David Bahn – Reflections

Light from the Word and through the lens

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In 1968 Jerry Snell opened a door in the hallway outside our first hour chemistry class. He invited me into what I discovered was a darkroom. Soon I was on the school newspaper and annual staff as a photographer. Later I learned that Jerry was a Lutheran who was planning to become a pastor. A few years later I was not only a Lutheran, but I was heading off to seminary to become a Lutheran pastor, too. Jerry followed a year later and served as a pastor in Missouri until his untimely heart attack and death. I thank God for Jerry and enjoy photography still today – not to mention rejoicing in having served as a Lutheran pastor in congregations in Utah, Colorado, Arkansas and Texas. I’ve retired now and serve part time as a Congregational Support Specialist for the Texas District of the LCMS. I also provide coaching and leadership training through various PLI cohorts and with individual congregations and organizations. David Bahn is a follower of Jesus Christ, husband to Diane, father and grandfather. He is an avid amateur photographer. His photo website is “Flowers by God Photos by David” He also publishes a devotional blog DavidBahn-Reflections.com. He and Diane live in Cypress Texas and enjoy visiting their grandchildren who live in the United States and Germany. He graduated from Concordia Theological Seminary in 1979, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Fuller Theological Seminary in 1991. Diane, his wife, is now retired from PLI (PLIleadership.org). They have offered presentations on Marriage and Ministry Partnership, Leadership, Changing Your Congregation’s Culture, and Missional Living. They look are working with PLI International training pastors and wives of the ELVD Diocese of the Lutheran Church of Tanzania. David’s personal mission statement is “Leading people to realize Jesus’ calling and plans for their lives.”

  • Psalm 90: The Everlasting God

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

    Psalm 90

    Lord, you have been our dwelling place
        in all generations.
    2 Before the mountains were brought forth,
        or ever you had formed the earth and the world,
        from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

    3 You return man to dust
        and say, “Return, O children of man!”
    4 For a thousand years in your sight
        are but as yesterday when it is past,
        or as a watch in the night.

    5 You sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream,
        like grass that is renewed in the morning:
    6 in the morning it flourishes and is renewed;
        in the evening it fades and withers.

    7 For we are brought to an end by your anger;
        by your wrath we are dismayed.
    8 You have set our iniquities before you,
        our secret sins in the light of your presence.

    9 For all our days pass away under your wrath;
        we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
    10 The years of our life are seventy,
        or even by reason of strength eighty;
    yet their span is but toil and trouble;
        they are soon gone, and we fly away.
    11 Who considers the power of your anger,
        and your wrath according to the fear of you?

    12 So teach us to number our days
        that we may get a heart of wisdom.
    13 Return, O Lord! How long?
        Have pity on your servants!
    14 Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
        that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
    15 Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
        and for as many years as we have seen evil.
    16 Let your work be shown to your servants,
        and your glorious power to their children.
    17 Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
        and establish the work of our hands upon us;
        yes, establish the work of our hands!

    Orange Cana Lily | May 2022 | Location Unknown

    I tend to think of the everlasting nature of God in terms of time. He was before the beginning of time. He will be after the end of time. He is outside of time. He is eternal. That is important. Those are important realities. The material universe is not eternal. It had a beginning. God who was before all time and creation created the universe. God was before the universe was. One day this world will pass away. But God will go on. He is everlasting. 

    That is not true of us. We have not always been. Our days on earth are numbered (v. 12!). Our lives in this world will come to an end. That means we are limited in lifespan. But we’re also limited in other ways.

    We were driving west along Interstate-80 in the middle of Iowa. Our 1972 Chevelle was pulling a U-Haul trailer with all our worldly possessions in the back. Diane was 7 months pregnant. I was going to begin my vicarage year in Cheyenne, Wyoming. As I drove I could feel something different about our car’s transmission. It was not a good difference. Finally I pulled to the shoulder knowing that the car would make it no further. Our transmission gave out. So did my peaceful heart. My joy left me. My anxiety took its place. I knew of no way to fix this. It was clear: I was at the end of my resources. 

