New Testament God’s method for doing this is clearly revealed-through Jesus Christ, our sins-your sins-are forgiven, and through the Holy Spirit, we are strengthened in our faith, and the Spirit works God’s will through us. During this Lenten season, we are confronted with how far we have fallen from God’s ways, but we also hear the Gospel, that God offers us mercy and forgiveness through Jesus Christ, whose great sacrifice we remember throughout this season. May you have a blessed Lent, and may God’s peace be with you.

Pastor Jon