A Word Timely Given

What captures my heart these days?

What motivates my hopes, what dispels my fears, challenges my wrongdoings, encourages my convictions, interprets my circumstances, redeems missed opportunities, brings new mercies every morning and creates humble reverence IN those mornings?

Driving home last night from a lovely family gathering, I chanced upon a short little podcast I had downloaded from my time in Phoenix last month, that I had yet to listen to. It was a short ‘preach’ given to the student leaders of a conference held last year in the States called The Passion. The topic was on the memorizing of scripture, by a preacher and author well known by many, John Piper. I can’t say I’m entirely sure I land where he does on all thoughts about life, relationships and the church today; but his 65-year-old voice as it came over the speakers in my little Chevy Optra was soft, kind, passionate and compelling.

He mentioned that he was speaking with no manuscript, (which is apparently uncharacteristic for him) save for a few heading titles. He told stories, he offered resources, but mostly he quoted scriptures. Pockets of old and new, epistles and songs, from Samuel to Jesus to Paul. All from memory, all in an oratory style reminiscent for me of those long dramatic monologues I learned in English 10 or Drama 20 or first year college courses.

The memory that haunts him over 30 years in pastoral ministry was the first hospital visit he undertook as a 34-year-old greenhorn, to a family who was losing their mother. He forgot his bible. The family asked for ‘a word.’ “Give us a word Pastor.” His mind went blank. He held their gazes, awkwardly, self-consciously, then bowed; mumbled a prayer, offered condolences and left. And resolved. Resolved to never again be without ‘a word.’

My memory goes to a little grade 6 girls Sunday school class that my friend and I taught years ago. We weren’t sure what we were doing – but we were passionate and sincere and desperate. Desperate enough to seek out some disciplines to teach and that was how I came to learn Psalm 91 with 20 grade 6 girls, making up a melody with limited chords on a borrowed guitar, (which is apparently uncharacteristic for me) changing pronouns to suit the context – “SHE who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

This Psalm then took my friend and I to Calcutta, India and back again. To workplaces and relationships, to painful circumstances and joyful mountaintops.

What captures my heart these days?

Dare I attempt to explain this longing and life of and in the Spirit through the WORD of the Spirit? Even the memorized word?

Suffice it to say that Piper’s ‘preach’ was a word timely given.

“Because she loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue her; I will protect her because she acknowledges my name. She will call upon me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor her. With long life will I satisfy her and show her my salvation.” Psalm 91: 14-16