The First Week of Advent: Sunday

Psalm 80 is the Vespers Psalm for Advent Sunday I. Verses 1-7 form the reading in The Divine Hours for this day.

Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock!
You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh.
Stir up your might,
and come to save us!
Restore us, O God;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.
O Lord God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
You have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in full measure.
You make us the scorn^* of our neighbours;
our enemies laugh among themselves.
Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.

²Even in the excerpt you can see that this community lament is marked by a refrain: "Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved" (see verses 3, 7, 19). Note that this refrain is not only repeated, but also developed throughout the psalm.

• In the first instance, Asaph appeals to "God"
  
• In the second, he cries out, "O God of hosts"
  
• In the final refrain God is designated, "Lord God of hosts"

These poetic variations suggest a growing apprehension of the greatness and power of God to intervene and save his people. In the darkness and distress of their exile and devastation, they pray that his face will shine forth upon them; that the light of his grace and mercy will break through the darkness and set them free.

As the days grow darker during Advent, gradually swallowing our days, we pray that the light of God's presence and power will grow among us, delivering us from the forces of darkness and death.

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.

The Season of Advent

DUCCIO di Buoninsegna

The Nativity between Prophets Isaiah and Ezekiel
1308-11

Today is the commencement of Advent, the beginning of the church year, and the season of Christian expectation and preparation. During Advent, God's people express their longing for the coming of Messiah, the King promised by God, who will bring righteousness and peace to all the earth.

• Advent prepares us to celebrate the first coming of Jesus at Christmas, the Word made flesh, born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem.
  

• Advent also prepares us to welcome Jesus at his second coming, known as the parousia (or appearing) of the King, when the dead will be raised and all creation made new forever (1Thessalonians 4.13-17).

During this Advent season, I will be meditating on various psalms. Each day's psalm is taken from the evening vespers of Phyllis Tickle's The Divine Hours prayer guide.

SATURDAY SPORTS WRAP: The Amazing Grizzlies!

This week, I've been preoccupied with an ear infection, work responsibilities, and being with family and friends over Thanksgiving, so blogging has taken a back seat. Back to regular daily posts tomorrow, when I'll start sharing daily Advent thoughts...

The most exciting news to report over the past week has been the great success of the Franklin College Grizzlies in the NCAA Division III playoffs. FC is now one of only eight teams left in the tournament, after two impressive victories on each of the past two Saturdays. You can see the entire bracket at d3Football.com.


FIRST ROUND: Franklin Outlasts Otterbein
First, FC traveled to Otterbein College in Westerville, Ohio on Nov. 22 to face the Cardinals. It wasn't exactly the "frozen tundra," but a wintry day nonetheless in central Ohio. Would the weather turn this into a defensive battle? The first quarter suggested it might, with both teams failing to score. Then, each team scored a couple of opportunistic TD's in the second quarter to make the tally 14-14 at the half. We headed to our cars to warm up during half time.

When the two squads took the field for the second half, this suddenly turned into an entirely different game. The QB's took over, and soon the Grizzlies and Cardinals were marching up and down the field in a third quarter that saw FC put up 27 points and OC 17, with five lead changes. In the final period Franklin pulled ahead for good, and when the dust settled, the Grizzlies had prevailed, 62-45. Chad Rupp, the leading passer in FC history and HCAC offensive player of the year, completed a remarkable 41 for 62 passes with 527 yards and 7 touchdowns, including an NCAA record five TD's caught by wide receiver Logan Deffner.


SECOND ROUND: FC Defeats North Central
Sr. QB and Gagliardi Trophy nominee Chad Rupp completed 31 of 52 passes for 411 yards, and was also Franklin's top rusher with 83 yards on 15 carries, as he led the Grizzlies to a 38-28 victory over North Central College on Saturday, Nov. 29. On the defensive side, senior linemen Levi Smythe and Dan McManus led the way in pressuring and stopping NC, combining for 15 tackles and 4 1/2 sacks. The Cardinals came out of the gate fast, sprinting out to a 14-3 lead on their home field before the Grizzlies fought back into the game, the lead, and eventually the win.

