Harmony of Grace

Psalm 118:1-2, 9-29 Today is the final day of Lent, when we usher in Holy Week tomorrow and continue to journey together with Jesus towards the cross. Today's Psalm is a song of praise in the midst of dark times. It reminds us to seek refuge in God when the world is in turmoil.  I cannot think of a more appropriate time to stamp the words of this Psalm on our hearts and declare them together as God's people.  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let Israel say: “His love endures forever.” It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes. All the nations surrounded me, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They surrounded me on every side, but in the name of the Lord I cut them down. They swarmed around me like bees, but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns; in the name of the Lord I cut them down. I was pushed back and about to fall, but the Lord helped me. The Lord is my strength and my defense; he has become my ...

Psalm 31:9-16 We are presented with another two beautiful Psalm readings this week. The first is this extract from Psalm 31. In this Psalm, David cries out to God in a time of distress. Perhaps, if you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed about a personal situation, or the situation in our country or the world at the moment, you can declare these words with David today. Be merciful to me, Lord, for I am in distress; my eyes grow weak with sorrow, my soul and body with grief. My life is consumed by anguish and my years by groaning; my strength fails because of my affliction, and my bones grow weak. Because of all my enemies, I am the utter contempt of my neighbours and an object of dread to my closest friends— those who see me on the street flee from me. I am forgotten as though I were dead; I have become like broken pottery. For I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side!” They conspire against me and plot to take my life. But I trust in you, Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times ...

Psalm 119:9-16 Today's Psalm speaks about what it means to be pure. After we have confessed our sins to God, how do we live lives that honour God's Word, which is Jesus Christ? As we accept the new life that Christ offers us, let us declare the words of this Psalm as our newfound commitment to the light of the world. How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Praise be to you, Lord; teach me your decrees. With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth. I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word. Prayer: Mother God, Your grace covers all of my shortcomings and transgressions. I offer my life to glorify You, but I am too weak to do it on my own. I need Y...

Psalm 51:1-12 This week's lectionary readings consist of two Psalm readings. I, therefore, offer you an additional Psalm to reflect on today. Today's reading is a Psalm of confession. After we have reflected on repentance and forgiveness this past week, let us use this Psalm as an opportunity to confess our sins to God and accept the forgiveness that God offers to us all. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter th...

John 12:27-33 At various points in Jesus' ministry, he spoke about his coming death. The disciples often did not know what Jesus was talking about when Jesus predicted his literal death.  As we draw nearer to Easter, we prepare to mourn Jesus' death and begin to reflect on the implications of the cross on our lives today. I wonder what our response would have been if we were with Jesus and he predicted that he would be persecuted and killed for what he stood for? Would we too have denied Jesus' words or would we have had the courage to fall in line with Jesus and be persecuted with him for what he stood for and believed in? Would we perhaps have doubted the resurrection like Thomas; denied knowing him like Peter; or even betrayed him like Judas?  I am sure we would all claim that we would have stuck by Jesus until the end, but if we are honest with ourselves, we might not like what we discover.  As we prepare to reflect on Jesus' final days, let us consider if we are li...

Psalm 107:1-3,17-22 Today's reading is a Psalm of praise that reminds us that God will save all of those who call on the name of the LORD, no matter their past iniquities.  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story— those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south. Some became fools through their rebellious ways and suffered affliction because of their iniquities. They loathed all food and drew near the gates of death. Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He sent out his word and healed them; he rescued them from the grave. Let them give thanks to the Lord for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them sacrifice thank offerings and tell of his works with songs of joy. Prayer: Loving God, You are worthy of all praise. You are a good, good parent. Thank You for Your unconditio...

Psalm 19 This week's Psalm is a declaration of the glory of God. Even God's law is good. The whole of Creation is continuously praising the Creator God. When we choose to worship God, we are joining in with the whole of Creation. Even when we do not worship, the earth still silently sings God's praises. The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun. It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, like a champion rejoicing to run his course. It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is deprived of its warmth. The law of the Lord is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple. ...

Psalm 22:23-31 Today's Psalm is a reminder that all of creation worships God. We have the option to join in with the worship or to fight against the natural order and try to go our own way. Which option will you choose? You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you descendants of Jacob, honour him! Revere him, all you descendants of Israel! For he has not despised or scorned the suffering of the afflicted one; he has not hidden his face from him but has listened to his cry for help. From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly; before those who fear you, I will fulfil my vows. The poor will eat and be satisfied; those who seek the Lord will praise him— may your hearts live forever! All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord, and all the families of the nations will bow down before him, for dominion belongs to the Lord and he rules over the nations. All the rich of the earth will feast and worship; all who go down to the dust will kneel before him— thos...

