God Is Our Shield
April 18, 2020
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In the course of one week, we’ve seen the effects of a global pandemic (the likes of which none of us have ever experienced before), the loss of jobs and income, devastating tornadoes and floods, and the loss of property and loved ones. When will it stop and where we will find hope to pull us through? What is there to shield us from danger when we encounter the storms of life? 2 Samuel 22:3 says “my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior”.
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In the Medieval time period, infantry soldiers used an oblong shield called a pavise that was large enough to cover the entire body. According to Wikipedia, the pavise was primarily used by archers and crossbowmen particularly during sieges. It was carried by a pavisier, usually an archer, or, especially for the larger ones, by a specialist pavise-bearer. The pavise was held in place by the pavisier or sometimes deployed in the ground with a spike attached to the bottom. While reloading their weapons, archers and crossbowmen would crouch behind them to shelter against incoming missile attacks.
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It could be said that God is our pavisier, shielding us during a siege, creating a safe refuge from the storms we face. “The Lord is my light and my salvation— whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life— of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1) We can find our strength and our stronghold through prayer and worship, when we open our hearts to His word and yield our spirits to His will. I am reminded of the praise and worship song As The Deer, written by Martin J. Nystrom and based on Psalm 42:1. The chorus says:
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You alone are my strength, my shield;
To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my hearts desire,
and I long to worship You.
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We can’t worship together as a group, but we can worship individually making the Lord our hearts desire. God is in control and will not fail us. Let us worship Him during the storm, knowing He is our refuge and shield.
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Grace and peace to you!
Tyner UMC Worship Team
What Did They Expect?
April 11, 2020
Jesus was dead and in the tomb. His followers were in hiding for fear of retribution from the chief priests and the Romans. How long did they expect to hide? Did they expect to go back to their former occupations as if the last three years amounted to nothing?
The women were preparing the burial spices and perfumes to anoint Jesus’ body on the next day. In a typical Jewish burial, nard was the most commonly used perfume (as Ty mentioned on Monday) but myrrh and aloe were also used. The body would be wrapped in a shroud with a separate piece of cloth used on the face called a sudarium. The hands and feet would be tied together with strips of cloth. I’m sure Mary, Mary Magdalene and Salome expected to find a closed tomb with Jesus still in it. On the way to the tomb, they even discussed among themselves how they would manage to move the stone. I’m sure they never expected to find the stone rolled away and the tomb empty. I’m sure they never expected to see two angels in white and Jesus standing before them and I’m sure they never expected a day of mourning to turn into a worship service to end all worship services!
An expectation is a strong belief that something will happen or be the case in the future , but we know the story so we know what to expect when we hear the familiar passages. Matthew 28:5-6 says “The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.He is not here; He has risen, just as He said”. Jesus told His followers that He would tear down the temple and raise it again in 3 days so perhaps their expectations should have been different. Would our expectations have been different?
But what are our expectations now that we know the story? We know that Jesus’ death was not the end but truly the beginning. Jesus has risen from the dead and is alive in us today. Let us look to Easter with the same excitement and the great expectations that Mary Magdalene felt as she raced from the tomb with the message “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18).
Grace and peace to you!
Tyner UMC Worship Team
Where Do We Find Our Shelter?
April 4, 2020
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“Shelter in place” has become a well-known phrase in the last few weeks. Tennessee’s shelter in place executive order requires that we stay at home unless we are carrying out essential activities. Although there has been a great deal of confusion over what is considered essential versus non-essential, particularly in the workplace, the one truly essential thing we need to remember is that God is in control and He is our shelter. Psalm 91 says “ Whoever 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.” Surely He will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence. …”
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Where do we find our shelter? In a place? In our jobs? In another person? Do we look for peace and comfort in an activity or hobby? Dottie Rambo, a gospel singer and songwriter, penned the words “He walks with me and naught of earth shall harm me for I’m sheltered in the arms of God.”
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It’s difficult to feel safe during times like these and easy to forget the importance of worship, especially when we are physically separated from our fellowship of believers. But as Psalm 27:5 tells us, “For in the day of trouble He will keep me safe in His dwelling; He will hide me in the shelter of His sacred tent and set me high upon a rock”. His “dwelling” need not be a physical place but in God himself. Let us be diligent in our worship of Him for true worship takes place in the heart. We encourage you to view Ty’s messages online and stay in virtual contact to give support to each other. Let us find our shelter, our comfort and our peace in the arms of God.
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Grace and peace to you!
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Tyner UMC Worship Team
Faith Over Fear
March 29, 2020
The top story of Tuesday evening’s news was the mayor’s mandate to enforce social distancing. Among other closures, the mandate also stated “the order also suspends all public gatherings until further notice, including worship services, funerals, festivals, fairs, and public performances” and went on to say that “t he mandate will be legally enforceable by several city offices including the Chattanooga Police Department”.
The first thing I thought upon hearing this was “Oh, how the devil must be rejoicing!”. What better way to discourage Christians in our faith and create fear in our lives than to take away our fellowship of believers? In Hebrews 10:24-25, Paul said “let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near”. For me, worship is many things. It is a time to put my own problems and fears aside and focus on the message that God wants me to hear. It is a time to commune with fellow believers and be encouraged by their support. But most importantly, it is a time to praise the Lord. “For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; He is to be feared above all gods”(Psalm 96:4).
Although we can’t be together physically, we can still worship together as a fellowship of believers and as a family of faith through online messages and social media. Let us choose peace over panic and faith over fear knowing that God is in control and that true worship takes place in the heart. John 4:23 says “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks”. Let us be the kind of worshipers that God seeks. Even in the midst of turmoil, let us praise Him with our whole hearts!
Grace and peace to you!
Tyner UMC Worship Team
Worthy of Worship
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While browsing the internet, I ran across this question–What does worship mean to God? To worship is to show adoration for something and is a type of unquestioning devotion. Scripture tells us over and over how worthy God is of our worship and praise. “Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom” (Psalm 145:3) is just one of many such verses and is the scripture basis for the familiar hymn Worthy of Worship:
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“Worthy of Worship”
Lyrics by Terry W. York
Music by Mark Blankenship
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Worthy of worship, worthy of praise,
Worthy of honor and glory;
Worthy of all the glad songs we sing,
Worthy of all the offerings we bring.
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Refrain
You are worthy, Father, Creator.
You are worthy, Savior, Sustainer.
You are worthy, worthy and wonderful;
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Worthy of worship and praise.
Worthy of reverence, worthy of fear,
Worthy of love and devotion;
Worthy of bowing and bending of knees,
Worthy of all this and added to these.
Almighty Father, Master and Lord,
King of all kings and Redeemer,
Wonderful Counselor, Comforter, Friend,
Savior and Source of our life without end.
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God is fully aware of His awesomeness (is that a word?) so why is worship so important to Him? Why does God require our worship? Perhaps worship isn’t for Him at all but rather for us instead. Perhaps worship of God takes our minds off our problems and worries and helps us to focus on what’s important. Perhaps it helps us to realize that God is in control and that He is our comfort and our strength. “May your unfailing love be my comfort, according to your promise to your servant (Psalm 119:76).
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During these unprecedented times, it’s easy to get distracted and lose focus on “Him who is able to keep you from falling” (Jude 1:24). Although we cannot worship together as a group, let us be intentional with our individual worship, keeping our focus on Him, knowing that He will never fail us. We encourage you to view Ty’s messages online, incorporate David’s prayers into your daily devotions and worship with our fellowship of believers through social media. Let us all be a source of encouragement and inspiration to each other.
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“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing” (1 Thessalonians 5:11).
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Grace and peace to you!
