Seeking and Being Sought

Psalm 37:7

Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him;
do not fret over those who prosper in their way,
over those who carry out evil devices.

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I have spoke with the tongue of angels
I have held the hand of a devil
It was warm in the night
I was cold as a stone

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" by U2

Wanting in and of itself isn't a bad thing. It's how advancements are made. Necessity is the mother of invention. If you're happy with everything then there's nothing else you want. But this life is not all that there is, and as people of Christ we want more. Of course as creatures infected with sin, there's more stuff we want that's not good for us than what is good for us.

The evil in our society always seem to have more and better stuff. But we are still called not to fret over their success. So that leaves the rest of us wanting and wondering. We seek the better things yet we strive to live a better life than a robber-baron. We might shake hands with the devil, but we are also called to tell him that we don't want any. The tongues of the angels are more of what we are to seek, these keep us warm at night. U2 has this part right.

U2 also has this part right which comes from the end of the song:

I believe in the Kingdom Come
Then all the colors will bleed into one
Bleed into one
But yes I'm still running

We know what we believe in. We know the source of our salvation. We know salvation comes by grace through faith. But still we run. What do we run from? More U2 shows us:

You broke the bonds
And you loosed the chains
Carried the cross
Of my shame
Oh my shame
You know I believe it

But I still haven't found what I'm looking for

Our only answer is to be still and know that as we are seeking what we are looking for, God seeks us at the same time. God seeks us from the cross cast in our sin and shame that breaks our bonds and looses our chains. So we do need to seek, we need to seek the face of God. The Good News is that God seeks us too.

The Plaintive Cry

2Samuel 22:7

In my distress I called upon the LORD;
to my God I called.
From his temple he heard my voice,
and my cry came to his ears.

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It's gettin' dark, too dark to see
I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door

Knockin' on Heaven's Door" by Bob Dylan from the soundtrack to "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid."

The plaintive cries of a man who dies violently. He's got a badge and where he's going he won't need it. He's got guns and where he's going he won't need it. He knows he's about to die and there's no solace for him. Why? Who knows. "The bad guy got him and town's not safe" is a good bet, but it's only a guess. But there is mourning in the words, and mourning in almost everyone who sings this song. It's the kind of mourning that hints that there is more death coming, and the man is saddened.

Of course the Guns 'N' Roses version really doesn't show this, but Axl Rose has never been one for remorse or regret.

In this song, this song of David from 2Samuel, David rejoices that the Lord does hear and did deliver him from his enemies and from Saul. David begins by praising the Lord, his fortress, his deliverer, his rock, his shield, his stronghold, his refuge, the horn of his salvation, his savior and his God. His Lord saves him from violence. His Lord saves him from his enemies. His Lord is worthy to be praised.

His Lord saves him from his enemies. His Lord saves him from death. He cries to the Lord and the Lord hears his cries.

The Lord hears cries. The Lord hears the plaintive cries of the people. The Lord listens and pays attention. The only negative thing that can be said is that the Lord doesn't respond the way we want or in what we might call a timely manner.

Yet here's the truth. We knock on heaven's door. We don't particularly want to die. We especially don't want to die when there's still what we would consider "work to be done" on the table.

God hears our cries. Sometimes the story will end like it did for David, the greatest grandfather of our Lord. Sometimes it's like this nameless man who dies with his boots on. Both knock on heaven's door and neither is a failure. David claims the Lord as his God and savior, and so must we. As for the rest, knocking on heaven's door by the grace of God takes care of that.

Saved by Grace

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Ephesians 2:8-10

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God--not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

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If I should fall from grace with God
Where no doctor can relieve me
If I'm buried 'neath the sod
But the angels won't receive me

Let me go, boys
Let me go, boys
Let me go down in the mud
Where the rivers all run dry

"If I Should Fall From Grace with God" written by Shane MacGowan, recorded by The Pogues on the album of the same name

The fear of all God fearing people, falling from God's grace. It's the ever present worry that we won't be able to live up to God's standard. When we we fear that, we fear we will lose salvation. We fear we will be buried 'neath the sod but the angels won't receive us.

Fear not! The cry of all scripture from God to the people, fear not! God love us, God loves us. God is so rich in mercy that while we were still living a life ripe with trespasses, life filled with sin, God is so rich in mercy that we were made alive through Christ, saved by grace through faith.

The wonderful thing about grace is that we cannot earn it by our works. Grace is a gift freely given. If we had to work for it then it would no longer be grace, it would no longer be a gift. It was given before we even had the opportunity to try to earn it. Let me say again, the free gift of God's good grace was offered before we had the opportunity to try to earn it.

Our good works aren't like "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." If we open enough chocolate we won't find the Wonka Golden Ticket to get us beyond the factory gates. This is salvation by works, we are saved by grace through faith.

Yet we were created to do good works. God has made us in Christ Jesus for good works to become our way of life. So if our good works aren't for our salvation what's the use? Our good works reflect the light of Christ in the world. Our good works show God's light in the world.Our good works aren't for our glory, but project God's love onto a needy world.

Saved by grace through faith shows God's merciful kindness to creation. Merciful kindness, in the words of a famous theologian, God loves us not despite who we are, but because of who we are. Live into God's grace not because it will get us anything, but because we are thankful for everything.

Julian's Lament, Paul's Psalm

Psalm 80:4-7

O LORD God of hosts,
how long will you be angry with your people’s prayers?

You have fed them with the bread of tears,
and given them tears to drink in full measure.

You make us the scorn of our neighbors;
our enemies laugh among themselves.

Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors;
Restore us, O God of hosts;
let your face shine, that we may be saved.

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Hey Jude, don't make it bad
Take a sad song and make it better
Remember to let her into your heart
Then you can start to make it better

"Hey Jude" by John Lennon and Paul McCartney recorded by The Beatles

"Hey Jude" was written principally by Paul McCartney for John Lennon's eldest son Julian. Lennon's divorce with his first wife was filed and John had begun his relationship with Yoko Ono. Any child of divorce will say watching a parent date is difficult. Watching it as the son of a Beatle amps the difficulty exponentially.

Paul gives Julian license to be sad. Paul gives him license to feel. Paul gives Julian license to accept his situation and his feelings. Paul gives Julian license to begin to make it better.

The Psalms of Lament are a special set in the Psalter. Israel is miserable because the Lord is angry. When the Lord is angry there ain't anybody who's happy. They know they are the object of the Lord's anger and because of that they will be the subject of their neighbor's scorn. This can't be an easy time to be a member of the nation.

But they know one more thing, they know the source of their salvation. They know that only the Lord can restore them to favor. They pray the Lord not remember the deeds of their ancestors. They pray the light of the continence, the face of the Lord shine. Only by the Lord is restoration possible.

God knows when we are hurt. God knows when we are angry. Here's the Good News, God is a big boy. God can handle our pain and disappointment even when we direct it against the one who does not deserve it, God's own self. When we finish a season of lament, God is ready for us to seek restoration. God's work of restoration is already done for us in the work on the cross.

This is how we take our sad songs and make them better. We let the Lord into our hearts and then we can start to make it better.