Let me refresh our memories from the last blog: "You're Kind of a Big Deal" Part 1!
You are, as Brene Brown says, "worthy now." Worthy now of what? Knowing your place in the universe. Knowing that place is a significant one; that you have a job to do because royal representatives of the king have important business to which they tend.
We started "in the beginning" in Part 1. Now lets proceed to Psalm 8.
Why are we going to a psalm?
Sometimes songs can manuever truths into our minds and hearts in a way reading a story or hearing a sermon can't. I say this as a guy who frequently delivers sermons and loves a good story. I love them. However, I don't think its a coincidence that David, the "Man after God's Own Heart," has an extensive discography in the Bible. We need songs to magically experience deep truths in ways only songs can make happen.
Psalm 8 in particular has a message pregnant with meaning for the shame-burdened.
Here's the psalm:
1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants
to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
and all who oppose you.
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers--
the moon and the stars you set in place--
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority--
7 the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
I'll give us a few thoughts to ponder from this verse in our shame battles.
First, this psalm gives homage to God.
First and foremost, he is the epicenter of our existence. Our value is only valuable because there is a value-provider who is valuable enough to give value. Did you catch all that?
The point is: his majesty fills the earth.
This is the truth out of which it makes sense for us to say we are "worthy now." Our life pivots on it.
Bathe in that truth, let it wash you over.
Second, David is asking a question many of us ask.
In the throws of doubting our value, we find ourselves asking "God, why would you care for me? I'm so messed up, dirty, broken, undone. Who am I that you'd give a rip?!"
However, it seems David's tone in asking the question "what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" is different. Its hopeful, anchored in the truth that he does care and think about us lovingly...intensely...constantly.
When I suck at school or sports? Certainly!
When the "fat hits the shan" because of my mistake? Absolutely!
When my dad, mom, boyfriend, boss, girlfriend, third cousin on your grandpa's side says God doesn't think you are worthy of his care? Especially then!
Third, we are crowned with "glory and honor!"
Okay, I hope we can hear this part.
Christians usually read "You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority" and fast-forward in our heads to Hebrews 2 where this is applied to Jesus. However, squeal the breaks! Don't get ahead of the text or history.
This was first written about us human folk in general and was later used to make a point about Jesus. How awesome and humbling verses applied to Jesus were actually applied to us all in some way.
Like Peter, Lucy, Edmund, and Susan discover in The Chronicles of Narnia, we were made royalty. We were given "glory and honor" by God, something typically given to God. We were placed a little lower than heavenly beings. We were charged to rule over creation and do good things therein. We take care of the land and sea, birds, bears, and buffalo. We're the biggest deal to God this world has going. We bear God's image like no other earthy creature. We are worthy now simply and certainly because God said so.
This should keep us humble, knowing we're not at the top of the creation food chain, and joyful, knowing we're charged with adventurous and awesome tasks!
Love yourself today, God does.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next time, we'll start talking about the two ways I think shame arises in our lives as we take a visit to a certain birthday suit clad couple in the Garden of Eden.
[As always, if you know others who are or need to (hint: that's all of us) revolt against shame in their lives, feel free to send this blog their way!]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want Psalm 8 to sink in through a soulful and skillful song composition that will make you smack your momma,* check out this performance of it by Richard Smallwood's stab at it-especially 3:00-4:35.
Those who know me well can tell you I'm more a folk/singer-songwriter kind of guy. This is me, expanding my musical interests just a skosh. If purple suits and robes aren't your thing, just close your eyes. Either way, turn up the volume and let the words make their way into that place that needs to know shame isn't welcome.
You are, as Brene Brown says, "worthy now." Worthy now of what? Knowing your place in the universe. Knowing that place is a significant one; that you have a job to do because royal representatives of the king have important business to which they tend.
We started "in the beginning" in Part 1. Now lets proceed to Psalm 8.
Why are we going to a psalm?
