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.”

  • Today’s Psalms for April 30, 2023

    Join me in praying these psalms on this Lord’s Day

    Psalm 30:3-5

    Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
        and give thanks to his holy name.
    5 For his anger is but for a moment,
        and his favor is for a lifetime.
    Weeping may tarry for the night,
        but joy comes with the morning.

    Psalm 60:11-12

    Oh, grant us help against the foe,
        for vain is the salvation of man!
    12 With God we shall do valiantly;
        it is he who will tread down our foes.

    Psalm 90:1-2, 17

    Lord, you have been our dwelling place[a]
        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.
    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!

    Psalm 120:1-2

    In my distress I called to the Lord,
        and he answered me.
    2 Deliver me, O Lord,
        from lying lips,
        from a deceitful tongue.

    Psalm 150

    Praise the Lord!
    Praise God in his sanctuary;
        praise him in his mighty heavens![a]
    2 Praise him for his mighty deeds;
        praise him according to his excellent greatness!

    3 Praise him with trumpet sound;
        praise him with lute and harp!
    4 Praise him with tambourine and dance;
        praise him with strings and pipe!
    5 Praise him with sounding cymbals;
        praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
    6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!
    Praise the Lord!

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

    NLT: Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

  • Jesus Appears to His Disciples: Four Questions

    I will be unable to post for the next two weeks. But I have something for me and you to consider. Here are 12 of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances. Four questions in regard to each of these appearances:
    1. Why did he appear at this time to these people?
    2. What was the impact in their lives?
    3. What do I learn from these accounts?
    4. What am I going to do about it?

    I pray that you are edified by these accounts and challenged and blessed by asking and answering these questions.

    John 20:11-18

    But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

    Mark 16:9-11

    Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

    Virginia Spring Beauty | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    1. Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene

    Mark 16:9-11

    Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10 She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. 11 But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. [This part of Mark’s gospel does not appear in the earliest and most reliable New Testament manuscripts.]

    John 20:11-18

    But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb. 12 And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him in Aramaic,[a] “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”—and that he had said these things to her.

    2.  Jesus appeared to the other two women who were with Mary Magdalene—Salome and Mary the mother of James 

    Matthew 28:1-9

    Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. 2 And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. 3 His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. 4 And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. 5 But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. 6 He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he[a] lay. 7 Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” 8 So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9 And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. 10 Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

    3.  Jesus appeared to the two disciples on the Road to Emmaus

    Luke 24:13-35

    That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17 And he said to them, “What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?” And they stood still, looking sad. 18 Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” 19 And he said to them, “What things?” And they said to him, “Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22 Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23 and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24 Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.” 25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

    28 So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29 but they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent.” So he went in to stay with them. 30 When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31 And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?” 33 And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34 saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” 35 Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

    4.  Jesus appeared to the apostles, except for Thomas

    Luke 24:36-43

    As they were talking about these things, Jesus himself stood among them, and said to them, “Peace to you!” 37 But they were startled and frightened and thought they saw a spirit. 38 And he said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? 39 See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me, and see. For a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have.” 40 And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. 41 And while they still disbelieved for joy and were marveling, he said to them, “Have you anything here to eat?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish, 43 and he took it and ate before them.

    John 20:19-25

     On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews,[a] Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” 20 When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” 22 And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”

    24 Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

    5.  Jesus appeared to the apostles with Thomas

    John 20:26-29

    Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” 28 Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

    6.  Jesus appeared to seven of His disciples on the shores of the Sea of Galilee

    John 21:1-25

    After this Jesus revealed himself again to the disciples by the Sea of Tiberias, and he revealed himself in this way. 2 Simon Peter, Thomas (called the Twin), Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples were together. 3 Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We will go with you.” They went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing.

    4 Just as day was breaking, Jesus stood on the shore; yet the disciples did not know that it was Jesus. 5 Jesus said to them, “Children, do you have any fish?” They answered him, “No.” 6 He said to them, “Cast the net on the right side of the boat, and you will find some.” So they cast it, and now they were not able to haul it in, because of the quantity of fish. 7 That disciple whom Jesus loved therefore said to Peter, “It is the Lord!” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment, for he was stripped for work, and threw himself into the sea. 8 The other disciples came in the boat, dragging the net full of fish, for they were not far from the land, but about a hundred yards[a] off.