THURSDAY THINGAMAJIG: Christmas Book List II

Here is a list of various non-fiction books, any of which I would love to find under the tree on Christmas morning.

• Treasury of Daily Prayer, from Concordia Publishing House

• Finding Darwin's God: A Scientist's Search for Common Ground between God and Evolution, by Kenneth R. Miller

• Nature's Witness: How Evolution Can Inspire Faith, by Daniel M. Harrell

• Beyond Smells and Bells: The Wonder and Power of Christian Liturgy, by Mark Galli
  

• Spiritual Formation as if the Church Mattered: Growing in Christ through Community, by James C. Wilhoit

• The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur, by Daoud Hari

• Critical: What We Can Do about the Health-Care Crisis, by Tom Daschle

• Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do (and What It Says About Us), by Tom Vanderbilt

• Human Smoke: The Beginnings of World War II, the End of Civilization, by Nicholson Baker

• The First World War, by John Keegan
  

WEDNESDAY QWOTE: On Contemplation and Prayer

Today's quotes are from Diana Butler Bass's book, Christianity for the Rest of Us: How the Neighborhood Church is Transforming the Faith.

In her chapter on "Contemplation," Ms. Bass writes an extended meditation on the need for holy silence and making listening to God in prayer a priority in our noisy world. She quotes Richard Rohr, who wrote, "When the church is no longer teaching the people how to pray, we could almost say it will have lost its reason for existence." She records the words of a church member, who reported that she had come to recognize the importance of silence. "Not many churches give you real silence, if you think about it. I've come to value it..."

Then she records this indictment of contemporary churches:

Some church growth specialists think that successful churches entertain people during worship--the more activity, the more noise, the more loud music, the better. From that perspective, silence is boring and an evangelism turnoff. Quiet churches cannot be fun churches. Contemplation is not a gift for the whole church but something practiced only by supersaints. ...Following this logic, it is best, I suppose, to keep everyday Christians distracted with overhead projectors, rock bands, and podcast sermons.

Thankfully, there are churches and pastors who understand the foolishness of this approach. A priest named Gary has come to realize that

"intentional reflection, attention to God, and restraint" are necessary practices of the devout life. He claims that "We need it now greater than ever. Our haste leads us to forget the needs of the soul. We will latch onto anything to feed us. We hope that something--our clergy, a new love relationship--will satisfy our restlessness."

Diana Butler Bass concludes:

Human desire for fulfillment cannot be satisfied by the world. True knowledge of the self, of love and meaning, comes only in silence.

MONDAY MUSINGS: Who Sets the Agenda for the Church?

The sign in the picture is not real, just someone's impression of what the real message is in many churches today.

Somehow in the last twenty years, the evangelical church has often allowed those who advocate culture war politics to set the agenda for the church and Christian people. We have become known more for the political positions we take and the particular sinful practices we oppose than for the Good News we promote!

• In many cases we have bought the questionable argument that there is only one correct "Christian" position, not only on a moral or ethical question under discussion, but also on the one right way to go about changing things. Anyone who disagrees with that position or method, or who even wants to consider other options, is automatically considered suspect.
  

• Furthermore, and even more dangerous, is the fact that we have been drawn into the political arena and have accepted the premise that this is the arena in which we fight our most important battles.
  

• Finally, we have accepted the "culture warrior" definition of ourselves, which makes it impossible to treat those with other political views as anything other than "enemies" in the struggle.

In short, we have allowed the world system, the media, and those who have anointed themselves war strategists and generals in the culture war to set our agenda for us. Why don't we believe the Bible? Why do we get sucked in like this? Why don't we allow words like these, from Paul, to protect us from being drawn into the world's agenda?