    But God’s everlasting nature extends beyond time. He’s not just better than the Energizer Bunny. Or Duralast Batteries. Or a Timex watch: Takes a likin’ and keeps on tickin, (you may remember). God’s love is everlasting. It never runs out. God’s grace and mercy never run out. His power is boundless in breadth and duration. His resources are boundless. From everlasting to everlasting God is God. And God is just, holy, true, faithful, trustworthy, patient, kind, merciful, gracious, and good. God is love. 

    God’s nature never changes. Our ability to experience him is certainly limited. Our comprehension of God is finite. Our faith in him and his promises wavers. But God is constant. He is the rock. He is the One who will be there whenever we turn to him. From everlasting to everlasting he is. Known by faith. Redeemed by Jesus. Sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Attested to in Scripture. Proven by an empty and open tomb. For him we wait until the number of our days is completed and our faith becomes sight.

    Until then we pray:

    Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us,
        and establish the work of our hands upon us;
        yes, establish the work of our hands!

  • Today’s Psalms for March 12, 2023

    Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day.

    Psalm 12:6

    The words of the Lordare pure words,
        like silver refined in a furnace on the ground,
        purified seven times.

    Psalm 42:1-2

    As a deer pants for flowing streams,
        so pants my soul for you, O God.
    2 My soul thirsts for God,
        for the living God.
    When shall I come and appear before God?

    Psalm 72:18-19

    18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
        who alone does wondrous things.
    19 Blessed be his glorious name forever;
        may the whole earth be filled with his glory!
    Amen and Amen!

    Psalm 102:1-2

    102 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    let my cry come to you!
    2 Do not hide your face from me
        in the day of my distress!
    Incline your ear to me;
        answer me speedily in the day when I call!

    Psalm 132:8-9

    8 Arise, O Lord, and go to your resting place,
        you and the ark of your might.
    9 Let your priests be clothed with righteousness,
        and let your saints shout for joy.

    The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
    Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

  • Psalm 95: Reasons to Praise God

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

    Psalm 95

    Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
    2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
    3 For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
    4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
    5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

    6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
    7 For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
    Today, if you hear his voice,
    8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
    9 when your fathers put me to the test
    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
    10 For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
    and they have not known my ways.”
    11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
    “They shall not enter my rest.”

    South Padre Island Sunset – III | September 2022

    Sometimes I’ve made a joke about quoting others. First time: “As Billy Graham said,…” Second time: “As I’ve said before…” Third and every time afterwards: “As I’ve always said…” In the case of the reasons and benefits of praising God, I don’t have a famous person to quote, other than this psalmist and others who have made the point throughout the Scriptures urging us to praise God. But I do have reason to say, “As I’ve often said…”

    The Common Preface to the Lutheran communion liturgy says, “It is truly good, right, and salutary, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto You O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, Everlasting God.” To that I would add the word “praise.” It’s always right to praise God. It’s always good. It’s always salutary.

    It’s always good to praise God. Praising God focuses our attention on God’s goodness, power, glory, grace, love, majesty, holiness, mercy, and providence. It lifts our eyes from the doldrums of daily dilemmas. It helps us see beyond our limited horizons and perceptions of what is good, beneficial, holy, and true. Praising God forces us to consider things from a different perspective than earthbound solutions, easy-way answers, and quick-fix options. Rather than drowning ourselves in a puddle of self-pity, we elevate ourselves in glorious joy in the majesty of God who is worthy of all our praise.

    That’s also why it’s right to praise God. He deserves our praise. The Bible is clear, “For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory (praise) of God (Romans 3:23). The actual word in that verse is δόξης (doxās), which is often translated, “praise.” Whether praise or glory, no one other than God deserves praise or glory. He is the creator of all things. His are depths of the earth and the highest mountains. We are his.

    But that’s not all. It is also salutary for us to praise him. For when we praise God, we express truths that bind the soul in grace and love. It aligns our souls with the reality of God’s greatness and our unworthiness in the face of his majesty. Praising God is good for the soul, not just the thing we ought to do. Furthermore, when we sing our praises, something Martin Luther commended, we don’t just express joy, we find it.