Sometimes songs can manuever truths into our minds and hearts in a way reading a story or hearing a sermon can't. I say this as a guy who frequently delivers sermons and loves a good story. I love them. However, I don't think its a coincidence that David, the "Man after God's Own Heart," has an extensive discography in the Bible. We need songs to magically experience deep truths in ways only songs can make happen.
Psalm 8 in particular has a message pregnant with meaning for the shame-burdened.
Here's the psalm:
1 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
Your glory is higher than the heavens.
2 You have taught children and infants
to tell of your strength,
silencing your enemies
and all who oppose you.
3 When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers--
the moon and the stars you set in place--
4 what are mere mortals that you should think about them,
human beings that you should care for them?
5 Yet you made them only a little lower than God
and crowned them with glory and honor.
6 You gave them charge of everything you made,
putting all things under their authority--
7 the flocks and the herds
and all the wild animals,
8 the birds in the sky, the fish in the sea,
and everything that swims the ocean currents.
9 O Lord, our Lord, your majestic name fills the earth!
I'll give us a few thoughts to ponder from this verse in our shame battles.
First, this psalm gives homage to God.
First and foremost, he is the epicenter of our existence. Our value is only valuable because there is a value-provider who is valuable enough to give value. Did you catch all that?
The point is: his majesty fills the earth.
This is the truth out of which it makes sense for us to say we are "worthy now." Our life pivots on it.
Bathe in that truth, let it wash you over.
Second, David is asking a question many of us ask.
In the throws of doubting our value, we find ourselves asking "God, why would you care for me? I'm so messed up, dirty, broken, undone. Who am I that you'd give a rip?!"
However, it seems David's tone in asking the question "what are mere mortals that you should think about them, human beings that you should care for them?" is different. Its hopeful, anchored in the truth that he does care and think about us lovingly...intensely...constantly.
When I suck at school or sports? Certainly!
When the "fat hits the shan" because of my mistake? Absolutely!
When my dad, mom, boyfriend, boss, girlfriend, third cousin on your grandpa's side says God doesn't think you are worthy of his care? Especially then!
Third, we are crowned with "glory and honor!"
Okay, I hope we can hear this part.
Christians usually read "You gave them charge of everything you made, putting all things under their authority" and fast-forward in our heads to Hebrews 2 where this is applied to Jesus. However, squeal the breaks! Don't get ahead of the text or history.
This was first written about us human folk in general and was later used to make a point about Jesus. How awesome and humbling verses applied to Jesus were actually applied to us all in some way.
Like Peter, Lucy, Edmund, and Susan discover in The Chronicles of Narnia, we were made royalty. We were given "glory and honor" by God, something typically given to God. We were placed a little lower than heavenly beings. We were charged to rule over creation and do good things therein. We take care of the land and sea, birds, bears, and buffalo. We're the biggest deal to God this world has going. We bear God's image like no other earthy creature. We are worthy now simply and certainly because God said so.
This should keep us humble, knowing we're not at the top of the creation food chain, and joyful, knowing we're charged with adventurous and awesome tasks!
Love yourself today, God does.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Next time, we'll start talking about the two ways I think shame arises in our lives as we take a visit to a certain birthday suit clad couple in the Garden of Eden.
[As always, if you know others who are or need to (hint: that's all of us) revolt against shame in their lives, feel free to send this blog their way!]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If you want Psalm 8 to sink in through a soulful and skillful song composition that will make you smack your momma,* check out this performance of it by Richard Smallwood's stab at it-especially 3:00-4:35.
Those who know me well can tell you I'm more a folk/singer-songwriter kind of guy. This is me, expanding my musical interests just a skosh. If purple suits and robes aren't your thing, just close your eyes. Either way, turn up the volume and let the words make their way into that place that needs to know shame isn't welcome.
*To my knowledge, no mommas were smacked during the writing of this blog or composition of this song.
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