    9 When they got out on land, they saw a charcoal fire in place, with fish laid out on it, and bread. 10 Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish that you have just caught.” 11 So Simon Peter went aboard and hauled the net ashore, full of large fish, 153 of them. And although there were so many, the net was not torn. 12 Jesus said to them, “Come and have breakfast.” Now none of the disciples dared ask him, “Who are you?” They knew it was the Lord. 13 Jesus came and took the bread and gave it to them, and so with the fish. 14 This was now the third time that Jesus was revealed to the disciples after he was raised from the dead.

    15 When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

    20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus loved following them, the one who also had leaned back against him during the supper and had said, “Lord, who is it that is going to betray you?” 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” 22 Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” 23 So the saying spread abroad among the brothers[b] that this disciple was not to die; yet Jesus did not say to him that he was not to die, but, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you?”

    24 This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true.

    25 Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.

    7. Jesus appeared to the apostles on a mountain in Galilee

    Matthew 28:16-20

    Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

    Mark 16:15-18

    And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

    8, 9, 10  Jesus appeared to over 500 brothers, James, and Paul

    1 Corinthians 15:3-11

     For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

    11.  Jesus appeared to the apostles and ate a meal with them

    Luke 24:44-49

    Then he said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

    50 And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

    12.  Jesus’ ascension

    Acts 1:9-11

    And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

    Mark 16:19-20

    So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.

    Luke 24:50-53

    And he led them out as far as Bethany, and lifting up his hands he blessed them. 51 While he blessed them, he parted from them and was carried up into heaven. 52 And they worshiped him and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple blessing God.

    Once Again…

    1. Why did he appear at this time to these people?
    2. What was the impact in their lives?
    3. What do I learn from these accounts?
    4. What am I going to do about it?

  • Psalm 118: Why rejoice today?

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1-4, 19-24, 29

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Butterfly | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    In the movie Little Big Man, Dustin Hoffman plays the oldest white survivor of the Battle of Little Bighorn, also known as Custer’s Last Stand. He is adopted into a Native American family and builds a deep relationship with his new grandfather. His adoptive grandfather, Old Lodge Skins, played by Chief Dan George provides many quotable one-liners, among which I specifically recall, “It is a good day to die.” He goes on to thank the Great Spirit, saying, “Thank you for making me a Human Being! Thank you for helping me to become a warrior. Thank you for my victories, and for my defeats.”

    It is somewhat remarkable that someone who does not claim to know the God of the Universe as revealed in Jesus of Nazareth would offer such a prayer. It is more remarkable that we who do know the God of the universe as revealed in Jesus’ life, suffering, death, and resurrection don’t pray similar prayers. We who look for the vindication of Jesus and his promises at the end of time know that it is a good day to live or die – or at least we ought to. And we should pray each day,

    This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    This psalm helps us do just that. For we are reminded that the creative grace of God is our reason of joy. And his goodness and steadfast love are the cause for our thanks. I like to use that Bible verse when I’m visiting with someone who has recovered from surgery, or illness. It’s a good reminder that no matter the circumstance we face the goodness and steadfast love of God will sustain us and can be proper cause for thanks to him.

    It is also a good reminder when we connect the call to rejoice and be glad in each day not only with God’s creative grace (he made the day, afterall), but also with the resurrection of Jesus. This is an Easter psalm. And as we celebrate Jesus’ resurrection from the grave it is much easier to give thanks for the day he has made. Jesus’ resurrection is the great show of God’s creative power. It also  provides us with a reminder of God’s goodness and steadfast love. For Jesus’ resurrection not only vindicates him and his faithfulness to the heavenly Father. It also bring a promise since he is the first fruits of all who die in faith in him.

    In Jesus it is a good day to live or to die. St Paul puts it this way, “For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s.” (Romans 14:8) For this I give thanks and rejoice. How about you?

  • Psalm 118: Who did this?

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1-4, 19-24, 29

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Bumble Bee | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    Jesus tells a parable about weeds and wheat. A man plants wheat and among the wheat grow up some weeds. But not just some innocuous weeds, but tares. Tares are an injurious weed resembling wheat when young. There is danger to the wheat if they remain. But the point of his parable is a warning against being too quick to remove the tares because some of the wheat might be harmed or removed in the process. It’s all about God’s desire that everyone be saved, and that we are not too quick to judge between one person and another as to one’s faith. God will sort it all out at the harvest – the End of Days.

