Yancy Is/Was an Editor at Christianity Today

 

Philip Yancey admits extramarital affair, will step away from ministry work to focus on marriage

"Philip Yancey has admitted to having an extramarital affair with a married woman for eight years, with the bestselling Christian author announcing that he's stepping away from ministry.

In an emailed statement to Christianity Today, where he was editor-at-large, the 76-year-old Yancey stated that “I confess that for eight years I willfully engaged in a sinful affair with a married woman.”

Some Concepts about Learning from the Scriptures

 

1. Sooner or later an individual will collide with a Biblical passage and that special verse - sometimes for warning, other times for blessings, forgiveness, and insight. Psalm 91 is a great example.
2. The KJV Bible is best for that, because a forgotten verse is much harder to find when everything changes.
3. Some people like hearing about favorite passages and books of the Bible. 
4. Someone who has never grasped Mark's Gospel will find it to be a great string of miracles, with each miracle having a special meaning for the healed.
5. If a name, title, or book is creating curiosity, that is a great time to slowly study why another person discovers the topic and learns a lot of new (but ancient) concepts.

Introduction to the Gospel of John - c- 1-7-26

 

1.37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.

38 Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?

39 He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.

40 One of the two which heard John speak, and followed him, was Andrew, Simon Peter's brother.

41 He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ.

42 And he brought him to Jesus. And when Jesus beheld him, he said, Thou art Simon the son of Jona: thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone.

43 The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me.

44 Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.

45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these.

51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

• This beginning chapter is dramatic in opening our senses to God Himself, the Beloved Son, and the Holy Spirit
• John the Baptist as the martyr - witness - to the world. The disciples and their special work. 

Introduction to the Gospel of John -b- 1-7-26.

 

1.15 John bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.

16 And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.

17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

18 No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him.

The Fourth Gospel is simple in language, but profound in its expressions. It is often used in learning a new language, whether Greek, Latin, German, or Icelandic. Grace and truth could not be more clear and compelling, whether for new readers or very old ones.

19 And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

John introduced Jesus, which confirmed and angered the audience, the Promise called up from ancient times - Isaiah 40. 

24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not;

27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The appearance of John the Baptist meant the coming of the Messiah, after so many centuries of waiting. The effect was doubled by his appearance and Jesus' presence. 

29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

30 This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

31 And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.

32 And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him.

33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.

34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

35 Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;

36 And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!

37 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. 

The chapter is simple. The plain language moves us to read the first chapter many times over, thinking of the Trinity. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are the Trinity. And John the Baptist and his two disciples start the expansion of the Christian Faith.

Introduction to the Gospel of John - a- King James Version

 

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This one verse reminds us of the Creation, Genesis 1, and also teaches the Trinity - with the Word used three times, as in Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

The same is emphatic, reflecting on the Word three times, so the Triune God is the beginning, all things before God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

So easy and simple for Greek translation - God made everything and nothing was made apart from Him.

4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.

The Son of God was life, and that life was also the light of mankind.

5 And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.

Just as light and life go together, light shines in the darkness; and darkness has no power over darkness.

6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.

A man whose name was John - he was sent by God.

7 The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe.

This man came to witness, witness to the Light, so that all men might believe in Him, through Him.

8 He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  9 That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

He was not the Light, but he was sent to teach the Light. Every man can receive the true Light that comes into the world.

10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

The Son created the world, and He was in the world, yet the world did not know him. He did not accept Him.

12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

All those who accepted Him received the power to become sons of God, even those who believed in Him.

14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.

The Son was born of the Virgin Mary and lived among us, filled with His divine glory, unique glory of the begotten Father, full of grace and truth.

 

The Old and the New - Its Failure in Churches

 

It is a shame that so many denominations were caught up in the excitement of something new in worship. The LCA and ALC got together for ELCA and watched their numbers plummet. The Lutheran Hymnal did the same. 

Everyone was excited about the new version, but soon people began to realize how many great hymns were jettisoned - along with hip liturgies. The changes are something like this -

5.3 million ELCA added up their members upon merging as the LCA-ALC-AELC. As one person wrote - "Congregations were leaving fast - before they waited to be drawn in.

The ELCA numbers are now more like 2 millions.

The Lutheran Hymnal was set aside for something more like ELCA's effort.

Both "improved" hymnals were heavier, not the best idea for an aging population. Irritating edits meant goofy hymns and liturgies demanded from the bosses in charge (exit ramp). 

The Church Growthers were more likely to fall for the exciting things that soon enough became rather tedious. 

The authority figures were always figuring out how it could all be better, but they missed the best and they now pay for it. 

Strange How Things Happen

 

Downtown Moline, Illinois featured something no one would have guessed. Look at the sign - Bartlett Insurance Agency.

The sign was one of those neon lit insurances, not strange or exotic at all! But wait. "I have often walked down this street before..." 

The agency led to a remarkable lifetime of entertainment -  not only Bonnie Bartlett (her father's talents) - but also her husband William Daniels, who is now about 98 years old. Bonnie is a wee bit younger.

This view faces the opposite on Fifth Avenue, where the tall spire of First Lutheran Church (Augustana Synod) and the Melo-Cream Donut Shop across from it.

The longtime couple, whose 73rd wedding anniversary falls on June 30, exclusively tells PEOPLE about their enduring love story.

Mr. Feeny isn’t done teaching life lessons.