    As I’ve often said, praising God is good, right and salutary!

  • Psalm 95: He’s got this!

    Psalm 95

    Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
    let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
    2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
    3 For the Lord is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
    4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
    the heights of the mountains are his also.
    5 The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.

    6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
    let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
    7 For he is our God,
    and we are the people of his pasture,
    and the sheep of his hand.
    Today, if you hear his voice,
    8 do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
    as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
    9 when your fathers put me to the test
    and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
    10 For forty years I loathed that generation
    and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
    and they have not known my ways.”
    11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
    “They shall not enter my rest.”

    Two Trees Leaning In | Tomball, Texas | February 2023
    There ain’t no mountain high enoughAin’t no valley low enough, ain’t no river wide enoughTo keep me from getting to you
    Songwriters: Nickolas Ashford / Valerie Simpson
    Ain’t No Mountain High Enough lyrics © Jobete Music Co Inc.

    There’s no shadow You won’t light upMountain You won’t climb upComing after meThere’s no wall You won’t kick downLie You won’t tear downComing after me 

    Songwriters: Ran Jackson / Cory Asbury / Caleb Culver
    Reckless Love lyrics © Be Essential Songs

    The first is a love song, sung by Marvin Gaye. The second is a Christian contemporary song by Cory Asbury. The first proclaims the relentless pursuit of a man for his woman. The second expresses the relentless pursuit of God, the far-reaching efforts he will go to in order to bring us to himself. The first may be a song I’d sing to my wife. The second is a song I’d sing rejoicing in God’s love. Both are good. The second, however, is far and away more consequential.

    This psalm celebrates the fullness of God’s reach, care, sustaining, and ownership of all of creation. This psalm celebrates God’s ownership of all things. The sea is his, he made us. He formed the dry land. He has it all in hand. He is the great King above all gods. The depths of the earth and the heights of the mountains are his. It’s all under his purview. He’s got this.

    I believe there is such a thing as climate change. And I believe we should be good stewards of God’s creation (cf. Genesis 1:28). I also believe that God has this all in hand. He has set the times and seasons and places of our habitation.

    And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for

    “‘In him we live and move and have our being’;

    as even some of your own poets have said,

    “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ – Acts 17:26-28

    This is no excuse to abuse our planet, nor any basis for a fatalistic view of life and death. These words are meant to acknowledge the dominion of God over all things. It’s a reminder to us that we are not our own. It puts things into proper perspective. God is over all things.

    That includes our troubles, trials, and tribulations. That includes the places of disappointment and discouragement. It also includes the dark places, lies, and walls we have hidden behind. God knows them all. They’re all in his purview. He has them all well in hand. O come, let us sing unto him!

  • Psalm 95: How Easily We Forget

    Psalm 95

    Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
        let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
    2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
        let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
    3 For the Lord is a great God,
        and a great King above all gods.
    4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
        the heights of the mountains are his also.
    5 The sea is his, for he made it,
        and his hands formed the dry land.

    6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
        let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
    7 For he is our God,
        and we are the people of his pasture,
        and the sheep of his hand.
    Today, if you hear his voice,
    8     do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
        as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
    9 when your fathers put me to the test
        and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
    10 For forty years I loathed that generation
        and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
        and they have not known my ways.”
    11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
        “They shall not enter my rest.”

    Overarching | Tomball, TX | February 2023

    The phone call came one Saturday right after the men’s Bible study at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Arlington, Texas. “Pastor Bahn?”

    “Yes,” I replied.

    “Did we get our dates mixed up?”

    “Who is this?” But the wheels were already turning. It slowly dawned on me: I was to have led a leadership retreat that Saturday for a group at Texoma Lutheran Camp, a 2 hour car trip away. They very graciously agreed to wait until I got there, and I got my stuff together and hit the road. That is honestly the only time I’ve actually forgotten a meeting such as that. I don’t forget our anniversary. I don’t forget Diane’s birthday. To be honest, I do, however have a bit more difficulty remembering names. Don’t know why, but I do.