    I’m thinking about that sorting process, and what I can do in the meantime to live among the tares inside and outside of the church. And I’m wondering about how God will work to turn some tares into wheat. After all, Jesus changed water into wine. God can surely change tares into wheat. That’s what God does. And it’s a good thing.

    I’m wondering about times in my life when I’ve been very much more like a tare – harmful to the wheat around me. Never on purpose would I wish to cause someone to falter in his or her faith. Never would I want simply to pretend to be a follower of Jesus when I’m actually undercutting the work of God and his grace in Jesus.

    In the parable of Jesus, he explains that an enemy had sown the weeds among the wheat. That’s what the enemy of God does. He plants harmful things and people among the followers of Jesus. He wants to steal, kill, and destroy. The enemy does things that are marvelous in the eyes of the world, but horrifically harmful to God’s people and the world. His work is not marvelous in our eyes.

    Today I want to focus on God’s work in my life and in the life of others. He brings tears of repentant joy to those who confess their sins and believe the Good News of Jesus. He moves hearts to reach out with loving kindness to those who grieve, offering the comfort of God’s love to hurting hearts. He moves people to be generous in helping people who are in need through ministries like Cypress Assistance Ministries. He helps refugees settle into their new homeland through places like Abba’s House. People who are homeless are given physical help and guidance through the work of CyFair Helping Hands. He reaches into the lives of young women who are carrying a child in a difficult situation, and sustains them through ministries like Two Lives Changed. These are just a few examples of wheat being wheat – bearing the fruit of righteousness.

    And there are those churches and places where the message is getting to new people. Lives are being changed for all eternity. People are being brought to faith. God is at work there. New churches are being planted through the Harvest Partnership. We look with anticipation to the harvest. You can see this worldwide in places like Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, and  the baltic states where PLI is at work training pastors and lay leaders to make disciples who make disciples. This is only the tip of the iceberg of God’s work – things of which I am aware in my immediate sphere of influence. In fact, Diane and I will be teaching for PLI in Tanzania this summer. But all these groups and ministries would say unequivocally, along with this psalm:

    This is the Lord‘s doing;
    it is marvelous in our eyes.

    So we say,

    This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    Amen!

  • Psalm 118: Rejected Stones & Chief of the Corner

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1-4, 19-24, 29

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Queen Anne’s Lace, Ready to Bloom | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    I spent the most physically-challenging 7 months of my life not in Army Basic Training, but working in a brick factory. I  graduated from college in December and was heading off the seminary in August. For those 7 months I worked in a brick factory. There was a 1500 degree kiln running down the center of a long building in which the bricks were made. I won’t go into details, but it was hard work; very hard work in fact. Part of the less physically-challenging work was separating the face brick from the bricks that had imperfections or cracks on the face. Those would be coated or painted with a slurry of water, cement, and pigment.

    But there were others – especially on the bottom of the carts that were loaded and pushed through the kiln – that were broken. These brickbats were pieces of broken and deformed bricks, not insults hurled at someone (an alternate meaning of the term). I can say fairly confidently that these brickbats were never to be used for anything other than filler inside a wall – well hidden from sight. We usually just hauled them out to a spot on the property and dumped them.

    Consider this verse:

    The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.

    This verse is used only here in the Old Testament, but Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Peter all pick up on it as a description of what happened to Jesus: rejected by the builders (Jewish leaders), but the most important stone in the building of God’s church. The key to all that God was doing from the first moment of creation. His plan culminated in the rejection of Jesus and God’s exaltation of him to his right hand. This was all God’s doing. And it truly is marvelous in our eyes.

    I wonder how the people of Jesus’ day saw it? Was it marvelous in their eyes? For some, yes. But for the majority of the Jewish nation – God’s own people! – this was abhorrent in appearance. A man on a cross. Shamed before the world. Ignominious and forsaken by God and man. Is this marvelous? No, it was for the Jewish leaders, and perhaps the Romans as well, 6 hours of hell and an expected lifetime of relief. They would be done with him at last. So they thought.

    But God had other plans. From ignomy to honor. From shame to glory. From rejection to exaltation. This was the path that Jesus would take. We celebrate it on Easter Sunday. We are reminded of it on Ascension Day (40 days after Easter). We see the results on Pentecost and thereafter. The Holy Spirit is poured out and 3000 are brought to faith in one day. Then the word of the Lord grows as the message of the cross and the empty tomb was proclaimed throughout Judea, Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the earth. This is proven by the fact that you and I have heard this message and been brought to faith in Jesus. He is essential to our faith.

