Couldn't Help Noticing

Psalm one said so, part III

Actually, not just Psalm 1, but Psalm 2 as well. These two psalms belong together. You already get the hint that they do because, as we've noticed, the book of Psalms is not a random assortment. Two Psalms that lead in to a whole series of Psalms “of David”, yet without any heading of their own, deserve attention—especially when they stand at the very beginning of the entire collection of 150 Psalms.

These two orphan psalms (‘orphan’ because no-one is credited as author) do indeed function as an introduction to the entire book. They are Psalms that answer the question “How can I be blessed?” Verse one of Psalm 1 tells us that the one who is ‘blessed’ is the one who doesn’t walk in the counsel of the wicked. The final verse of Psalm 2 also mentions “blessing”, so that the Psalms are bound together by the same theme of “blessing”, beginning and ending on this note. According to Psalm 2 “Blessed are all who take refuge in [the Son]”.

It turns out that the key to getting God’s blessing is to faithfully meditate on God’s “law” (Ps 1:3), of which the book of Psalms is a prime example, and to seek refuge in God’s Son (Psalm 2:12). Mark’s gospel clearly identifies Jesus Christ as this Son (Mark 1:11). Read the Bible and put your trust in Jesus. The book of Psalms and, their message of how to be blessed, is profoundly Christian.

New Product Alert

You may have noticed that there's not just one, not just two, but three new products up on our front page. Should be something for everyone there, whether you're a parent or someone who works with kids, someone who's getting married soon or helps couples to be married, or someone who prays to our Heavenly Father.

The gay rights movement has “found God”

Well, according to this article they have.

What does this mean? Apparently the gay lobby in America is changing tactics. In their own words:

After decades of working to change secular institutions, the national movement, which has largely convinced society that homosexuality is neither a mental disorder nor a crime, is focusing on what its leaders say is their last, and biggest, challenge: convincing believers that it's not a sin.

The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, the country's oldest gay rights organization, announced Monday that a religious organization representing 1,400 Protestant congregations that unconditionally welcome gays and lesbians has merged with the task force.

Over the next five years, the task force wants to increase membership in the Institute for Welcoming Resources to 10,000 congregations.

The “welcoming movement” is apparently about “accepting LGBT people as full human beings welcome in the congregation” and “reclaiming the language of faith and moral values from those on the right that attempt to hijack faith and moral values”. (Not that they want to caricature churches who take a different view of what God thinks about these issues!)

To become a member church of the “welcoming movement”, churches have to do three things:

First, they have to sponsor conversation among congregants about gay and lesbian issues in society and scripture. Then, church members will write a public statement welcoming and affirming gays and lesbians, and finally a church council or the entire congregation will vote on the statement.

And so pressure will be brought to bear on churches to jump on the gay bandwagon. I wonder how many will face the accusation on the final judgment day that “...they loved praise from [The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force] more than praise from God” (John 12:43)?

You say potaytoes, I say potahtoes; You say foetuses, I say babies

Couldn't help noticing the word choice in this article in The Sydney Morning Herald: A matter of life or death for babies. Notably, the use of the word ‘babies’ in an article about whether efforts should be made to keep them alive or not. The word appears seven times in the article! Seven!

I'm so used to reading the words ‘foetus’ or ‘embryo’ in such articles these days. I mean, the word ‘babies’ makes them sound so ... well, human. Almost as if they were valuable little people just beginning their lives, and *not* just meaningless disposable blobs of cellular matter.

The other noticeable thing about this article is that it's about babies born prematurely; i.e. babies that people want to keep rather than babies they don't.

Different words used in different contexts to suit different purposes, but all referring to exactly the same thing: a human being.

Just remember…

Last week was a bit of a tough week. But it is great to be reminded that the Gospel continues to go out, in spite of opposition:

I'm part of a Scripture team from Northmead Anglican Church that runs assembly-style Scripture each week at one of our local state Primary schools. This term we have been using the resource material that goes with the booklet [Who will be King?]. It has worked well with our Primary aged groups. The pictures have been particularly helpful. The children have learnt easily what each picture is about. This week we will run the revision quiz and then give each child the colourful Who Will Be King? book to take home and hopefully read to their family. That's more than 150 books that will go home! I can recommend the book and the resources as a really good gospel presentation for primary-aged children. The series has raised lots of questions from the children and our question box has been full each week. Praise God!

Best wishes,
Carole Handley