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Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!

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“Fearfully and Wonderfully Made!”

Psalm 139:13-18 (Psalm 139:14) – June 2, 2024

            As some of you know, I am a new grandma. My lovely twin grandchildren were born recently, much-awaited, and very welcome to their family and their parents. I was praying for the twins each day while my daughter was pregnant, and now that they are here, growing and maturing, and being their own wonderful selves, of course I continue to pray for them.

            I have always felt a real connection with Psalm 139, but never more so than when I – with their parents – was awaiting the birth of my lovely grandchildren. This psalm was written by King David, and shows his trust and confidence that God is indeed with him, all the time. And, indeed, with all of us.

            As Dr. Streaty-Wimberly says in her commentary on this psalm, the 139th Psalm reveals an account of what may be called “an encounter of the closest kind” with God. What a statement! And, what a word-picture David paints here.

“The psalm details an intimate conversation with God in which the psalmist is speaker and God is listener. The psalmist focuses quickly in verses1-2 on the word, “know(n).” This key reference points to the psalmist’s relating to God the experience of not simply being recognized and acknowledged by God, but of belonging inseparably to God.” [1]

Along with the rest of my family, I eagerly awaited the arrival of my grandchildren! And, I find my wonder and amazement echoed by so many friends and acquaintances as they welcome newborns into their larger families, too.

One of the commentators I read has an extended example of her joy and wonder at welcoming her nephew. “My nephew was born on the day I started working on this commentary [about Psalm 139]. When the picture of Mason James arrived, my initial thoughts were, “There you are. What were you doing in there all of these months?” And then I read: For it was you who formed my inward parts;you knit me together in my mother’s womb (vs. 13).

“How did you go from a hoped-for dream of your parents to flesh and blood, bones, muscles and those long, skinny fingers and those cute ears?” I wondered. Then I read: My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes beheld my unformed substance (vs. 15).

“I wanted to shout, “Mason, you are perfect.” Yet this acclamation paled in comparison to his parents’ “You are perfect!” which pales in comparison to God’s “You are PERFECT!”

My hope for this little guy on his first day, his birth day, was that one day he would realize and pray with the psalmist, I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made (vs. 14). [2]

            What a marvelous addition to this commentary on such a rich, praise-worthy psalm! Dr. Hannan usually writes in a more academic style, but enriched and awed by the birth of her nephew, this particular commentary is unusually personal. And, her prayer is heartfelt.

            Sure, if we go to biology and look at the growth of a bunch of cells inside a female mammal, we can still be intellectually amazed by the intricacy of the growing being inside of the uterus. However, when we take into consideration the reference to “being ‘knit together’ in the mother’s womb, the psalmist seems to describe God as a weaver who engages on the highly intricate, and artistic, endeavor of creating a unique and wonderfully made living being.” [3]

            How marvelous that each of us – whether parents, grandparents, siblings, great-aunts and -uncles, or dear friends of the parents – can stand by and observe these miracles that come into the world each day. What a privilege to welcome one of these little ones, and nurture and help it grow!

            Now, we need to turn from beloved babies, entering life as very much wanted members of the family (and of God’s family), and consider another sad possibility. Sadly, there are many, many babies and children who have unhappy childhoods, are not valued members of a family, and even know that they are not welcome in their homes – from a young age. This is heart-breaking, and happens much more often in this world, for any number of sad reasons.

            Rabbi Sharon Brous talks about a commentary written in the ninth century that “declares that every person is accompanied, at all times, by a procession of angels crying out, “Make way, for an image of the Holy One is approaching!” Every person, like royalty… How do we keep missing all those angels, with their trumpets and proclamations, desperate to rouse us to the dignity of every human being?” [4]

            What an earth-shaking concept! This is true not only for cute, adorable newborn babies, but also for all children. For tweens and teenagers (even if we are irked or frustrated with them). This is true for each adult, whoever and wherever they may be on their journey through life. And, this is true as well for each sick person and each senior I may encounter as a chaplain in my day-to-day travels to skilled nursing facilities and extended care centers.

            Rabbi Brous continues to reflect that this attitude “heightens the amazing and magnificent artistry of God’s creation. Indeed, this recognition becomes reason for praising God and affirming the self’s ultimate worth in the sight of God (v. 14).” [5]

            Indeed, we are all – each of us, every person in the world – fearfully and wonderfully made! Each person is accompanied, at all times, by a procession of angels crying out, “Make way, for an image of the Holy One is approaching!” That means every single person, in beautiful diversity, regardless of color, creed, cultural difference, language or nation of origin.

            We are celebrating our graduates today! Let us celebrate each other, too. In the words of the lovely children’s hymn “All things bright and beautiful, all creatures great and small, All things wise and wonderful, the Lord God made them all.” [6] God made you, me, and every single person in the world – all fearfully and wonderfully made. Alleluia, amen!

[1] http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/PopupLectionaryReading.asp?LRID=27

[2] https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/second-sunday-after-epiphany-2/commentary-on-psalm-1391-6-13-18-3

[3] http://www.theafricanamericanlectionary.org/PopupLectionaryReading.asp?LRID=27

[4] Brous, Sharon, The Amen Effect: Ancient Wisdom to Mend Our Broken Hearts and World (New York: Avery, 2024), 53–54,

[5] Ibid.