    When Peter quotes this verse (Acts 4:11 and 1 Peter 2:7), he uses the term, literally, “head of the corner.” Chief cornerstone is an adequate way to express this term, but the idea here is that this stone is the most important stone in the building process. All of the dimensions, angles, and measurements were taken from the chief of the corner [stone] in the building process. If it was flawed the whole building would be flawed.

    I wonder how this verse might apply to us today. Certainly as a reminder that Jesus is the chief of the corner. He defines the building of the church. He defines its angles, dimensions, and measurements. He is essential to our faith. This has never been an issue for me, but for some it must be. I recall going to a funeral service in a Christian church (not of my tribe, thank God) where the name of Jesus was not mentioned even once. I was stunned! How can you celebrate the hope of the resurrection and the promise of eternal life without Jesus?

    I guess you can remember someone somehow in that manner. But you cannot attach a true hope apart from Jesus. In fact so important is Jesus’ resurrection that St. Paul says, “If Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile.” (1 Corinthians 15:14) But indeed Christ has been raised from the dead! He is the chief of the corner. I’ll do all I can to build my life off of him, and when I fail, I will repent and look to him for grace, forgiveness, hope, and life. This is God’s doing and it is marvelous in our eyes.

  • Psalm 118: The Gates Are Open

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1-4, 19-24, 29

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,

        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Texas Bluebonnets | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    OK, minor annoyance warning. I see it all too often, and I don’t understand the reason for it. Unless it’s just plain laziness. You walk up to a business entrance. There are two doors. You yank the handle on the right door and you are rewarded with a rude clunk and a jarred shoulder. The door does not open. So you have to pull the handle on the other side. Why does this happen?!?

    Perhaps I’m being a bit hysterical here. But it does go to a point of open doors and gates, invitations and accessibility. And herein lies an important paradox. On the one hand, Jesus died for the sins of the world. He rose from the dead to vindicate his faithfulness, perfect obedience and love, and to prove that his sacrifice was sufficient for the sins of all. Whoever believes in him will have eternal life. There is no question about this. The promise is as wide open as the arms of Jesus on the cross.

    Nevertheless, however, not all believe. Not all will receive the gift that Jesus offers. They will spend an eternity apart from Jesus. The door is open to them, but they want no part of living under Christ in his kingdom. They suppose they have no need for a Savior. They’re fine without Jesus, so they think. Imagine an eternity without God and without Christ. The world falls apart for there is no one upholding it with the power of his word. Imagine a future with no hope for forgiveness, or mercy, or grace, for that is what Christ alone gives. I can’t even imagine it.

    Through this psalm we call out,

    “Open to me the gates of righteousness,
    that I may enter through them
    and give thanks to the Lord.

    And comes the answer:

    This is the gate of the Lord;
    the righteous shall enter through it.

    Jesus is both the door (John 10:9) and the one who has opened it. He died, and says, “behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.” (Revelation 1:18) He has opened up heaven to all believers. The Te Deum expresses it beautifully:

    When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man: Thou didst not abhor the Virgin’s womb.
    When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death, Thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers.

    I am keenly aware that Jesus is my righteousness. I have none of my own. That’s why he had to die. None of us has a righteousness of our own sufficient to enter into the salvation of God. But Jesus is our righteousness. He has opened the gate of salvation to all who believe. We are righteous through faith in him. This is the Lord’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes!

    Thanks be to God!

  • Psalm 118: Still Celebrating

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1-4, 19-24, 29

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    2 Let Israel say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”
    3 Let the house of Aaron say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”
    4 Let those who fear the Lord say,
        “His steadfast love endures forever.”

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.[b]
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    Rosebud | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    Yesterday we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus in great and grand style. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia! The refrain rang out throughout the services at our church. The choir sang, “Christ has died. Christ is risen. Christ will come again!” We heard the account of Jesus’ resurrection from Mark 16 and from John 20. We had heard the full account of Jesus’ suffering and death before our Good Friday services. It was powerful. Diane told me she could barely sing, “And Can it Be” that night. I had little trouble with that. But somehow when we began singing, “Jesus Christ is Risen Today,” I couldn’t get the words out. So powerful was the message of Jesus’ victory.