    And I have a pretty good grasp of God’s goodness and love. I don’t really forget those things. I urgently depend on God’s mercy, willingness to hear my prayers, and his lovingkindness.

    Except when I sort of … well … forget. It just slips off the radar. It’s not like I disavow God’s goodness and place in my life. It’s more like I take it for granted. And in that process, God’s proper place slides to the periphery of my consciousness.

    Today, if you hear his voice,
    8     do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
        as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
    9 when your fathers put me to the test
        and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.

    Hardening your heart is a step beyond forgetting. But how else do you get there? It’s like when the sheep wanders from the flock. He takes a nibble at a close-by tuft of grass, sees another a bit farther away, then another, and another… and pretty soon the sheep is separated from the flock.

    We forget God’s grace. We ignore his just claim on our hearts and lives. We blur the lines of obedience and faithfulness just a bit. We give into a temptation. And unless we stop to recognize how far we’ve wandered, we’re well on the way to having a hardened heart. We end up far from God, and worse-yet, hardened hearts don’t care!

    That’s why daily repentance and faith are so important. We all wander from the path in thought, word, and deed. God is always calling us back as well. A hardened heart won’t care to return. Don’t harden your heart! Return to the Lord your God…daily!

  • Psalm 95: Praise God!

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

    Psalm 95

    Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
        let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
    2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
        let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
    3 For the Lord is a great God,
        and a great King above all gods.
    4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
        the heights of the mountains are his also.
    5 The sea is his, for he made it,
        and his hands formed the dry land.

    6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
        let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
    7 For he is our God,
        and we are the people of his pasture,
        and the sheep of his hand.
    Today, if you hear his voice,
    8     do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah,
        as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
    9 when your fathers put me to the test
        and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work.
    10 For forty years I loathed that generation
        and said, “They are a people who go astray in their heart,
        and they have not known my ways.”
    11 Therefore I swore in my wrath,
        “They shall not enter my rest.”

    St. John Men’s Retreat 2023 | Camp Lone Star, Giddings, TX | March 2023

    More than sixty (60) men stood shoulder to shoulder throughout the weekend of March 3-5, 2023. There were conversations aplenty, food in abundance (bacon-wrapped!), redneck olympics, sharing, Bible study, and worship. I was privileged to lead the Friday evening devotion, and was the main speaker for Saturday night. I also celebrated Holy Communion with the group on  Sunday morning. It was quite a weekend.

    On Saturday afternoon we held an auction. Three of my framed photos sold for a total of $900.00. Pastor Mark’s “Be Pastor Mark’s Boss for a Day” raised a total of $1,400. A raffle of a Traeger grill brought in more than $6,000. Someone donated a hunting trip. Another proffered a gourmet dinner for 6. There was a week get-away to Florida, and numerous other auction items. All these funds will be sent to Two Lives Changed, a ministry that supports young moms who have chosen to keep their children in the face of financial, social, emotional, and family challenges. In the end we expect to be able to deliver a check for nearly $20,000 to this life-affirming and supporting agency!

    Oh come let us sing to the LORD! Amen!

    This psalm is a call to God’s people to gather together to worship God. It flies in the face of the idea that I can worship God in nature, on the lake or the golf course as well as I can in a church. Not true in the fullest sense of God’s call here and elsewhere in Scripture. Worship is a corporate experience. We not only honor God when we gather, we also encourage one another. We build each other up in the faith when we make the effort to get out of bed and go to the house of the Lord. We urge one another on to love and good works when we gather with our sisters and brothers in Christ. Oh come, let us sing to the LORD!

    Several men on the retreat were there for the first time. We heard from them loud and clear how it impacted them to be with brothers in Christ who wanted to enjoy life in every way possible (games, food, drink, fellowship, and Scripture), and who cared for each other, and took the time to listen to each other’s stories. One man shared that he had lost his wife to COVID two years ago and how much he needed this. Another said he found a place that he had not previously found in this fellowship. Several expressed appreciation for my devotion and Bible studies.