Indeed, we live as human beings, but we do not wage
war according to human standards... (2Cor 10.3)

In this light, Scot McKnight has posted a remarkable letter on the Jesus Creed blog today. It is from a conservative pastor who struggled with the issues during this past election and ultimately voted for Barack Obama. In the process he shared his struggles and decision with a few close friends. It became known, as things tend to get known within church families, and now he is facing severe criticism, people leaving the church, folks saying he is not qualified to be a pastor, etc. I encourage everyone who reads this to go to Scot's blog, meditate on this letter, and give a comment.

pSunday Psalms: Sermon on Psalm 146

Today, I had a special opportunity to preach in the Community Church where I served four years ago. The pastor, a dear friend, invited me to come and give a Thanksgiving message from a psalm of my choice. I chose Psalm 146, and gave my message the title, "What Does It Mean to 'Praise the Lord'?"


Here is the text of Psalm 146, from the NRSV.

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
²I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
Do not put your trust in princes,
in mortals, in whom there is no help.
⁴When their breath departs, they return to the earth;
on that very day their plans perish.
Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord their God,
⁶who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
⁷ who executes justice for the oppressed;
who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets the prisoners free;
⁸ the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
the Lord loves the righteous.
⁹The Lord watches over the strangers;
he upholds the orphan and the widow,
but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
The Lord will reign for ever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Praise the Lord!

You can read the manuscript of this sermon in PDF format HERE.

SATURDAY SPORTS WRAP: FC Keeps Victory Bell

UPDATE: Franklin received a #5 seed and will travel to Otterbein College (9-1) in Westerville, Ohio on Saturday, Nov. 22 to play the #4 seeded Cardinals, whose only loss this season was to the #1 team in the nation, Mt. Union. Kickoff time is at noon.

Another cold, wet, windy day greeted football fans at Franklin College Saturday for the annual Victory Bell rivalry game against Hanover College. This is a special game for those of us who live in Franklin, because many of the young men who played for Franklin High School now play for Hanover as well as FC, and it is great to see everyone again.

In today's mud bowl, the outcome was never in doubt, with the Grizzlies prevailing 34-0.

I'll be updating this post on Sunday afternoon, Nov. 16, to announce Franklin's seeding and opponent in the NCAA Division III tournament next Saturday. You can watch the selection on ESPN News at 3pm, and follow all the analysis at D3Football.com

FRIDAY FOTO: Farewell to Colors

Photo by Michael Mercer, 2008

A last glimpse of autumn's beauty...
November has come.
The world is now awash in browns and grays.
We crawl under our blankets.
We dream of spring and the return of colors.

THURSDAY THINGAMAJIG: Christmas Book List I

Here's part one of my annual Christmas wish list for books. We'll start today with the realm of Biblical studies.

Here are ten books about the Bible and biblical theology, any of which I would love to find under the tree on Christmas morning...

• Psalms, 3 vols. (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms), by John Goldingay

• Old Testament Theology: Israel's Gospel (vol. 1), by John Goldingay

• Old Testament Theology: Israel's Faith (vol. 2), by John Goldingay

• Psalms 1-59 (Continental Commentaries), by Hans-Joachim Kraus

• Psalms 60-150 (Continental Commentaries), by Hans-Joachim Kraus

• The New Testament and the People of God, by N.T. Wright

• Martin Luther's Basic Theological Writings, by Pelikan, Lull and Russell

• Reading the Psalms with Luther, Martin Luther

• Concordia: The Lutheran Confessions—A Reader's Edition of the Book of Concord, by Paul Timothy McCain

• A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times, by Kim Riddlebarger
  

That's a good start!

WEDNESDAY QWOTE: Of Money and Neighbors

Economics has been leading the news and preoccupying our minds in recent days. This is one of those subjects that, especially on the broad scale, goes far beyond my comprehension and expertise. Others will have to speak to that. As an individual Christian, chaplain and Bible teacher, I have always been more interested in money matters at the level of the "widow's mite."

I like the following quote from Walter Brueggemann, because it looks at society and economics from this grassroots level. He reminds us that good stewardship of our resources is a matter of sustaining community and treating our neighbors with respect and dignity.

