An evaluation of our lives – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Preview

Each time I teach a class for Lancaster Bible College, there is a course evaluation.  It’s not just my classes.  Every LBC class includes an evaluation.  Here’s how it works: all students in the class are sent an email with a link that they can click on to evaluate the course.  In my experience, aboutContinue reading “An evaluation of our lives – New Year Psalm of Wisdom, Preview”

God’s surprising role as judge – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 5

At the conclusion of Psalm 98, a psalm of joyous celebration, suddenly, all the joy and praise and glory seems to stop.  Notice how the psalm concludes in verse 9b, “For he comes to judge the earth. He will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples with equity.” Judge?  What a different tone.  WhatContinue reading “God’s surprising role as judge – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Part 5”

Is Santa Claus…God? – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Preview

Is Santa Claus…God?  Of course not, but they sure do share some characteristics, don’t they?  When we think of God, while we Christians do not believe Santa Claus is real, the typical cultural conception of God is very similar to the typical cultural conception of Santa Claus.  Both are all-seeing benevolent givers of gifts who liveContinue reading “Is Santa Claus…God? – Advent Psalm of Celebration, Preview”

Advent and…the Psalms of Ascent, Part 5

This week I welcome guest blogger, David Hundert. David and his wife Terri are members of Faith Church. David is currently studying for his Master of Divinity at Evangelical Seminary of Kairos University. How do the Songs of Ascent help us understand Advent? As I mentioned in the beginning of this series here, the Songs of Ascent wereContinue reading “Advent and…the Psalms of Ascent, Part 5”

The third leg of the journey into…The Psalms of Ascent, Part 4

This week I welcome guest blogger, David Hundert. David and his wife Terri are members of Faith Church. David is currently studying for his Master of Divinity at Evangelical Seminary of Kairos University. The Third Antiphon (Chant) 130-134 At this point, this journey is on it’s last leg. The kids have fallen asleep. They’ve gotten cheerios allContinue reading “The third leg of the journey into…The Psalms of Ascent, Part 4”

The second leg of the journey into the…Psalms of Ascent, Part 3

This week I welcome guest blogger, David Hundert. David and his wife Terri are members of Faith Church. David is currently studying for his Master of Divinity at Evangelical Seminary of Kairos University. The Second Antiphon (Chant) 125-129 In this next section, the next antiphon or chant of the Psalms of Ascent, our journey continues and weContinue reading “The second leg of the journey into the…Psalms of Ascent, Part 3”

The first leg of the journey into the…Psalms of Ascent, Part 2

This week I welcome guest blogger, David Hundert. David and his wife Terri are members of Faith Church. David is currently studying for his Master of Divinity at Evangelical Seminary of Kairos University. The First Antiphon (Chant) – Psalms of Ascent 120-124 The first section of the Psalms of Ascent is referred to by some scholars asContinue reading “The first leg of the journey into the…Psalms of Ascent, Part 2”

Taking a journey into the…Psalms of Ascent, Part 1

This week I welcome guest blogger, David Hundert. David and his wife Terri are members of Faith Church. David is currently studying for his Master of Divinity at Evangelical Seminary of Kairos University. Does you like vacations? I have to admit, I don’t travel well. I get so stressed out about the travel process that, until IContinue reading “Taking a journey into the…Psalms of Ascent, Part 1”

Confidence in the middle of pain – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 5

This week we’ve studied the parallel structure of Psalm 30. We’ve found matching points here, here, and here, and now we are left with verse 6, for which there is no match.  It is the center of the structure.  Because it doesn’t have a match, that means it is David’s most important point.  What does heContinue reading “Confidence in the middle of pain – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 5”

This too shall pass – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 4

As we study Psalm 30 this week, we’re discovering it’s parallel structure. We found its first matching pair of lines here, and we found its second pair here. To search for its third coupling, we first look at verses 4-5.  These two verses are loaded with praise to God because, David says, God’s favor that lastsContinue reading “This too shall pass – Advent Psalm of Thanksgiving, Part 4”