Psalm 25:1-10 Every Sunday of our Lenten season, I will post the Psalm reading of the week for us to reflect on in our own way. Today's Psalm is a beautiful poem about trusting that God's good and faithful ways will prevail over darkness. It is a powerful reminder for us during these trying times. In you, Lord my God, I put my trust. I trust in you; do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one who hopes in you will ever be put to shame, but shame will come on those who are treacherous without cause. Show me your ways, Lord, teach me your paths. Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God my Savior, and my hope is in you all day long. Remember, Lord, your great mercy and love, for they are from of old. Do not remember the sins of my youth and my rebellious ways; according to your love remember me, for you, Lord, are good. Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in his ways. He guides the humble in what is right and teach...

Image Source:  Chris Lawton For the past few years, because of the theological studies that I have been doing, I have been required to read many books from a wide variety of authors. Many of these books have been enriching to my personal spiritual life. Others, while interesting and valuable, were much more difficult to get through. Because of all this required reading, I have neglected reading books that nourish my soul. "I can't imagine a man really enjoying a book and reading it only once." - C.S. Lewis I have recently been uplifted by re-reading one of my all-time favourite books, Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell. While certainly not perfect, this book has always held a special place in my heart. As I read through the familiar words, I was reminded of the first time I experienced God's grace in those pages. I actually found myself tearing up as I was overwhelmed by an incredible sense of God's love for me. I believe that it is important to read ...

Image Source:  Kevin Ku Life is full of new beginnings. Even when one chapter ends, another begins. Often, new beginnings are so exciting that we tend to rush into them without taking time to reflect on the journey before. Effective preparation involves two aspects: reflection and planning. “Improving your future requires study of the past; we learn traveling through life and especially from mistakes that provide lessons we should not repeat.” - Gandolfo (1983) At the end of every season, the best sports teams spend much time reflecting on the previous year. What went wrong? What did we do well? Where did we make mistakes? What could we have done better? After these questions have been asked, they can then plan ahead to improve on their performances the following season. Similarly, successful businesses consolidate their previous year's financial statements before drawing up a budget for the following year. If they rushed ahead and planned their future budget before ...

Wow, I don't know if I can look at myself the same after the cheesy title to this post. Please bear with me. As much as this title would make an epic sermon title for a prosperity preacher, that is not where I am going with this post. My biggest weakness has often been the inability to say no to any requests, regardless of my willingness or time-constraints. One thing that I have learnt over the past three years at Seminary is how to say no. On top of academic and formational requirements, seminarians are often invited to join different organisations and take part in a wide variety of activities. One has to quickly learn how to pick and choose to avoid being completely overwhelmed by their commitments. Earlier this year, the chaplain of the Seminary asked me to consider coordinating the confirmation classes of the Seth Mokitimi Methodist Seminary Society. I told him that I would think about it, but I was immediately resistant to the idea. I was already feeling overwhelmed with ...

The time has long since come and gone for me to write about my Comrades Marathon experience. On the 8th of June this year, I ran this gruelling race for the first time. It is called the Ultimate Human Race for a reason. I don't think anything could have fully prepared me for the intense pain and emotion that I experienced during that day. While I learnt many physical lessons about fitness and race management, I learnt some valuable spiritual lessons as well. People have since joked with me, saying that I must have felt really close to God along the route because I had a lot of time to pray. I jokingly respond by saying that I certainly had some choice words with God along the way, but perhaps not ones that you would hear in a church anytime soon. I was certainly trusting in the hope that God was with me and would get me through the day, but there were many moments along the route where I did not believe that I would make it through the day. In fact, I felt more akin to the m...

Image Source:  Microsoft, Inc  (Shared by Jennifer Lieberum) First, a disclaimer... This is not a post about whether God would use Microsoft, Android or Apple products. For this kind of quality analysis, you will need to find an evangelical thought leader more wise and risqué than myself. Instead, this is a reflection on the mediums that God can use to reveal God's grace to us. Last week I encountered a Facebook post from one of my friends, Jennifer Lieberum. She had shared an image that was familiar to me - one of the generic windows 10 login screen backgrounds (shown above). She shared the image alongside a post reminding us that Jesus' Church is meant to be a lighthouse so that lost people can find Christ and the Church can teach them what it means to follow Jesus. While I have seen this image pop up on my PC screen many times (usually after I have been waiting impatiently for Windows to boot up), I have never considered this particular connection. This was a s...

