Psalm 86:11-17

11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and I will walk in your truth; knit my heart to you that I may fear your Name.
12 I will thank you, O Lord my God, with all my heart, and glorify your Name for evermore.
13 For great is your love toward me; you have delivered me from the nethermost Pit.
14 The arrogant rise up against me, O God, and a band of violent men seeks my life; they have not set you before their eyes.
15 But you, O Lord, are gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and full of kindness and truth.
16 Turn to me and have mercy upon me; give your strength to your servant; and save the child of your handmaid.
17 Show me a sign of your favor, so that those who hate me may see it and be ashamed; because you, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

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.

There is more.

Jesus said: Take my yoke upon you and learn from me. (Matthew 11:29)

A pastor shared a story about an elderly parishioner who had faithfully attended worship her whole life. She was in church every Sunday, a pillar of the community. In her later years, by some mysterious movement of the Spirit, her faith was renewed. It came alive in a new way. This became apparent to this pastor, who pleaded with her to share her story with the congregation. She resisted. (One might have lovingly referred to her as one of the frozen chosen.) The pastor persisted, so she finally agreed to bear witness at an 11am service. She made her way to the lectern and began her talk: “Here’s what I want to tell you. There is more.” That was her testimony: There is more.

I’ve been told that there are three ways to view our lives, three ways to write our own stories. We can see ourselves as hero, star of the show with the hint that the universe revolves around us. We can see ourselves as victim, savoring our resentments, cherishing them like trophies. Or we can see ourselves as learners, ready for something new. The message here: the role of learner is the way to go.

Which brings me to the psalm you may have heard Sunday in church. It begins with a prayer that God would be our teacher. The psalmist is ready and eager to learn. There are any number of places in the psalms where God is identified as the one with something to teach us. So I’m wondering this morning: What would you like to learn? What would you want God to teach you? How might those lessons, those coaching sessions take place?

It all begins with an openness to learning, an openness to something new. The risk in being a committed religious person is the temptation to think we have arrived, that we know all we need to know. In our research with churches, we find that 25% of surveyed congregations fit an archetype called “complacent.” That led one of our congregations to suggest a change to the tagline for their church: St. Swithin’s (name changed to protect the innocent): We are spiritually shallow and fine with that.

If by chance we do wish to join the psalmist in asking God to be our teacher, we need to show up for class. We need to put ourselves in a place where we are ready to learn. In the spiritual realm, that happens through spiritual practice. We read and meditate on scripture as God’s lesson manual, in the confidence that scripture contains everything necessary for salvation. We commit to a regular rhythm of prayer, which includes time spent listening as well as talking. We dedicate ourselves to service, in the confidence that when we put faith into action, we learn what it means to be a Christ follower.

I have found in my own journey that I learned a lot when I had an opportunity to be a teacher, when I had to figure out how I would share my faith, share my story, share my confidence that there is more. The very first thing I volunteered to do as a young adult who had recently edged his way back into church was to agree to teach kindergarten Sunday School. I was terrified. I spent more time preparing for that half hour class than I have prepared for any class since. I’m not sure those kindergarteners learned a lot from me. I learned all kinds of things from that process.

The psalms speak about many ways we can relate to the Holy One. In this particular psalm, the role of God’s servant, the role as God’s child are also highlighted. These and other ways describe a relationship with God. But focus with me this morning on the idea that God is our teacher.

And if the idea of God as teacher is too mysterious, too nebulous, set your sights on Jesus, often referred to as teacher. I’m told that the meaning of discipleship is not fully captured in the idea of being a student. But that is a big part of what it means to follow Jesus. I often picture Jesus the teacher, making his way from town to town, followed by a gaggle of disciples, teaching them as they went. I compare that to doctors who move from room to room in a hospital, followed by a group of residents, learning as they move together. Teaching happens in word and action. To learn from him in order to become more like him. Think of it as an apprenticeship.

In that process, we will not fully realize that Christ-like character. But in that process, we will always have a next step. Think this week about what it means to be a learner. And remember, there is always more.

-Jay Sidebotham