[6] https://hymnary.org/text/each_little_flower_that_opens

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!

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Believe, Trust, and Love

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“Believe, Trust, and Love”

John 3:14-21 – March 14, 2021

            Have you seen the televised sporting events where people in the crowd hold up big signs? These signs have all kinds of messages on them – from super fans supporting their teams to political messages. Sometimes, someone will show a large sign with “John 3:16” printed on it.

John 3:16 – this is one of the dearest and most memorized Bible verses of all time. “For God so loved the world that God gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not die, but have eternal life.”

            Have you thought about what that beloved Bible verse means? I mean, really means?

            Many people have a romanticized idea of love in their minds. With Valentine’s Day so recently celebrated, a month ago, when some think of “love” they think of Cupids and flowers and hearts. Valentine’s Day cards and chocolates in heart-shaped boxes for your sweetheart. This idealized, Hallmark-card conception of “love” is not what the Apostle John mentions here. Not by a long shot!  

            The idea of taking a single Bible verse and displaying it for everyone to see is a tricky proposition. People can run into all kinds of problems and misunderstandings that way. It’s like taking John 3:16 and saying that God’s love is all hearts and flowers, lace and Valentine’s Day wishes – and that is all. This superficial way is not the way to interpret individual Bible verses.

            The most important thing when we consider a single verse from the Bible is to look at the context. Where does it come from? What was happening in the Bible chapter? Was it part of a conversation or discussion? An extended statement or argument?

            John chapter 3 is early in the Rabbi Jesus’s ministry, and He was already gaining wide popularity and even stature for His great Biblical knowledge and understanding. An older man named Nicodemus, a learned teacher and member of the national Jewish ruling council, was so intrigued with Jesus that he snuck away to meet Jesus one night, under cover of darkness.

            During that extended conversation, Nicodemus and Jesus cover several important topics: Moses in the wilderness, how Moses saved the people of Israel, Nicodemus as a leading teacher of Israel, and how to be born from above. It is then that Jesus makes this extraordinary statement: God so loved the world.

            Several of these topics in John 3 have the foundation of belief. We need to believe in order to live. In order to be born from above. In order to have eternal life. Except – belief can be strictly intellectual. It can be cold-hearted and clinical. We can believe in the law of gravity. We can believe in the rules of cleanliness and hygiene for good health. We can believe in the invisible electric current that flows through our walls, enabling us to have electric lights, power for appliances, and power for our computers and cell phones.

            But, this pure, clinical statement of belief – even belief in Jesus’s statement “God so loved the world” – is not necessarily earth-shaking, not deeply emotional, never even reaching down into our very souls.

            If we consider the word “believe” – as used in this verse 3:16, and verse 3:18, too – I do believe in gravity, or electricity. But, is this intellectual belief enough? Will this kind of belief get me through the difficult times, or the painful situations, or those times when you or I cry out in despair to God? Sometimes, cold, pure belief is not enough.

            Another, alternate word that can be used to translate this Greek word for belief, pisteuo, is “trust.” Trust is more immediate, more intimate. Commentator Mark Skinner suggests that we use “trust” instead as we read this verse:  “For God so loved the world that God gave His one and only Son, that whoever trusts in Him shall not die, but have eternal life.”

            “Jesus is asking his hearers to trust that, in him, God has given a gift of love. Jesus urges them to commit themselves to that reality and all it entails. Trust will change a person. God’s love has consequences. How does one merely believe in love, anyway? Trust is riskier. Trusting in another’s love entails surrender.” [1] Trusting God is riskier, too.

            When my children were younger and went to church youth group, several times they had an activity called “trust falls.” This activity is called different things in different youth groups, but it has “trust” as the primary ingredient. The youth group would get in a tight circle, one member would stand in the middle, and then they would fall backwards, trusting the other members of the group to catch them as they fell. Trust taps emotions. Trust takes risks.

            It is difficult to trust that God can see us through, sometimes. More than intellectual belief, do we trust God to be there for us? To walk with us, or sit with us, right by our sides?  

            Some people cannot get past the words “God so loved the world.” If they trust that God loves them, they think God can’t possibly love their awful neighbor. Or the guy who cussed them out in traffic. Or the lady who is always really mean at the store. God can’t possibly love them? God loves the world – except for those people from a certain country overseas. Or, except for those homeless people. Or, except for those people who believe something really weird. Or, well, you get the idea.

            God’s love is extended to each of us. To all of us. “The love of God means blessing and belonging, even when the world around us chooses the way of death and self-interest.” [2] Even when we as fallible humans slip and slide in our trust of God, the Lord will never waver in persistent, caring love for each of us. And, that is a promise that is faithful and true – we have the words of Jesus on it.

For God so loved the world. Even you and even me. Amen.

[1] https://www.workingpreacher.org/dear-working-preacher/love-among-the-ruins

[2] Ibid.

@chaplaineliza

(Suggestion: visit me at my other blogs: matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers. #PursuePEACE – and  A Year of Being Kind . Thanks!