{"id":3556,"date":"2023-08-28T14:22:04","date_gmt":"2023-08-28T14:22:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.firstpresvaldosta.org\/?p=3556"},"modified":"2023-08-28T14:22:04","modified_gmt":"2023-08-28T14:22:04","slug":"i-never-realized-king-david-worried-about-going-to-camp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.firstpresvaldosta.org\/index.php\/2023\/08\/28\/i-never-realized-king-david-worried-about-going-to-camp\/","title":{"rendered":"“I NEVER REALIZED KING DAVID WORRIED ABOUT GOING TO CAMP”"},"content":{"rendered":"
\u201cI NEVER REALIZED KING DAVID WORRIED ABOUT GOING TO CAMP\u201d<\/span> During the summer of 1974, Charles Schulz ran a series of\u00a0Peanuts\u00a0<\/em>cartoons, where all the children filled out applications not to go to summer camp!<\/span><\/p>\n Sally is working on hers when Charlie Brown comes up.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s this you\u2019re filling out?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n S:\u00a0 It\u2019s an application for not going to summer camp.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re accepted, you can stay home all summer<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0and not go to camp.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n C:\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019d probably fail the physical.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Well, Sally\u2019s is first to come back approved.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLook big brother!\u201d she exclaims.<\/span><\/p>\n They accepted my application not to go to camp. How about that?<\/span><\/p>\n She walks back in the house, reclines in front the the TV and says:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBoy and I lucky!\u00a0 Now I can hang around the house all summer and deteriorate!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Linus is also lucks out.\u00a0 When his comes back, he runs to Charlie Brown.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cLook!\u201d He says.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cMy application not to go to camp was accepted\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Boy what a relief!\u00a0 No summer camp!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Then he marches off quoting the words of Psalm 124.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe have escaped as a bird<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0from the snare of the fowler.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n The snare is broken.<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n And we have escaped!\u201d<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n And Charlie Brown says:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI never realized that King David worried about going to camp.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Linus\u2019 words are near the end of our lesson of the morning\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n which begins like this:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cHad not the Lord been on our side<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When men rose up against us,<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n They would have swallowed us up alive;<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n when their anger was kindled against us.<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Traditionally attributed to King David,<\/span><\/p>\n these words describe a narrow escape\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n from situation seemingly more desperate<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0than being shipped off to summer camp.<\/span><\/p>\n The speaker of these words was part of a people whose destination was<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0centered in God, shaped by God.<\/span><\/p>\n So, it is not surprising, that, after a such narrow escape<\/span><\/p>\n these folks voiced their astonishment & gratitude<\/span><\/p>\n for the way out God provided.<\/span><\/p>\n Israel understood much of its life as a conflict<\/span><\/p>\n with a very powerful enemy.<\/span><\/p>\n We are not sure who this particular enemy was \u2026<\/span><\/p>\n except to say it must have been a very formidable adversary<\/span><\/p>\n consisting of everything in the world<\/span><\/p>\n hostile to God.<\/span><\/p>\n Such an enemy respects no boundary.<\/span><\/p>\n Anyone can be a victim.<\/span><\/p>\n It reminds me of an old Scottish prayer that asks for<\/span><\/p>\n divine protection this way:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cFrom ghoulies and ghosties<\/span><\/p>\n and long-legged beasties<\/span><\/p>\n and things that go bump in the night<\/span><\/p>\n Good Lord deliver us!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n We have all known such circumstances\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At one time or another, we have cried out like the Psalmist:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSave me, Lord, for the waters are up to my neck!\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n And it is no secret that such circumstances affect the community of faith<\/span><\/p>\n In recent years, as John Leith observed<\/span><\/p>\n we have moved from the parish church in Christendom\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n in a churched society<\/span><\/p>\n To the highly voluntary church in a pluralistic,\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n mobile<\/span><\/p>\n unchurched society<\/span><\/p>\n dominated by mass- media<\/span><\/p>\n In the words of Martin Marty, we have gone from a society\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n where all the props supported the church<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0to a society where none of the props support the church.<\/span><\/p>\n Promoters of church development and transformation<\/span><\/p>\n urge us toward the adoption of programs,<\/span><\/p>\n gimmicks and techniques<\/span><\/p>\n just to keep the doors open.<\/span><\/p>\n Well, whatever the situation, whatever the challenge<\/span><\/p>\n \u00a0this Psalm provides us two basic theological assertions.<\/span><\/p>\n That can help us face the challenges posed by modern culture<\/span><\/p>\n with poise, dignity, with even a sense serenity<\/span><\/p>\n keeping God as our destination.<\/span><\/p>\n Note with me the first thing this Psalm tells us is :<\/span><\/p>\n The Hebrew translation of the first two verses reads this way:<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIf the Lord had not been for us,<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n they would have swallowed us up alive<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n \u2026the flood would have swept us away.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n How is God for us?<\/span><\/p>\n According to Shirley Guthrie, two ways.\u00a0 First, God\u2019s love is:<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n God does not wait for you & me\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n to come to him asking for his love and acceptance.<\/span><\/p>\n God does not wait for us to ask him to be loving and faithful.<\/span><\/p>\n God does not wait until we are good enough<\/span><\/p>\n \u2026until we have done all we can do to help ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n God comes to us to help us, oftentimes,\u00a0 when we\u00a0cannot<\/em>\u00a0help ourselves.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Before we make a move toward God<\/span><\/p>\n God moves toward us.<\/span><\/p>\n God\u2019s love is initiating.\u00a0 And God\u2019s love is\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n God\u2019s love is something we never\u00a0ever\u00a0<\/em>have to worry\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n about God taking back.<\/span><\/p>\n Even when we have not been faithful to God, God remains faithful to us.<\/span><\/p>\n How does the prophet Isaiah say it?<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWhen you pass through the waters,<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n I shall be with you;<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n And through the rivers<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n They shall not overwhelm you;<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n When you walk through fire,<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n You shall not be burned<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n And the flame shall not consume you.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n
\nPsalm 124<\/span>
\nDr. Sidney Leak<\/span>
\nAugust 27, 2023<\/span>
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