Dear Faith Family,
Whenever a parent says, "We need to have a family talk," usually there is something weighty to discuss. Rarely does a formal family conversation get called to choose a paint color for little Billy's room or what meals will make the rotation in the coming week. On occasion, the family talk might be primarily positive, like where to go on summer vacation. But most of the time, as is our case today, the conversation is spurred by something or some things a bit more serious.
First things first, the opening verses of Psalm 102 are the community calling for "a family talk."
Hear my prayer, O LORD;
let my cry come to you!
Do not hide your face from me;
in the day of my distress!
Incline your ear to me;
answer me speedily in the day when I call!
(Ps. 102: 1-2)
While these verses might not sound like a dad calling everyone to the living room couch, they've been heard as such by God's people for millennia. These two verses are repeated throughout the Psalms (39:12, 54:2, 61:1, 64:4, to name a few) and are the community's way of clarifying that it's time to talk to God one another. The verses that follow reveal the weighty nature of the conversation: death and life.
As we discussed on Sunday, verses 3-11 get the conversation started as we share our experience of dying to (old) self and sin. The pain, unease, and loneliness we feel through the exposure and letting go of that which is less than true life, while particularly felt by us, is universally shared by all of us. We are not alone in our dying. We've all--including Jesus--felt death's sting, and we get to remind each other of this truth at the moment when we need to hear it (and repeat it!) the most.
But our family talk does not end at death; it continues onto life anew. Verses 12-22 shift the conversation to life after death. Resurrection is serious talk. Talk of God's power and his compassion. Talk of his glory in our presence and across all the world. Talk of the end of imprisonment and the beginning of real and forever freedom. We share our experience of how God has/is changing us so that we never forget what reality truly shapes our daily existence.
So, call a family talk this week! Make arrangements to share your dying and share of our rising with your spouse or roommate, your Gospel Community or DNA, your kids, co-worker, neighbor, or friend. Remember that such conversations take place,
"for a generation to come,
so that a people yet (re)created
may praise the LORD"
(Ps. 102:18)