The Deuteronomic tradition presents society as a neighborhood and enjoins attitudes and policies that enhance neighborliness. Deuteronomy insists that economic life must be organized to ensure the well-being of widows, orphans and immigrants. This response to dislocation insists that maintaining a public economy of compassion and justice is a way to move beyond despair. "You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice. You shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. Remember you were a slave in Egypt ...," Deuteronomy commands. A society that cannot be generous to those in need will not be blessed. The book instructs, "Every seventh year you shall grant a remission of debts.... Do not be hard-hearted or tight-fisted toward your needy neighbor. You shall rather open your hand, willingly lending enough to meet the need, whatever it may be."

This is perhaps the most astonishing command in the Bible. It was the practice in that ancient world, as it is now, that anyone who owed money to another had to work it off. The more owed, the more work required. And if one owed enough, one might eventually belong to the "company store." But ancient Israel set a limit to such debt-related work, in order to prevent the formation of a permanent underclass. No matter how great the debt, it was to be worked off for six years and no longer. Then whatever debt remained was canceled. Deuteronomy makes clear that economic practice is a form of neighborliness and that economic provision must be adjusted to sustain community.

TUESDAY TRAVELS: The tragedy of "Veteran's Day"

(from the BBC)

Here in the U.S., we just marked Veteran’s Day. Many in our time forget, however, that this was not the commemoration’s original name. Veteran’s Day was first Armistice Day, marking the Armistice at the end of World War I, which was signed on the 11^th hour of the 11^th day of the 11^th month in 1918. Today is the 90^th anniversary of that signing.

In northern France leaders from 21 EU countries gathered at Verdun, the first great battle of the war, which lasted for an appalling ten months, and where an estimated 600,000 casualties (dead, wounded, missing) were taken. In London, three of the last surviving British veterans of the Great War were honored. Henry Allingham (112), Harry Patch (110), and Bill Stone (108) watched as current servicemen laid wreaths on their behalf. Mr. Patch said, “It is important to remember the dead from both sides of the conflict. Irrespective of the uniforms we wore, we were all victims.” Across the continent, dozens of remembrance ceremonies were held to honor all of them.

The statistics of WWI are staggering. It lasted five years, and involved 35 countries. Over 65 million soldiers fought; 10 million died and 20 million were wounded. For the first time in history, the full power of modern technology was brought to bear in making war, such as airplanes, tanks and submarines. However, the most horrible aspect of WWI, for which it is remembered, was its brutal trench warfare. As defenses dug in, attacking forces were slaughtered in record numbers—on the first day of the Battle of Somme, for example, 80,000 British soldiers were killed or wounded. Also, for the first time in history, the war was fought by civilian armies, not professional soldiers, making the massive loss of life even harder to bear.

In countless ways, World War I created the fundamental elements of 20th century history. Genocide and the use of poison gas emerged as acts of war. The international system was totally transformed. On the political right fascism came out of the war; on the left the communist revolution in Russia leading to the USSR. America became a world power. Britain never recovered from the shock of WWI, and started her decline to the ranks of the second-class powers. At the peace conference of 1919, the German, Turkish, and Austro-Hungarian empires were broken up. New boundaries were drawn in Europe and the Middle East, boundaries -- as in Iraq and Kuwait -- which were still intact at the end of the century. And, just as the war was ending, German Nationalists like Hitler gathered millions who rejected the peace and blamed Jews and Communists for their defeat. The road to the Second World War started there.

One of the most tragic things we can say is that “Armistice Day” eventually became known as “Veteran’s Day.” WWI was supposed to be “the war to end all wars.” If it had been, we would still be remembering Armistice Day today. Instead, however, on Veteran’s Day we sadly note that “wars and rumors of war” continue to characterize this fallen world in which we live.

