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The Burns Flat Cumberland Presbyterian Church
What's Your Story? Those are words that most have heard or said more than once. We all have a story to tell. Some seem more interesting or adventuresome than others, but we all have a story. The Psalmist had a story to tell in Psalm 147. It is a story of many grand and glorious things that God has done, but it is also a story of a special relationship. In this relationship, God gives his law to his chosen people. The Psalmist states, "he has done this for no other nation."
Through the story of God's chosen people and the law that God gave them we can understand our own stories. Some think that we don't need to study the Old Testament. All we really need is Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of all time, but to truly understand what that means, we need to understand the story of God's chosen people. Through them we see that they were chosen for something other than merit. One need only look as far as Abram to see that this man chosen to be the father of many nations once passed his wife off as his sister to save his own hide (OK, she may have been related as a sister or at least by blood, but Abram conveniently left out the detail about her also being his wife). This same Abram also got impatient waiting on God to provide him a son and with Sarah's permission and perhaps encouragement had a son by Sarah's servant girl. OK, later on, Abram, now called Abraham, showed his faith in God through his works--taking his son Isaac to the brink of a sacrificial death, knowing--finally knowing--that God delivers on his promises, and would provide another sacrifice or perhaps even bring Isaac back to life.
Isaac was a chip off the old block and did the pass the wife off as your sister routine to save his hide. Jacob procured Esau's birthright for a one-pot meal and then with the help of his mother, deceptively obtained his father's blessing before he died. Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers. The history of God's chosen is laced with faithfulness, faithlessness, and some really stupid behavior. When I think of God's chosen people, I wander, CHOSEN FOR WHAT? Certainly not for how well they lived! I would classify God's chosen people somewhere closer to soap opera material than the stuff of sainthood.
God chose a people to show all of us how to live. This was done first with his commandments and his law, and then through Jesus. We would not know the extent of God's grace if we did not have the law and see how far God's chosen people had transgressed from it. Yes, we have gotten off course as well and can now tell our story with an understanding of how great God's divine heart--his Karis--truly is. God also used his chosen people to deliver us a savior, someone that would fulfill the law while freeing us from the law.
We have a story to tell. We are called out of the world to be made holy by God and to be sent back into the world to serve and glorify him. Wow! That's a mouthful. We are now a part of his chosen people--grafted into Abraham's line and made brother's with Christ. Chosen, brothers, heirs, grafted, called out--that does seem like a lot to get our minds around. That brings us back to the story--our story. Jesus liked to tell stories to explain things. The psalmist tells us a story of a people chosen to receive God's law.
Take a minute to consider the story of this small church. This is a church that in 1899 started with only 13 members in a half dugout that was Boggy School House. When the school system consolidated, the congregation was out of a meeting place. In October 1929--a date which for most of this country marked the beginning of the Great Depression--this congregation, with only $20 to its name, purchased an acre in Burns Flat and built a place to worship. The church has been with and without pastors many times, but held on and in recent history, even took on a building program sans minister. When we look more closely at the story of this church, we see that every time the church stepped out in faith, God rewarded our faithfulness. If you want to understand by faith, not sight, read our history.
Sometimes we get caught up in the problem of the moment. In those times, reflect as the Psalmist did on all that God has done for his people and through his people. Bring the story closer to home and consider all that God has done through us. Consider how God has told a marvelous story through our little church. Think about it. We have first hand experience that God rewards faithfulness. God's grace is greater than we can imagine. God's peace is here for us today. God does make a way. Never forget that we are part of an incredible story! I'll end this discussion in the manner of the Psalmist. Praise the Lord!
What's your story? What has God done for you and through you?
1 Praise the LORD. How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him!
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
6 The LORD sustains the humble but casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make music to our God on the harp.
8 He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He provides food for the cattle and for the young ravens when they call.
10 His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, nor his delight in the legs of a man;
11 the LORD delights in those who fear him, who put their hope in his unfailing love.
12 Extol the LORD, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion,
13 for he strengthens the bars of your gates and blesses your people within you.
14 He grants peace to your borders and satisfies you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow like wool and scatters the frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word and melts them; he stirs up his breezes, and the waters flow.
19 He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the LORD.
Psalm 147 (NIV)
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What do you call a guy with degrees in Political Science and Biblical Studies? What do you call someone that served as a Marine Officer for over 20 years and now pastors a church? What do you call someone with this unique perspective of the kingdom of the world and the kingdom of God?
Most folks just call me Tom.
For some occasional paradigm shifts, try The Biased Observer.
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