Probably there has never been a time when it was more difficult to know what is true and what is not. There was a time when one could rely on trusted sources, like parents or clergy or educators or coaches or doctors, for accurate information, but now pretty well every source of information has come under attack. And it used to be that with sources like politicians or the media, you knew what their bias was, and with that, presumably where they were getting their information and where they are going, but even that is hard to fathom these days. And even with the Bible, which should be our most trusted source of truth, there are so many interpretations that it is likewise hard to tell. And so, in terms of these terribly nagging questions, I have made a couple of suggestions in today’s meditation. I hope you find it helpful.

It is incredible, and not always quite so wonderful, how rapidly societal values can change, and the language used to express them, so very rapidly. And this isn’t always good. While, in an earlier generation a woman would be said to be ‘in the family way’ or ‘great with child’ (now she is quite candidly and openly said to be pregnant), the words used to express physical love or intimacy have become quite crude and vulgar, and all too casual and frequent. This is rather regrettable as human love, including its physical aspects, was (and is) a gift of God and something to be relished and celebrated rather than demeaned. And so the Song of Songs is a wonderful gift from God, intended as a way of reminding us of this, and celebrating it.

In a discussion once about how Anglicans ‘hate’ change, the other person replied to me, “Oh, Anglicans love change: change from a twenty, change from a five...”  But kidding aside, change is indeed something that we have trouble with.  While admitting that some change is necessary at times, and even healthy at times, others would allege that we make far too many changes, sometimes ones that are momentous and sometimes even seemingly not required, and that often these changes are made without sufficient warrant from Scriptures or from God Himself.  All of this is to say that the example of the early church in adopting change, but doing so carefully and with plenty of grounds, would be something good for us to follow today.

The folks listening to Jesus were always faced with a couple of questions. Firstly, there was the question, ‘who is He?’, and then, secondly, there was the question, ‘what do we do with Him?’

As Christians, as His friends and followers, we presumably know the answer to the first question: He is our Lord and Saviour. But then the second question remains, ‘what do we do with Him?’ It is a question that, while probably answered decisively at a certain juncture of life, still needs to be answered every day, and presumably, every minute. We need to answer that question in terms of how we live out our lives as His friends and followers, and it is a question that requires our constant attention and consideration.

Isn’t it ironic? Humility would be something that we’d love to be proud about, but then, it wouldn’t be humility any more. It is noteworthy that today’s psalmist was simultaneously glowing about what a ‘good fellow’ he was and lauding the importance of humility. It just goes to show how easily we can be deceived in our own thinking and behaviour. And, then, which is even worse, to fool ourselves into thinking that ‘just because’ we are on ‘the right side’, the good guys, that God will automatically bless us and give us victory over those other guys, those not so nice folks. This, sadly, has been the justification for all sorts of abuse in both the secular/ political/ social realms and the spiritual realms as well. Anyway, it is best to be forewarned, and careful.

One of the things that I most admire about Job is that he never gives up on God. Regardless of what he is enduring--loss of family and income to start with, and then, a loss of his health, he never gives up expecting something better from God. And never gives up on holding God to task, holding Him accountable. He is not afraid to voice his displeasure and anger to God and actually expects God to answer Him. This illustrates an intimacy and a familiarity with God that is most refreshing, something that it would be well for each of us to desire and cultivate. And, even if this was absent, he still feels that he can go to God in prayer. A good example for all of us.

I believe that life is a series of choices, some bad, some good, and some of them somewhere in between. Judas Iscariot made some fateful and decidedly disastrous choices, but I do not believe that they came all at once. I believe that his eventual decision to betray Jesus arose bit by bit, incremental you might say, through a series of choices, bad ones, though they may not have seemed that way at the moment. I think that our lives are similar, that our eventual fate is decided by those little choices that we make day by day, moment by moment. And so, it is good, very good, to look at those choices, re-appraise them, and consider whether to change them.

I think that it’s fair to say that taking risks isn’t exactly our strongest suit for most of us, and yet, to be honest, most of the world’s progress, including that of the church, and even of our own lives, would not have taken place without it. Almost everything in life involves taking some sort of risk, from little ones like making a small purchase, to larger ones like careers, education and relationships. There is a risk of some sort entailed in all of them. And, certainly the risk that Barnabas and the early church took with the likes of Saul (later known as Paul) was one of the bigger ones. But, as it turned out--but only in retrospect--it was worth it. I pray that God will help us with our potential risks, to help us see clearly to evaluate their pros and cons, and then to decide, and do so wisely. I pray that it will be worth it for ourselves, whether that be for ourselves, our families, our communities, or our churches.

What’s important in life? Today’s psalm talks about intentionally placing oneself in the presence of God and thus enjoying His help and His guidance. In many contexts, past and present, this entailed going to a certain place, such as a church or a shrine or sanctuary of some sort, and this is still quite valid, and still a very good idea. It is one of the prevailing motivations for making a pilgrimage. But whether we make an actual journey or pilgrimage or not, it is still good to make sure that we have time with God. Even those who go nowhere, people who are at home, can do this--namely in the privacy and comfort of their own homes. That’s what the idea of a daily Quiet Time is all about: carving out a time and a space where we can be alone with God. It is something that we can all do--and, something that we all need.

