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Psalms: 126, 132, 119153-End, 142, 144, 147 There Is a General Theme in Our Psalmody This Week for the Well-Being of the People and Nation of Israel

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Psalms: 126, 132, 119153-End, 142, 144, 147 There Is a General Theme in Our Psalmody This Week for the Well-Being of the People and Nation of Israel Readings—Week beginning 7th Sept 2020 Sep 7 Ps 126 Acts 10:34-end Sep 8 Ps 132 Acts 11:1-18 Sep 9 Ps119 153-end Acts 11:19-end Sep 10 Ps 143 Acts 12:1-17 Sep 11 Ps 144 Acts 12:18-end Sep 12 Ps 147 Acts 13:1-12 A few notes on the readings are at the end. On a Saturday any of the previous Songs of Praise (Canticles ) may be used. Our Readings this week… … ... The LORD has done great things for us, Psalms: 126, 132, 119153-end, 142, 144, 147 There is a general theme in our psalmody this week for the well-being of the people and nation of Israel. We start with a couple and we rejoiced. of the Psalms of Ascent (psalms celebrating pilgrimage to the Temple) — Ps126 captures the sense of joy that when the Lord restores the life of Israel their years of tears and struggle will result in a harvest of joy and gladness. Ps132 takes us into the heart of the nation to Jerusalem and extols the eter- nal dwelling place of God in their midst—a song of praise that recounts the ark of the Covenant finally being brought into Jerusalem (see 2 Samuel 6—when ‘David danced before the LORD with all his might’). We then partake our regular foray into the acrostic Ps119, this time into the last three stanzas (based on the last three letters of the Hebrew alphabet). This psalm of devotion to the law, counsel, wisdom, precepts of God ends with a verse that sums up the whole 176 verses of the psalm—’I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.’ as a reminder of the importance of seeking God’s ways and not following ours. Ps142 is a typical lament for help in difficult times always ending with a more hopeful and trusting expression. Ps144 takes that hope of God’s deliverance and protection to a more general na- tional level recognising that God will always do what God has already promised for his people, and for those that seek it will be blessings—‘happy are the people whose God is the LORD.’ Ps 147 takes up this same theme in a praise-full ode of joy in God’s care for Jerusalem itself. [Jerusalem/Zion is special because it is the dwelling place of God in the midst of his people. In any other way it is a nowhere place —not a typical capital city! It is not on a river, and not a major com- munications centre. Indeed it is quite isolated hidden away in the dusty hills of Judea—in fact is was of no interest to the Israelite Tribes for until the time of David, many centuries after the ‘conquest’ of the Promised Land, it remained in the possession of the Canaanite tribe of the Jebusites. This was an enclave in the midst of the Israelites. And it is because it was a neutral place in the midst of the twelve tribes (who become united as a kingdom under David) it became the natural place to centre the monarchy and build the house of God, and David’s son Solomon would build the Temple as the permanent place of God’s dwelling.] Acts 10:24-13:12 This week’s readings takes the Gospel for all ’to the ends of the earth’ through some significant stages. First, having had Peter’s vision of the cloth with many foods last week, he then accompanies Cornelius’s servant to his home where many had assembled to hear Peter speak. Cornelius, a God-fearing man and a centurion himself had had a vision of Jesus who prompted him to send for Peter. Peter then shared of the impartiality of God for all people—he is ‘the Lord of all’ - we are told that as Peter spoke the Holy Spirit fell on all present, and they were baptized in the name of Jesus. It is important to note that the circumcised Jewish followers of Jesus were astonished that the Holy Spirit fell on the uncircumcised present— this is the beginnings of the ‘church’ breaking away from Judaism. It was not necessary to become a Jew to become a follower of Christ, one could become a full follower through the Holy Spirit and baptism. (Paul’s later angry letter to the Galatians fully supported this when Judaizing believ- ers had come along after Paul and tried to persuade the Galatians otherwise!) This was an cosmic moment for the early believers and Judean believers criticised Peter’s acceptance of the Gentiles, and so he went down to HQ in Jerusalem and once again recounts his vision of the animal-filled sheet and of the impartiality of God—to which after being ’silenced’ the council ‘praised God saying God has given to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life’. We then get a picture of the lively and eclectic gathering of believers in Antioch where many settled after the post-Stephen persecution. The Jerusalem HQ sent Barnabas up to help lead this fledgling ‘church’ and he was delighted with all he found there. From there he went to seek out Saul from Tarsus, and bring him back into the fold of the more accepting church in Antioch (this was 14 years after being banished to Tarsus from Jerusalem). Barnabas (the encourager) must have remembered the zeal and passion of Saul for the Gospel and thought his useful to be part of that outward looking com- munity. We are told that Antioch was where followers were first called ‘Christians’ - again a distinction from the Jewish A Map of the Early Church activities, and the peo- background. Noted also was the prophecy of harsh famine in Jerusalem, A ‘Christian aid’ was established to help, and ple ‘of the Way’ (followers of Christ) began to Paul took this to heart and collected funds for the beleaguered Jerusalem on his missionary trips—he would have to spread out from Jerusalem, into Judea, Samaria to shame the well-off self-indulgent Corinthians into giving generously!) [Antioch had been the centre of the Seleucid king- the ends of the earth. dom until 64bce, when it became the capital of the Roman province of Syria. It was the third largest city of the The early church headquarters in Jerusalem where Roman Empire in size and importance—a major trade centre.] James lead the church tended to be quite con- servative being under the scrutiny of the Jewish Persecution against the believers in Judea continues. James is killed, and Peter was seized and imprisoned. Here we have Sanhedrin (Council) and Priesthood. After the the shadow of Jesus’ story with us—as Peter truly ‘follows’. Herod was going to bring Peter out at Passover, Peter’s re- stoning of Stephen many disciples moved away lease from imprisonment (and almost certain death) reads very much like the resurrection story from the tomb with its and many settled in Syrian Antioch far to the angels,, and, was a woman. Rhoda, who first recognised the divinely released Peter and had trouble convince the others north. This would become the base for the mission that it was true! And Peter went to another place. We are then told that ‘when morning came there was no small commo- of the church to the rest of the world—especially tion among the soldiers over what had become of Peter’!!! the centre from which Barnabas and Paul’s mission journeys would start and end. Meanwhile, Herod [Antipas] the wannabe ‘King of the Jews’ dies - persecution relaxes and Barnabas and Saul, along Caesarea Marittima was an important port built by with John Mark, return to Jerusalem presumably to excite the church about their forthcoming plans for mission journeys. Herod to export the Galilean grain harvests to the Then back in Antioch the church leadership, after prayer and fasting, anoint Roman Empire. Pilate had his main home here on The Liberation of Peter from prison, by Hendrick Barnabas and Saul, along with John Mark, and they set off for Cyprus the cool of the coast, Herod also, to escape the ter Brugghen (1624). A Dutch artist who when in (Barnabas’s home turf) to share the gospel there. In Paphos they meet the heat, dust and noise of the Jerusalem and its festi- Rome saw the works of his contemporary Cara- vals! vaggio and was deeply influenced by his use of pro-consul, and through their ministry and victory over a false prophet, he becomes a believer ‘astonished at the teachings about the Lord’. Also of note Tarsus where Paul had been re-homed to at this dramatic light and dark, as well as using ordinary time is in the far north in Asia (Turkey) in the lee of folk as models, and worked very much in the here in v9 we have the moment when Saul becomes Paul for the rest of Acts! same style on his return to Holland. the Cilician Mountains. Week starting 7th September .
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