Let us mark this day with a fresh commitment. In our work and in our lives, let us promote peace. Let us be people of kindness, compassion, forgiveness and reconciliation. In all the battles of life, may we be peacemakers. And, as we remember veterans this week, let us also lift our hearts in prayer for the day to come when:

“They shall beat their swords into ploughshares,
and their spears into pruning-hooks;
nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.” (Isaiah 2.5)

MONDAY MUSINGS: Making Giving Easier

As a pastor, I always found it difficult to communicate about money matters with my congregations. For one thing, I am not gifted with any degree of financial acumen, nor am I particularly interested in the business aspects of the church. Of course, I recognized and taught stewardship principles from the Bible, but my teaching, I'm sure, communicated much more theory than practical counsel.

That is why I was so impressed with the insert in our church bulletin yesterday and the brief presentation made during announcements after the service. Our congregation celebrates the final Sunday of the church year, Christ the King Sunday, with an emphasis on consecration and stewardship. By way of practical application, on this day we designate our financial pledges for the next year.

We are preparing for that day now, and therefore the insert and presentation on Sunday.

• On one side of the insert was, "A revealing breakdown of our congregation's giving patterns." A set of ten steps was pictured, signifying levels of weekly pledged amounts from $0.00 per week to $100.01 plus per week. As the leader instructed us, we wrote down how many member families were giving at each level. This gave us a clear picture in one snapshot of where the whole church is with regard to stewardship.
  

• On the other side was a table. The far left column listed weekly income amounts from $200 to $3,000. The rest of the columns showed how much it would be to give 15%, 12%, 10%, and so on down to 1% of one's weekly income. Find your income, go across to the percentage you would like to give, and you get the amount. So, for example, if your weekly income was $1,000 and you wanted to give 12%, you go to that box and see that your weekly giving would be $120.
  

The challenge was for each of us to grow in our giving 1% for the year to come.

Simple. Practical. Understandable. Effective.

pSunday Psalms: The King's Prayers

In his work, An Old Testament Theology, Bruce Waltke gives an overview of the Book of Psalms:

The book of Psalms consists of five books of psalms (1-41, 42-72, 73-89, 90-106, 107-150). Psalms 1-2 are its introduction, and 146-50 its climactic finale of praise. Psalm 1 introduces the individual who submits to God's rule a blessed person, and Psalm 2 introduces the principal subject of the Psalter, the king in prayer. (p. 159)

The king in prayer—this is the main perspective of the Book of Psalms. David and his heirs are the main pray-ers of these worship and wisdom songs. Especially in Books I, II, and V, we see King David himself in continual conversation with God.

Now, remember that this book was written long after the days of David, and after the kingdom had failed and fallen and been taken captive into exile. Those who returned from the Babylonian Exile were without a king to lead and guide them as they struggled to rebuild their lives and nation. Yet the Book of Psalms was given to assure them that, though the nations may rage against them, the Lord himself was reigning in their midst and would one day rule the world through his Anointed (Messiah). Psalm 2 called them to place their hope in the One to whom God would say, "You are my Son; today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession" (2.7-8).

In order to flesh out the character of this coming Messiah, the Book of Psalms sets forth David as his prototype. As David trusted God, so would his greater Son. As David suffered the opposition of the wicked, so the Messiah. As David persevered and triumphed by God's grace, giving praise to his Lord, so the ultimate King would be vindicated and raised to the throne.

Therefore, when we read the psalms, we are not to simply understand them in the light of David's experiences, rather, these are the prayers of the Messiah himself!

Dietrich Bonhoeffer saw this clearly:

According to the witness of the Bible, David is, as the anointed king of the chosen people of God, a prototype of Jesus Christ. What happens to him happens for the sake of the one who is in him and who is said to proceed from him, namely Jesus Christ. (p. 18)

According to an intriguing passage in 2Samuel 23, David himself may have intended this. The NRSV translates it like this:

Now these are the last words of David:
The oracle of David, son of Jesse,
the oracle of the man whom God exalted,
the anointed of the God of Jacob,
the favourite of the Strong One of Israel:
²The spirit of the Lord speaks through me,
his word is upon my tongue.
The God of Israel has spoken,
the Rock of Israel has said to me:
One who rules over people justly,
ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning,
like the sun rising on a cloudless morning,
gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.
Is not my house like this with God?
For he has made with me an everlasting covenant,
ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper
all my help and my desire?
⁶But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away;
for they cannot be picked up with the hand;
⁷to touch them one uses an iron bar
or the shaft of a spear.
And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.^*

Verse one may be understood in the sense that David is writing "about the Man whom God raised up, the Messiah of the God of Jacob, the One about whom sweet songs of Israel are sung." The rest of the passage speaks of God's covenant with David concerning an everlasting kingdom in his household.