    I’ve been thinking about tears lately, and the very few times I have been moved to tears. I recall fighting back the tears at my sister’s funeral. When a good friend died, I had to gather myself before I could continue sharing the message of Jesus’ salvation at his funeral. I was also brought to tears when the depth of Jesus’ grace touched my heart in a Christian counselor’s office.

    There is a powerful example of this in the movie, The Mission. The reformed slave trader, Rodrigo Mendoza, climbs a mountain trailing a load of his riches in a large net attached by a long rope. At the end of the laborious climb in a dramatic moment, one of the natives – a former slave(?) – cuts the rope and pushes the burden off the cliff into the river.  Rodrigo bursts into tears when the burden is cut. Sometimes tears come in the face of good news. When relief is so desperately needed and received, the soul can be released to express joy with tears.

    Psalm 118 is a great Easter psalm. This is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it. O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His steadfast love endures forever. Steadfast love. Pure goodness. God’s making of each day. Redemption. These are the makings of the purest joy.

    And there is a promise for those of us who are deeply touched by this goodness, favor, favor, and grace. Surprisingly, it is the same promise for those who weep because of the hardships they face. Whether death, loneliness, hardship, illness, betrayal, or guilt and shame of past sin, there is a promise to those who weep.

    “He shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.” (Revelation 21:4). In either case the goodness of God and his steadfast love are a powerful tool to bring tears, and comfort. And so we pray…

    15 Glad songs of salvation
        are in the tents of the righteous:
    “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
    16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,
        the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

    17 I shall not die, but I shall live,
        and recount the deeds of the Lord.
    18 The Lord has disciplined me severely,
        but he has not given me over to death.

    19 Open to me the gates of righteousness,
        that I may enter through them
        and give thanks to the Lord.
    20 This is the gate of the Lord;
        the righteous shall enter through it.
    21 I thank you that you have answered me
        and have become my salvation.
    22 The stone that the builders rejected
        has become the cornerstone.[b]
    23 This is the Lord‘s doing;
        it is marvelous in our eyes.
    24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

  • Today’s Psalms for April 9, 2023 Easter Sunday

    Mark 16:1-7

    Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.

    5 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”

    On this Easter Sunday, rejoice in the hope of the resurrection and join me in praying these psalms.

    Psalm 118:24

    This is the day that the LORD has made;
        let us rejoice and be glad in it.

    Psalm 16:11

    You make known to me the path of life;
        in your presence there is fullness of joy;
        at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

    Psalm 103:12

    As far as the east is from the west,
        so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

    Psalm 23:4

    Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
        I will fear no evil,
    for you are with me;
        your rod and your staff,
        they comfort me.

    Psalm 34:8

    Taste and see that the LORD is good.
        Oh, the joys of those who take refuge in him! [NLT]

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

    NLT: Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

  • Psalm 118: Good Friday – God’s Steadfast Love on Public Display

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:10-13, 25, 27-30

    All nations surrounded me;
        in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
    11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
        in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
    12 They surrounded me like bees;
        they went out like a fire among thorns;
        in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
    13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling,
        but the Lord helped me.

    25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!
        O Lord, we pray, give us success!

    27 The Lord is God,
        and he has made his light to shine upon us.
    Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
        up to the horns of the altar!

    28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
        you are my God; I will extol you.
    29 Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    <em>Rose #5</em> | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    This like all the psalms serves both to provide words for our prayers, as well as a view into the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. If you read this psalm solely as your prayer to God, you will likely find much here that resonates with your heart and soul. That is true of many of the psalms. They are rightly called the prayer book of the Bible. In fact Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote a book by that title.

    Now there is in the Holy Scriptures a book which is distinguished from all other books of the Bible by the fact that it contains only prayers. The book is the Psalms. It is at first very surprising that there is a prayer book in the Bible. The Holy Scripture is the Word of God to us. But prayers are the words of humans. How do prayers then get into the Bible? Let us make no mistake about it: the Bible is the Word of God even in the Psalms. Then are these prayers to God also God’s own word?

    He answers his own question:

    In [Jesus’] mouth the word of humans becomes the Word of God, and if we pray his prayer with him, the Word of God becomes once again the word of humans. All prayers of the Bible are such prayers which we pray together with Jesus Christ, in which he accompanies us, and through which he brings us into the presence of God. Otherwise there are no true prayers, for only in and with Jesus Christ can we truly pray. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer, PSALMS: The Prayer Book of the Bible

    I love this insight, and appreciate how Bonhoeffer has expressed it. Today, I especially want to lean in to the second part of Bonhoeffer’s thought. When we pray this psalm we are joining Jesus in his prayer. I want to read these verses as though Jesus was praying them. For indeed he was.

