All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
5 They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
Psalm 138:4-6 NRSVue
I online searched for the Lectionary scripture readings for today although as soon as I put in February 9 I got a whack of Superbowl info. I know that later today reader Roger will be praying that the Kansas City Chiefs will prevail over the Philadelphia Eagles. These are two excellent teams and even though the Chiefs are given a slight edge on the betting line it's too close to call this morning.
The reality is that one team will win and the other will lose and that's what fans love about team sports and individual athletic endeavours. In my youth ABC Wide World of Sports had the motto "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat" and, come to think of it, this applies to just about every "arena" of human activity.
I did find the readings for today and the psalm is the same as for the past three days, Psalm 138. It upholds a recurring theme in scripture that God turns the strivings of mortals upside down. Whether it is Mary's Song in Luke or the apostle Paul's hymn in his letter to the church in Philippi we are encouraged to trust that "This is God's wondrous world: O let me ne'er forget that though the wrong seems oft so strong, God is the ruler yet."
Our world does seem to be a place where wrong has become commonplace and frightening. We wake up feeling as though we're losing the game when it comes to decency and fairness.
At the same time I'm aware that at age 70 I have been spared the threat and turmoil my parents experienced through the Great Depression and World War II. I see that the Gospel passage for this Sunday is the calling of the disciples from the shore of Galilee, where Jesus tells them not to be afraid. Somehow they see in Jesus someone to follow, wherever he will lead them, even to the cross.
Our sense of security may be shaken these days, but when the going gets tough, shouldn't the tough get going? Okay, maybe that sports cliche isn't quite want we want...
I admit that I will be watching the game today and like Roger I'll be cheering on Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs. I'll do my best to keep my eyes on a different prize, just the same.
Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,
who, though he existed in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
as something to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
assuming human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a human,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to the point of death—
even death on a cross.
Therefore God exalted him even more highly
and gave him the name
that is above every other name ...
4 comments:
Looking forward to the game! Yes, I would like to see Mahomes in a Steeler jersey, but with the state of the Steelers these days, I'd be happy if his grandmother joined the team.
Meanwhile, I'm tired of seeing the Chiefs win and will be cheering on the Eagles(although you have to admit it would have been nice to see the Bills make it to the big game). But, like 90% of the Chiefs games this season, they'll probably win by a point or two and the refs may as well Chiefs jerseys(do I sound bitter?).
Well last night's game certainly and dramatically represented "the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat." It was the stuff of nightmares if you were a Kansas City player (or fan). KB
I slipped away at the end of the first half, Kathy. It was a train wreck. I went to bed early but I couldn't sleep because I could hear Roger celebrating from Prince Edward County.
YES! And I'm still celebrating!!!
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