The Book of Psalms is about the Lord Jesus Christ. It records his prayers, his sufferings and his triumphs. He is the King for whom the returned exiles were to wait with expectation. He is the Savior and Lord to whom the apostolic Gospels and Epistles testify. The Son of David. The Son of God. The King through whom God's blessing will be restored to all the earth.

SATURDAY SPORTS WRAP: HCAC Champions!

The Franklin Grizzlies claimed the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference championship and gained an automatic berth to the NCAA Division III tournament with a 31-20 victory at Manchester College Saturday.

It didn't come easily. The day was all November—chill and gray with a blustery wind—and Franklin seemed ready neither for the weather nor the energy with which Manchester took the field on their Senior Day. The Spartans quickly put ten points on the board in the first quarter, while the Grizzlies' normally potent offense was stymied. Franklin finally roused and scored fourteen in the second period to take the lead into halftime, a lead they would never relinquish. The weather conditions worsened as the second half wore on, and the teams battled back and forth, with the Grizzlies outlasting the home team in the end.

Congratulations to Coach Mike Leonard and his team for their second straight conference championship! Next Saturday, Franklin hosts Hanover for the annual Victory Bell game. Then comes selection Sunday, when the Grizzlies will learn their seeding and opponent in the tournament, which begins November 22.

Go Grizzlies!

FRIDAY FOTO: Autumns Past

I have enjoyed taking autumn pictures for as long as I've had access to a camera. Here are some old fall pictures I found while digging through our photo boxes.

They were taken in October of 1984 in Vermont.

Click on each picture for a larger view.

THURSDAY THINGAMAJIG: Recommended Podcast

Here's a podcast that I have been enjoying lately. It's the voice of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and it's called, "Grace Matters." The host is the Rev. Peter W. Marty, who is hospitable and insightful as he interviews guests on a wide variety of subjects and then gives a message based on the topic of the day.

I have heard interviews from the field of religion, business, medicine, science, government, and from the lives of everyday people living out their faith in both ordinary and extraordinary circumstances. The show is well-paced and the spirit gracious and irenic.

Highly recommended!

WEDNESDAY QWOTE: A Day of Pride in America

Today, I am proud to be an American. Yesterday's election confirmed the special nature of this great country in which we live. I don't believe in "manifest destiny" or "American exceptionalism" in a theological sense. God has only chosen one nation in world history, and it's not us. Nevertheless, the fact that we could elect an African-American President one generation after the assassination of Martin Luther King is an amazing accomplishment that says a lot about the goodness and opportunity that thrive in our land.

I am also proud because last night two of the most gracious, hopeful and civil speeches I've ever heard were given by the two candidates, one conceding and the other celebrating victory. If only the entire campaign could have been conducted with the respect and civility of these speeches! Nevertheless, these men should be commended for their inspiring words, and it is to be hoped that the goodwill expressed in words last night will continue in days to come.

McCain's Concession Speech

"...A century ago, President Theodore Roosevelt's invitation of Booker T. Washington to visit — to dine at the White House — was taken as an outrage in many quarters. America today is a world away from the cruel and prideful bigotry of that time. There is no better evidence of this than the election of an African-American to the presidency of the United States. Let there be no reason now for any American to fail to cherish their citizenship in this, the greatest nation on Earth.

"...I urge all Americans who supported me to join me in not just congratulating him, but offering our next president our goodwill and earnest effort to find ways to come together, to find the necessary compromises, to bridge our differences and help restore our prosperity, defend our security in a dangerous world, and leave our children and grandchildren a stronger, better country than we inherited. Whatever our differences, we are fellow Americans..."

