Psalm 145:1-8

1 I will exalt you, O God my King, and bless your Name for ever and ever.
2 Every day will I bless you and praise your Name for ever and ever.
3 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised; there is no end to his greatness.
4 One generation shall praise your works to another and shall declare your power.
5 I will ponder the glorious splendor of your majesty and all your marvelous works.
6 They shall speak of the might of your wondrous acts, and I will tell of your greatness.
7 They shall publish the remembrance of your great goodness; they shall sing of your righteous deeds.
8 The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and of great kindness.

This year, Monday Matters is focused on wisdom conveyed in the treasures of the book of Psalms. We'll look at the psalms read in church before Monday Matters comes to your screen.

Give it away

For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. Matthew 16:25

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. -Pablo Picasso

It seems like we’re in a phase when some of the all time great creative artists of our day are moving on to “another shore.” Dolly Parton. Wendell Berry. Gloria Steinem. Peter Max. This past week, Annie Dillard, brilliant writer who paid artful attention to the simplest things, died at the age of 81. In her honor, herewith one of my favorite quotes about writing:

One of the things I know about writing is this: spend it all, shoot it, play it, lose it, all, right away, every time. Do not hoard what seems good for a later place in the book or for another book; give it, give it all, give it now. The impulse to save something good for a better place later is the signal to spend it now. Something more will arise for later, something better. These things fill from behind, from beneath, like well water. Similarly, the impulse to keep to yourself what you have learned is not only shameful, it is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.

A person of faith, a gentle observer of the foibles of the church, it may be that what Ms. Dillard wrote about writing can be true of our lives as followers of Jesus. I know it’s been said that it is not polite to speak about politics and religion (perhaps especially among Episcopalians who believe in salvation by good taste). Balance that with the baptismal promise that says we are all called to proclaim by word and example the good news of God in Christ.

In reflection on that commitment, Episcopalians, ever reticent about tasteless evangelism, will often cite St. Francis. He apparently said: “Preach the gospel at all times. If necessary use words.” Of course, that insight is loaded with wisdom. It’s the wisdom of Mahatma Gandhi, who refused conversion to Christianity because he saw the injustice meted out by the church in South Africa. He said: “I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. If it weren't for Christians, I'd be a Christian.” Example matters. But it doesn’t let us off the hook for sharing in words, in some way, what we understand to be the good news. (And Lord knows, we could all use some good news.)

Whatever we know of the good news of God in Christ we are meant to proclaim. To share. Again, I wonder if Ms. Dillard’s caution applies when she said that the impulse to “keep to ourselves what we have learned is not only shameful. It is destructive. Anything you do not give freely and abundantly becomes lost to you. You open your safe and find ashes.”

All of this has been prompted for me by a psalm you may have heard in church yesterday, reprinted above. The psalmist cites the many ways to share good news. I will bless your name for ever. I will praise your Name for ever. One generation shall praise your works and declare your power. I will speak of the might of your wondrous acts. I will tell of your greatness. I will publish the remembrance of your goodness. I will sing of your righteous deeds.

So how do we do that? A few suggestions:

Begin by sitting down and thinking about what you think might be the good news of God in Jesus Christ. Maybe jot down some thoughts in a journal. Is it forgiveness? Community? Commitment to social justice? Faith? Hope? Love? We too often equate our faith with rules and observance, which sometimes brings little joy. What gives you joy about your own spiritual life? Be ready to share that joy.

Be alert to opportunities that the Holy Spirit provides to talk about your faith. In conversation with others, maybe begin by listening. If in the course of listening, someone shares a struggle, a challenge, an area of brokenness, ask how you might pray for that person. If someone says to you: “Have a blessed day,” follow up on that with your own blessing.

Speak of what you have experienced. My youth group in Chicago taught me about “God-sightings.” At the end of the day, reflect on where you saw God at work in the world. Feel free to share that with other people. It’s hard to argue with what you’ve witnessed.

In fulfillment of the baptismal promise, let word and example work together. You may serve in a soup kitchen, or on a church committee or non-profit board, or donate money to folks in need. If someone asks you why you do that, be ready to say that it’s a Jesus thing. If perchance, you commit a random act of kindness, and someone asks why you did that, use it as an opportunity to speak about being a follower of Jesus.

Finally, in whatever way you pray, ask God the Holy Spirit to give opportunity to talk with others about the life of the spirit. It’s a good thing to give to others. It’s a good thing to do for our own spiritual health.

As the psalmist indicates, we all need to share good news. Because we all need to hear it.

-Jay Sidebotham