Image Source:  Julius Drost I love magic. I love watching magicians perform. I allow my beliefs to be suspended while they perform tricks on my mind. In high school, I was fascinated with card tricks and spent many hours learning sleight-of-hand techniques so that I could impress my friends and families with card tricks of my own. While I have forgotten many of them, I still enjoy pulling out the occasional trick when I get the chance. The audience has a special role to play in a magic trick. I have found that there are generally two types of people when watching magic tricks... The first person is the cynic. From the outset, you can see that they are just there to prove the magician wrong. They disregard instructions, analyse every movement and before the trick is done they are already telling the person beside them how they think the magic is achieved. They are always trying to get a peek behind the curtain. The second person is fully immersed in the experience. They...

Image Source:  Carina Sze I recently caught myself dozing off during a class at Seminary. It took the lecturer a couple of tries to get my attention back on the matter at hand. Once I was fully present again, I had no idea what had just been spoken about. I am sure I am not alone in this experience. The lectionary readings for this week tell an awesome story of the Transfiguration of Jesus... Jesus took Peter, John and James onto the mountain to pray. As Jesus prayed, his face was transformed, his clothing lit up and two of the great Old Testament leaders, Moses and Elijah, appeared beside Jesus. My friend and fellow Seminarian, Jaco Gerber, made an interesting observation about this text. We are told that the disciples who went on the mountain with Jesus were "weighed down with sleep" and they almost missed this awesome moment! How crazy is that? These disciples were privileged enough to be present at one of the most amazing moments in the life of Jesus and ...

Image Source:  Jordan Whitt In the book of Exodus, we read a story of Moses tending his sheep. Moses suddenly notices a burning bush and God's voice speaks to him through the bush. God instructs Moses to take off his shoes because he is now standing on holy ground. Holy ground is considered to be anywhere that God is. In Old Testament times, this was thought to be specific places. As Christians, our understanding of where God is has changed. God is living in our hearts. Furthermore, God is all around us. Early Rabbis tell this story of the burning bush and pose the question: "Did the tree suddenly burst into flame when Moses walked past or was the tree burning the entire time? Perhaps this was merely the first time that Moses had become aware of it? God's presence was always there. Moses had probably walked past that spot many times. But it was only when Moses became aware of God's presence there and was ready to respond to it that it became "holy ground...

I published my first post of this blog on the 01st of February last year. When I began this blog I was unsure of the direction it would take. I was overwhelmed with the way God was working in my life and I desired to share some of those stories. Combine that realization with a passion for writing and I decided that a personal blog would be the best way to achieve this. The primary purpose of my blog has always been to observe God's grace in all areas of my life and share those stories with whoever wanted to listen. I published 44 blog posts in 2018 on Harmony of Grace  and got 2 articles published in  SUMag, an online magazine aimed at youth pastors, teachers and parents. As the year progressed, I mixed up the focus of my posts regularly, sometimes writing for the more "experienced Christian" and often writing lighter posts for the newer Christians and non-believers. I do not write primarily so that others can read it. Writing brings me great joy and is a pass...

Image Source:  Aaron Burden I have taken a hiatus from updating my blog for the past 5 weeks. We have just had a mid-year break at the Seminary and upon some reflection, I decided that I would use this opportunity to have as much of a break as possible, not only from academic work and preaching, but also from writing my personal blog and basically doing anything productive at all. Usually during my academic holidays, I would use the extra free time to work on fun projects that I would not usually have time for during the term, such as writing or recording new music, helping out at my home church, catching up on reading, writing new material, etc. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) I was forced into a situation where I was unable to do any of the above "holiday work" that I had intended to. A couple of days after arriving in East London, our family received the tragic news of my gran's passing.  I was devastated.  I had no motivation to do anything.  ...

Image Source:  Toni Hukkanen We are living in the 'selfie' generation. It is not strange to experience multitudes of people pulling out their phones, sticking their arms far up in the air and taking photos of themselves with their friends or a landmark in the background. Often, one selfie is not enough. One can often hear the comments: "Take another one, that was my bad side" or "My hair looks bad in that one, don't you dare put it on Instagram!" I am not taking a dig at the selfie generation. I am often one of the biggest perpetrators.  However, one thing that this craze has shown me is how obsessed we are with ourselves and the image that we have of ourselves - which is often a negative one. Our view of ourselves is important because it affects how we interact with God, ourselves and others. If we have a bad self-image, we often show resentment towards God, jealousy towards others and shame towards ourselves. I believe that our negative self-...