Obama's Victory Speech

"...The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America - I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there. I promise you - we as a people will get there.

"There will be setbacks and false starts. There are many who wont agree with every decision or policy I make as President, and we know that government cant solve every problem. But I will always be honest with you about the challenges we face. I will listen to you, especially when we disagree. And above all, I will ask you join in the work of remaking this nation the only way its been done in America for two-hundred and twenty-one years - block by block, brick by brick, calloused hand by calloused hand...

"Let us resist the temptation to fall back on the same partisanship and pettiness and immaturity that has poisoned our politics for so long. Let us remember that it was a man from this state who first carried the banner of the Republican Party to the White House - a party founded on the values of self-reliance, individual liberty, and national unity. Those are values we all share, and while the Democratic Party has won a great victory tonight, we do so with a measure of humility and determination to heal the divides that have held back our progress. As Lincoln said to a nation far more divided than ours, We are not enemies, but friends; though passion may have strained it must not break our bonds of affection. And to those Americans whose support I have yet to earn - I may not have won your vote, but I hear your voices, I need your help, and I will be your President too."

TUESDAY TRAVELS: First in the Nation

Since 1948, people in the tiny towns of Dixville Notch and Hart's Location, NH have been the first to cast their votes in national elections each four years. Folks gather before midnight to get first position in the election, and the towns take pride in having a 100% turnout. Each voter gets an individual booth, so there is no waiting at the midnight hour.

Earlier today, the good folks in these New England burgs continued the tradition, and here are the results:

• In Dixville Notch: Obama—15 votes, McCain—6 votes.

• In Hart's Location: Obama—17 votes, McCain—10 votes, Ron Paul—2 votes (write-in)

Ralph Nader was on the ballot in both towns, and received no votes.

With this wonderful tradition intact, an historic day in the United States commenced.

MONDAY MUSINGS: The Church and Politics

On election eve, some wise thoughts from Greg Boyd.

No matter what happens in tomorrow's election, God will remain in control and the church will still be called to be Body of Christ in this world. Some may lure us into thinking that the political process is the only effective way to get things done, and those in positions of power may get the most press for their decisions, but the world will only truly be changed when ordinary people of faith begin getting involved in the world as Jesus did, laying down their lives day after day to benefit others.

By the way, if someone thinks I am picking on the "Christian Right" here, the article from which these thoughts are taken is an extended criticism of the "Christian Left." Both are misguided when they buy into the notion that exercising power over others and passing laws to enforce desirable behavior is what God's people are to be pursuing as their primary agenda. Jesus' words could not be plainer:

"You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."
(Mark 10.42-45)

It is in the context of this radical approach to changing the world that Pastor Boyd writes:

The church should provide leadership to the world by our spiritual and moral example of how we live together and serve the world, not by our self-designated superior wisdom on how to fix society by political means. Swearing allegiance to Christ doesn’t mean we know more than others. It just means we are willing to sacrifice more than others. Swearing allegiance to Christ thus doesn’t mean one has more wisdom on domestic or international social issues. It just means one is willing to bleed more to bring God’s love to domestic and international social issues.

This willingness to suffer gives the Church a unique and powerful authority to address issues and transform the world. But it does so only if the Church in fact is willing to sacrifice more than others. If the Church would model the beautiful life as a community and in our Christ-like service to the world, we would win authority to speak into domestic and international issues. But when we focus on how we should speak into domestic and international issues before we ourselves model the beautiful life, we have no more authority than anyone else. Like everyone else, we have only our opinion to offer.

Trying to get the Church to participate in the political process the “right” way is like trying to motivate a secular person to pray the “right” way. So it is, for example, that we have the “Christian Right” trying to get Christians to vote to “save the family” by outlawing gay marriage while Christians happen to have a higher divorce rate than the national average. And the “Christian Left” is trying to get Christians to vote to end poverty while the vast majority of churches in America don’t have any of their day-to-day budget or activity allocated to helping alleviate poverty. What Jesus said of individuals applies to the Church as a whole: first take the plank out of your own eye before you look for a dust particle in your neighbor’s eye (Mt. 7.1-3).