Fans of “Boy Meets World” actor William Daniels initially believed he had died on Thursday when the 98-year-old posted a throwback photo on social media to promote a sale on his signed headshots.

The longtime actor’s followers, who apparently did not read the post’s caption, saw the image and assumed it was a death announcement. Here are links about the couple from Moline Memories.

 

The Bartlett family supported the Bartlett Performing Art Center.

Common Sense - The Opposite of Thomas Paine's Legacy

Caduceus - ancient symbol for healing.
 

The first inkling came in the 1960s, when high school teens began to use and abuse alcohol. Abuse was more likely when teens found professional musical entertainment. 

In 1973 I signed up for Yale University Medical's week on alcohol and drug abuse, aiming at seminary students, guidance counselors, etc. That led the head of the program to praise cocaine for being so effective and non-addicting  - !?!?!? I went back to the Yale Divinity apartments and asked Christina, "Guess what the next addiction is going to be?!"

I was appalled, given the useful week of practical and medical information. Some of them were police officers. Others were detox veterans. Efforts to quash drug abuse only seemed to increase the problem and and create a giant market for all ages. As I have told many, the use of doctors' prescriptions have promoted more difficulties.

The "I'll be safe" people have told me how they started in high school and still battle the marijuana addiction (by no means safe but so addicting). Being hauled into the hospital with painful heaves (hyperemesis syndrome) is no fun and neither is the next episode, and the next. 

One pastor told us at a group clergy picnic, "I can get a better high if I mix the two prescriptions together, or one with alcohol." He did not hesitate, even when I mentioned the obvious bad effects. Evil came of it, and so did much sorrow. 

When I think of Luther and Melanchthon, both had serious health problems, and both lived only 63 years. Both had an enormous volume of Scriptural interpretation. They suffered in many ways, but it was because of devotion to the Truth, to the Scriptures, and the great scholars.

 Melanchthon (left) was a great balance to Luther's own style. Both had the highest regard for the other.

What I Would Do about the Children? - A Fantasy

 

This is not be allowed today, to roll back baby training 50 years  - so there is no danger about what is now acceptable to moderns. Only one class fits - the Amish/Mennonites with many babies and a clear concept of Christian Faith. They are expanding, unlike the rest of all groups.

Most realize that the best nursery for a baby is the mother, the best source of real nutrition (aka breast-feeding) and the best the way to unite the mother and newborn. 

Next in line is the toddler and young child. Who learns more? Both groups have remarkable gifts of learning, guiding the mother, enjoying good nutrition after nursing is over, learning an enormous amount of facts and emotions, and growing up in increments. 

If children would grow in groups - not just "one and done" - they would gather the remarkable differences in birth order. However, one and done has gone from that category to "no babies at all." Groups of four were rather scarce after WWII, and two were more likely. The four Jacksons won the "most sons" category (3 out of 4 children) at the Moline Disciples of Christ Church (no longer).

Eight Single-Syllable Words - Our Past But Not Our Future

 

Thomas Paine produced the greatest opening for an argument and used only two words - the best title - for his essay, Common Sense.

English classes overlook the opening - eight words, eight single-syllable words. How does one duplicate "These are the times that try men's souls"?

Someone may find an equal to the opening, but more likely the best one will be hauled out of the computer rather than gathered from a brilliant brain. 

I always enjoyed a chance to have a classroom find a sentence equal to those concise, electrifying words. I never saw the equal, but that is what helped the colonies build a foundation for the United States.

That is what lacks today. The majority of clergy are far distant from the foundations of their own creeds and their own denominations. They have ready publications, just off the press, that will make sure they are doing well in the coming months. But they know what is happening. 

America itself has fallen into shambles (total disorder) and little will happen to make that change. The statistics are obvious. Those who look back can compare their growing-ups with the standards of today. I grew up with Father Knows Best on TV, unlikely today.

Thomas Paine - Common Sense: These Are the Times That Try Men's Souls.

 

Working on Older Video Tapes - Vimeo and Zoom

 

Art by Norma Boeckler

 

I looked through the computer video tapes for past efforts that fit the liturgical calendar. I tried searching for denominational Lutheran efforts, which cling to Rome, ELCA, and LCMS, but The Lutheran Hymnal seemed much better.

Readers and listeners should note that everything is changing at once, so there is a constant challenge with each effort. I am going to experiment with some and see how that works and sounds.  

 

The Sunday after New Year's - Copied from 2023

 The Sunday Communion Service Starts at 10 AM Central - Click on the Link Below.

The Sunday after New Year's - Vimeo - Holy Communion - 2023

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This is how the service was written, 2023.

The Hymn #125     The Old Year Now Has Passed Away           

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #128           Brightest and Best  - Bishop Heber

 Suffering and Suffering-Together

The Communion Hymn #307          Draw Nigh and Take the Body of the Lord        

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #657            Beautiful Savior    

Prayers and Announcements

• Doc Lito, Pastor K, Kermit Way, Alicia, Lorie.

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Suffering and Suffering-Together

1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:

Peter wrote this letter after Nero turned on the Christians as the scapegoat for the burning of Rome. Many at the time thought Nero was the arsonist, setting fires so he could build a grander city and glory for himself. The Emperor Nero was one of the most evil, corrupt, and vain rulers of the Roman Empire, though picking the worst one is a difficult matter. Scholars are divided.

The Christian Faith was suspect, because it thrived as a tiny minority. