life lived well

Paul Cezanne, "Riverbanks"

epiphany c3
psalm 19

What is a life well-lived in today's culture? King David's answer is three-fold. First, recognize that the heavens declare the glory of God. Second, build your life on the integrity of this God's law. Third, ask for this God's help so that both what grows in your heart and flows from your mouth would be pleasing to him. What refreshing clarity, fidelity, and power.

make the meaning clear

Ezra - Spanish artist Berruguete (1450-1504)

epiphany C3
nehemiah 8:2-10

"The Levites . . . instructed the people in the Law while the people were standing there. They read from the Book of the Law of God, making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read."

Note first that there is a definite meaning to give. The Levites weren't giving "a meaning", but "the meaning". Note second that when good preaching brings out this meaning, congregations blossom in understanding their own fallenness and hope. Note third that when this understanding comes, there is both grief over fallenness, and joy in the knowledge that things can be different starting even today.