    I am thankful to have been there. The only thing missing was the actual singing. I suspect we’ll remedy that next year. Oh come let us sing to the LORD! Amen.

    So the next time you hear someone singing off-key in church join in the joyful noise. The next time you have the opportunity to gather with others in worship, show up. The next time you have the opportunity to express thanks and praise to God, let it be known with a hearty Yay God!

    He is worthy of our praise. He is a great God. He is the King above all gods. He made the seas. He is the LORD our maker. This psalm is an invitation, O come (Venite).

  • Today’s Psalms for March 5, 2023

    Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day.

    Psalm 5:1-8

    Give ear to my words, O Lord;
        consider my groaning.
    2 Give attention to the sound of my cry,
        my King and my God,
        for to you do I pray.
    3 O Lord, in the morning you hear my voice;
        in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for you and watch.

    4 For you are not a God who delights in wickedness;
        evil may not dwell with you.
    5 The boastful shall not stand before your eyes;
        you hate all evildoers.
    6 You destroy those who speak lies;
        the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

    7 But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love,
        will enter your house.
    I will bow down toward your holy temple
        in the fear of you.
    8 Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness
        because of my enemies;
        make your way straight before me.

    Psalm 35:27-28

    Let those who delight in my righteousness
        shout for joy and be glad
        and say evermore,
    “Great is the Lord,
        who delights in the welfare of his servant!”
    28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness
        and of your praise all the day long.

    Psalm 65:1-4

    Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
        and to you shall vows be performed.
    2 O you who hear prayer,
        to you shall all flesh come.
    3 When iniquities prevail against me,
        you atone for our transgressions.
    4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
        to dwell in your courts!
    We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
        the holiness of your temple!

    Psalm 95:1-7

    Oh come, let us sing to the Lord;
        let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
    2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
        let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
    3 For the Lord is a great God,
        and a great King above all gods.
    4 In his hand are the depths of the earth;
        the heights of the mountains are his also.
    5 The sea is his, for he made it,
        and his hands formed the dry land.

    6 Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
        let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!
    7 For he is our God,
        and we are the people of his pasture,
        and the sheep of his hand.

    Psalm 125

    Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
        which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
    2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
        so the Lord surrounds his people,
        from this time forth and forevermore.
    3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest
        on the land allotted to the righteous,
    lest the righteous stretch out
        their hands to do wrong.
    4 Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
        and to those who are upright in their hearts!
    5 But those who turn aside to their crooked ways
        the Lord will lead away with evildoers!
        Peace be upon Israel!

    The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
    Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

  • Psalm 65: “…and still preserves them…”

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

    Psalm 65

    Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
    and to you shall vows be performed.
    2 O you who hear prayer,
    to you shall all flesh come.
    3 When iniquities prevail against me,
    you atone for our transgressions.
    4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
    to dwell in your courts!
    We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
    the holiness of your temple!

    5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
    O God of our salvation,
    the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas;
    6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
    being girded with might;
    7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples,
    8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
    You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

    9 You visit the earth and water it;
    you greatly enrich it;
    the river of God is full of water;
    you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
    10 You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
    softening it with showers,
    and blessing its growth.
    11 You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
    12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills gird themselves with joy,
    13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they shout and sing together for joy.

    Painterly Hibiscus | Cypress, Texas | 2015

    We stood and began to say, “I believe in God, the Father…” It was a new experience for me. I was first exposed to the Apostle’s  Creed when my best friend, Jerry, took me with him to Trinity Lutheran Church in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. I was raised in the Christian faith at First Baptist Church so I appreciated the way in which these truths were expressed, “…And in Jesus Christ, his Son, our Lord…” The Creed’s “…I believe in the Holy Ghost…” was an enlightening expression of a faith not fully formed in my heart, but very welcomed there nonetheless.