In many of our hymn books there is a lovely modern hymn by Michael Joncas that is listed in the hymn books according to its first line, “You Who Dwell in the Shelter of the Lord”, but is better known as “On Eagles’ Wings.” It is a paraphrase of Psalm 91 and wonderfully expresses God’s protective care over us, His loved ones. As soon as I started reading Psalm 91 this morning the words and melody of this hymn came to mind. It is a great way to remember this psalm and its message.

I have long had a struggle with the realities of pain, suffering, sin, temptation and evil, and no more are these things put into the spotlight than the book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. Once again, today, I had to struggle with these and my meditation, inadequate as it will undoubtedly be in dealing with these issues, is the fruit of that struggle. And then, to assist you in your thoughts about this, I have also included a meditation on the same passage from several years ago. I hope that both of them will be of help.

I have long had a struggle with the realities of pain, suffering, sin, temptation and evil, and no more are these things put into the spotlight than the book of Job in the Hebrew Bible. Once again, today, I had to struggle with these and my meditation, inadequate as it will undoubtedly be in dealing with these issues, is the fruit of that struggle. And then, to assist you in your thoughts about this, I have also included a meditation on the same passage from several years ago. I hope that both of them will be of help.

Unfortunately, we are often so accustomed to praying the Lord’s Prayer that it sometimes becomes just a habit, something said by rote without much thought. And so it is good to revisit it from time to time, and especially to reconsider several phrases contained within it--the phrases, ‘thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.’ What we are thereby committing ourselves to is the establishment of God’s kingdom, Christ’s kingdom, here on earth, and, presumably, the idea is that it will start with us. The idea is that we will enthrone Him as king and follow and obey Him right now, and thus provide a minuscule element, a minuscule expression, of that kingdom right now. The crowds there by the Sea of Galilee wanted Jesus to be their king, albeit in a very limited way, but we, you and I, want Him to be far more than that. Let that be so. Amen.

Trusting in the Lord, depending upon Him for His guidance and assistance, should be something that goes without saying. Yet, if you are at all like me, you may well go about your day without thinking to ask Him what He wants, and certainly not asking Him for His help. Yes, we are often quite inclined to be like Frank Sinatra in saying, 'I did it my way.’ Today’s psalm reminds us that things will go better if we do it His way, God’s way, and rely on His help and direction.

One of our persistent downfalls as humans is that we latch onto certain ideas or beliefs, sometimes quite unreasonably and irrationally, and refuse to examine them, much less let them go. We have seen this writ all too large when it came to our national and political lives. People were almost willing to die for their beliefs about medicine or vaccinations or public safeguards or government action or inaction. And, mixed in with all this were vague rumours about conspiracies and sinister threats to our freedom, health and well-being. Sad to say that on neither side of the debate--actually there were more than just two sides--no one was willing to listen, to carefully examine the facts and sort fact from fiction.

And, this doesn’t just happen in the larger ‘public’ realm: it can also happen with couples, families, churches and other organizations. In these areas as well, we can accept certain things as ‘given’, as unnegotiable, without truly examining to see whether are really of God or not. So, in all this, we need God’s help and guidance.

One of the suggested Scripture readings for today is 1 Kings 2: 10-12; 3: 3-14, where King Solomon is asked by God in a dream what he’d most like in life. The king asks for wisdom, which God acclaims as a very wise choice. In today's reading from Proverbs we find wisdom showing up again, this time personified as a person, a woman. There she is described as building a house erected upon seven pillars, seven pillars of wisdom. Various people over the centuries have applied themselves to this idea and tried to name what seven things these might be. (I say more about this in today’s meditation). But here, let me leave you with a thought, namely of those various things mentioned in my various lists, which ones do you feel are the most important? And which ones would you like to cultivate? Something to think about.

I began today’s meditation with the title, ‘the proof of the pudding’, and applied it to the evidence that the Bible provides us with regarding Jesus’ life and ministry. However, we can apply that same idea to our own prayer lives. The proof of ‘the pudding’ as it were, in terms of our prayers, is in the ‘results’ or outcomes of our fervent and earnest prayers. And, of course, if we don’t pray, and expect results, then we probably won’t see any. And there will be no proof of the pudding. So, just a reminder always to pray and not to give up.

Today’s meditation and Scripture passage remind us that we should go to God in prayer, and persevere in it, even when we are not happy with God or feel somehow that God is to blame for the mess we are in either as individuals or as a society. God has long been blamed for things, so don’t worry about that. He can take it. Nevertheless, this shouldn’t stop us from praying.

I will never forget my parents’ frequent refrain during our teenage years. My brother and I would lament and plead with our parents, ‘But all the other kids have it...or are doing it’. To which our parents would reply, "But we’re not ‘other’ people. We are Stonhouses, and we don’t do that." Indeed, constantly hanging over our heads--and in our thoughts--was the idea, spoken or unspoken, “We are Stonhouses and that’s that. We don’t necessarily do what other people do.”

Indeed, something along the same lines should likewise be our refrain--and our compelling thought and motivations--as Christians. “We are Christians and that’s that. We don’t necessarily do what other people do.” Indeed, we are to people with a difference, an attractive and winsome difference that, just because of what it is, will cause others to sit up and take notice--and be part of it. And, part of that should be our love towards one another. As a wag in the ancient world said, upon observing the behaviour of Christians, “See how they love one another.” Yes, there should be an observable difference in us and how we behave. Thanks be to God.