Our singular focus ought to be on the church simply being the church, manifesting the beautiful life of the Kingdom. And we ought to do this not as a practical step toward gaining some of Caesar’s power – as though this was our ultimate goal — but because this is simply what it means to faithfully follow Jesus.

pSunday Psalms: Bird's Eye View

"As Moses gave five books of laws to Israel, so David gave five books of psalms to Israel." (Midrash on the Psalms)

The Book of Psalms went through several stages of development.

• First, psalms, songs and wisdom poems were composed by individuals and liturgical leaders for use in the worship of Israel.

• Second, many of these were put together and preserved in collections, such as the Psalms of Asaph (73-83) and the Songs of Ascent (120-134).

• Third, after the Exile the individual psalms and collections were gathered and shaped into five books that became The Book of Psalms.

This five-fold Book forms a poetic "cantata" about God's covenant with David. Psalms is about God's Kingdom. Here is a simple overview of the contents of the five books and the way they have been put together to tell this story.

• INTRODUCTION (Pss 1-2). Psalm 1 tells us that this book is torah from God, designed to help his people live in the covenant blessings. Psalm 2 tells us more specifically what this torah teaches—that God rules and will rule the world, despite opposition, through his Messiah; therefore, the blessed are those who take refuge in him.
  

• BOOKS ONE & TWO (Pss 3-41/42-72). These are the books of the king. Dominated by prayers of David, these books present him as God's ideal king, who suffers yet trusts in God and triumphs. By the end of Book II (Ps 72), prayers are raised on behalf of David's son and heir, Solomon. Thus these books focus, not just on David himself, but on the house of David, to which God made eternal promises.

• BOOK THREE (Pss 72-89). This is the book of the failed kingdom. It begins with psalms that question God's ways and the triumph of his enemies (Pss 73-74), and ends with the bleakest psalm in the book (Ps 88) and a composite psalm that reviews the covenant with David (Ps 89.1-37) and then laments his kingdom's destruction (Ps 89.38-52). What has become of God's covenant with David? What will become of his people?
  

• BOOK FOUR (Pss 90-106). Book IV is the book of hope. Opening with a psalm of Moses (Ps 90), the exiles who now have no king are encouraged to review the foundations of their faith and remember that the Lord himself is their true Ruler (Pss 93-99). This book provides the main theological answer to the exiles' laments. It assures them that God remains King and Judge of the world, their Rock and Refuge, and a loving Father who remembers their frailties. The book ends with a series of historical psalms, recalling God's mercies to their ancestors and appealing for an end to their exile.

• BOOK FIVE (Pss 107-150). The final book is the book of instruction. Ps 107, which opens this section, shows the exiles at home again. But how will they proceed? How shall they live so that they will not repeat the sins of the past? This book is made up of three parallel panels that each include the following elements: (1) Each panel begins with psalms that call God's people to give thanks, (2) Each panel ends with psalms that call God's people to praise the Lord, (3) Each contains a collection of David psalms, reintroducing him as the model of faith, (4) Each contains a prominent torah psalm, (5) Each contains prominent royal psalms that point to the coming King.

As Moses gave the Torah to Israel, to instruct them about living in God's blessing under the Sinai Covenant, so David gave a Torah to Israel, instructing the returned exiles to hope in the Davidic Covenant and live as kingdom people under the reign of their true King.

SATURDAY SPORTS WRAP: Back on Top

The Franklin College Grizzlies ran over HCAC rival Rose Hulman in a virtual battle for the conference championship Saturday, 42-7. FC's defense played an outstanding game, not allowing an offensive touchdown, and the offense was its usual productive self, scoring three TDs in each half. With two more games left in the regular season, the Grizzlies are in the driver's seat to win the conference and return to the NCAA Division III playoffs.

Next week, Franklin travels to Manchester, 2-3 in HCAC play and 4-4 overall.