    And then I learned even more when I finally agreed to take the class to become a Lutheran, and I learned more fully what these articles of faith mean. I learned about God’s grace even more fully than I ever had before: nothing in me moves him toward me. God moves toward me and you, and cares for all of creation because he is good. His steadfast love endures forever. He is gracious and merciful. He loves us. He shows us that most clearly in Jesus Christ. But it is seen with the eyes of faith in creation as well.

    I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.

    What does this mean?I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them. He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have. He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life. He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil. All this He does only out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me. For all this it is my duty to thank and praise, serve and obey Him.

    This is most certainly true. – Luther’s Small Catechism

    What strikes me most about this article of faith is that God not only created the heavens and the earth, but that he continues to care for it in so many ways. The psalmist here expresses a few of those ways.

    You visit the earth and water it;
    you greatly enrich it;
    the river of God is full of water;
    you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
    10 You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
    softening it with showers,
    and blessing its growth.
    11 You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance. 

    So much happens because of God’s providential care for the creation we enjoy, and sadly too often abuse. Without him I am certain we would have driven the world to oblivion. Without those who truly do respect the creation litter and pollution would engulf us. But even with the best efforts of the most ardent environmentalists without God’s continuing care our world would be an even greater mess.

    And think of this: God does all of this out of his “fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me…” So we join with the psalmist and cry: Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed.

    This is most certainly true!

  • Psalm 65: Are you too easily impressed?

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

    Psalm 65

    Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
    and to you shall vows be performed.
    2 O you who hear prayer,
    to you shall all flesh come.
    3 When iniquities prevail against me,
    you atone for our transgressions.
    4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
    to dwell in your courts!
    We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
    the holiness of your temple!

    5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
    O God of our salvation,
    the hope of all the ends of the earth
    and of the farthest seas;
    6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
    being girded with might;
    7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples,
    8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
    You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

    9 You visit the earth and water it;
    you greatly enrich it;
    the river of God is full of water;
    you provide their grain,
    for so you have prepared it.
    10 You water its furrows abundantly,
    settling its ridges,
    softening it with showers,
    and blessing its growth.
    11 You crown the year with your bounty;
    your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
    12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
    the hills gird themselves with joy,
    13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
    the valleys deck themselves with grain,
    they shout and sing together for joy.

    <em>Unfolded Yellow</em> | Cypress, TX | 2006

    A long time ago there was a program on TV called, That’s Incredible. It was surely the precursor to YouTube shorts, showing crazy skateboarders, kamikaze bike stunts, beyond-belief athletic fetes (have you seen some of those one hand pushups from the top of a uneven bar gymnastics contraption!?!), or crazy practical jokes? Warning: Don’t go there. You’re liable to get sucked into a black hole of YouTube clickbait.

    Most of us have steeled ourselves against such silliness. But in the process, I fear we may have thrown out the baby with the bathwater in regard to the simple art of being amazed. Maybe we put down our cell phone long enough to gawk at the Grand Canyon for a few minutes. But after 10 or 15 minutes, what more is there to see? And, oh! Here’s a text. And I don’t want to miss the next scenic overlook (which may actually look very much like this one). And if we get going now, we can make it to that restaurant before the crowd.

    Some of us enjoy watching the sunrise over the waters of the Gulf. Or maybe it’s a sunset over the Rocky Mountains. The quiet beauty of an east Texas lake is pause-worthy. And the beauty of the flowers of spring can fill a soul and a whole morning. These are the works of God. This psalm helps us to reflect on these as awe-inspiring. God is,

    6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
    being girded with might;
    7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
    the roaring of their waves,
    the tumult of the peoples,

    And that points me to Jesus. He said, “For truly I tell you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20-21). And when the disciples – seasoned fisheremen, well-acquainted with the dangers of storms at sea – were in fear of their lives, Jesus stepped in. In fact the disciples chided Jesus, claiming he didn’t care if they drowned.