    As Jesus suffered on the cross, the words of this psalm surely came to his mind. He was surrounded by enemies on every side like bees surrounding someone who disturbed their hive. And in truth he cut them off. But here’s where we must be careful to see how the enemies of God are truly vanquished. For God does not send down 10 legions of angels to rescue him from his humiliating and horrific death. Jesus cut them off by remaining faithful and not giving into the idea that they were defeating him. In fact he was defeating them despite themselves.

    There is nothing going on in the visible realm – with one or two minor exceptions – that would indicate that Jesus is in any way triumphing over his enemies on the cross. But that is the witness of Scripture. Jesus “canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.  In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross” – Colossians 2:14-15 [NLT].

    Jesus triumphed over evil by resisting every temptation, manipulation, intimidation, and pressure to abandon faith in God and give into the deceitful plans of Satan. All Satan wanted was for Jesus to give up reliance on his heavenly Father. All he wanted was for Jesus to fail in his perfect obedience to God. All he wanted was for Jesus to come down from the cross and save himself.

    But Jesus did not give into Satan’s schemes. He remained true to God. And to do so he prayed. That is so very clear because he explicitly quotes from Psalm 22. That psalm is the most vivid description of Jesus’ physical suffering to be found in the Old Testament. This psalm (118), encapsules both the suffering of Psalm 22, with the victory and hope of Jesus’ triumph.

    Because of this we can pray those closing words of this psalm – even as we contemplate Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross. Because Jesus prayed this and other psalms and lived it out, and experienced the fullness of God’s deliverance. 

    [Christ Jesus] humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. – Philippians 2:8-11

    Bowing the knee now and confessing that Jesus is Lord – even on the cross – to the glory of God and in honor of Jesus. And praying, “Oh give thanks unto the LORD, for he is good for his steadfast love endures forever!” Amen.

  • Psalm 118: A Psalm of Remembrance and Anticipation

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    David Bahn-Reflections Podcast


    Psalm 118:1. 14-16

    Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
        for his steadfast love endures forever!

    14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
        he has become my salvation.
    15 Glad songs of salvation
        are in the tents of the righteous:
    “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
    16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,
        the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

    Backlit Rose – A Closer Look | Mercer Botanical Garden | March 2023

    When I first heard the term, Maundy Thursday I thought maybe someone couldn’t make up his mind. Is it Monday or Thursday? I don’t know how long afterward that I learned that the term is from the Latin, mandatum, which means commandment. It takes its name from Jesus’ mandate to love one another in the same spirit of humility and servanthood that he had shown them when he washed his disciples’ feet. That loving service would be fully shown in Jesus’ suffering and death for the sins of the world.

    We will gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ tonight for a more solemn service (compared to Easter) as we reflect on Jesus’ gift of the Lord’s Supper, remembering his humility in washing his disciples’ feet, and pondering the coming events when at the end of the service the altar is stripped in anticipation of Judas’ betrayal, Jesus’ arrest, suffering, and crucifixion.

    The Lord is my strength and my song;
        he has become my salvation.
    15 Glad songs of salvation
        are in the tents of the righteous:
    “The right hand of the Lord does valiantly,
    16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,
        the right hand of the Lord does valiantly!”

    These words echo the Psalms and hymns the disciples would sing after the celebration of the Passover meal. Those psalms, (113-118 and 136) express the joy of God’s deliverance 1400 years previous to Jesus in the Exodus from Egypt. God had saved them. Salvation had come. There was much to celebrate.

    I’m sure Jesus’ mood may have puzzled the disciples. He had to be a bit restrained in his praise. The weight of the sins of the world were on his heart. They would soon be adding to his weight on the cross. He would be praying that evening in the Garden as sweat like drops of blood poured from his brow.

    This is a Psalm of remembrance and of anticipation. That the right hand of the Lord has done valiantly is history. But it is also prelude. And singing it implies that we are thankful for God’s past deliverance and that we are looking for God’s future salvation.

    We have been saved by Jesus’ death and resurrection.

    We are being saved by the Holy Spirit’s continuing work in our hearts.

    We will be saved on the Great Last Day when Jesus returns and takes his own to be with him in heaven.

    Until that day we sing our praise to God for his past blessings, and in anticipation of even greater things to come!