RECIPE FOR RESTORATION

  PSALM 51  ABBY FREE, JULY 8, 2001        'RECIPE FOR RESTORATION'

When a novel begins with the agonizing cry, "O God, have mercy on me," you know that the character is in trouble. This person is so lost or so sick or so worried or so afraid or so guilty, that he or she can't go on without relief. Life has been interrupted by the deepest anguish. And when you read further and learn that this person is wealthy and healthy you really become curious. What could have happened here? - That's how Psalm 51 begins.

A psalm is a song, and there are 150 songs gathered together into one book or scroll called the Book of the Psalms. Psalm songs were sung or recited by Jews and also in the early church and in some present day churches. Ps 51 has been dubbed the Psalm of Psalms. We are about to find out why. This not a poetic composition but a desperate cry. There is a story behind this psalm.  Psalms often have back-stories behind them and Ps.51 may have the largest back-story of all the psalms. In fact, if this were on TV, it might begin with a content warning.

LOVING YOUR CHILDREN ENOUGH

Some parents care about their children's spiritual destiny.
What follows is a personal opinion, born from experience. If you profess to be a Christian and you are a parent of young children, the clearest indicator of your own theology and the authenticity of your confession of faith is the consistent effort you make to provide your own children with the indispensable information that enables them to have a relationship with the God of the universe, and the model your own life exhibits that this relationship is a priority for you. If they are hearing it from you and seeing it in you, your theology is on target. It matters that you love them and it’s rewarding that they love you, but they need to know that they are loved by God and that they are at home in his presence rather than disassociated. Be certain that they do not miss out on what should be their inheritance.