    And [Jesus] awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Peace! Be still!” And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. 40 He said to them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” 41 And they were filled with great fear and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” –Mark 4:39-41

    We’ve become jaded by the regularity of sunrise, sunset, seas and mountains all around us. God calls us to be in awe of this magnificent, glorious and creative majesty.

  • Psalm 65: How Happy Are You to Go to Church?

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast

    Psalm 65

    Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
        and to you shall vows be performed.
    2 O you who hear prayer,
        to you shall all flesh come.
    3 When iniquities prevail against me,
        you atone for our transgressions.
    4 Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
        to dwell in your courts!
    We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
        the holiness of your temple!

    5 By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
        O God of our salvation,
    the hope of all the ends of the earth
        and of the farthest seas;
    6 the one who by his strength established the mountains,
        being girded with might;
    7 who stills the roaring of the seas,
        the roaring of their waves,
        the tumult of the peoples,
    8 so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
    You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.

    9 You visit the earth and water it;
        you greatly enrich it;
    the river of God is full of water;
        you provide their grain,
        for so you have prepared it.
    10 You water its furrows abundantly,
        settling its ridges,
    softening it with showers,
        and blessing its growth.
    11 You crown the year with your bounty;
        your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
    12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
        the hills gird themselves with joy,
    13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
        the valleys deck themselves with grain,
        they shout and sing together for joy.

    Two or Three Sisters | Tomball, TX | February 2023

    As a kid I thought, “I don’t want to be a pastor because you have to go to church every Sunday, and you have to stand up there and yell at people.” Somehow, though, it must have been in the cards. I once set up a makeshift pulpit and preached to my sister in our living room. I don’t think I yelled, but I did mimic a quasi administration of the Lord’s Supper. Alas, what I thought on all counts, was wrong. I consider it a joy to go to church. I try never to yell – though sometimes the issue is so important that it does call for an emphatic vocal emphasis (is that yelling?!?).

    Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
        to dwell in your courts!
    We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
        the holiness of your temple! – v. 4

    That seems to capture the idea very well: we are blessed when God brings us into his household of faith. Once there we delight in worshiping God. As we worship God we are truly dwelling in his courts and experiencing a holiness of his dwelling place.

    David speaks of “dwelling in the house of the Lord forever” in Psalm 23. That is a delight to him. In Psalm 122 he says, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’” This Psalm is not attributed to David, but certainly echoes his attitude toward being in God’s house. Jesus himself spoke about it too: “Didn’t you know I must be in my Father’s house?” (Luke 2:49). 

    We know that God is omnipresent. We cannot hide from him. He is with us always. But he is with us in a very special way when we gather with others in Jesus’ name. Those gatherings in Jesus’ name transform a place into holy space. The presence of Jesus is what being in church is all about. The temple (and before that the Tabernacle) was the place of God’s holy presence. So whether we gather with others in a space and place dedicated specifically to the worship and presence of God, or in a home, or park, or at a hospital bedside, there God is. There joy is. There is the dwelling place of God: with those who mark themselves with Jesus’ name and gather with others in his name.

    That means worship is not truly just a between-me-and-God thing. Worship is corporate. Gathering in the house of God is not about the building, it’s about the body of Christ (1 Corinthians 12). We are also the spiritual building of living stones, being “built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). We are not to be alone. We were designed for community. Yes! It is a blessing to be brought near to God because we are also being brought together.

    It seems to me, also, that there is no yelling here. In fact James reminds us that “the anger of man does not produce the righteous things God desires” (James 1:20). I’ve experienced this on both sides. Once I was lectured by a colleague – a kind of emphatic vocal emphasis that did little to bring me closer to God. Another time I spent an entire sermon in emphatic vocal emphasis mode only to see short-term gains without long-term change.

    On the other hand, one of the best sermons I’ve every heard was delivered by a very quiet and non-dynamic pastor. There was no emphatic vocal emphasis in his delivery. But there was power. He preached on Isaiah 43:4, “You are precious and honored in my sight and I love you,” God says. That’s where I want to be. That’s how I want to preach. That is the place of God’s presence, and it’s a great blessing to be there.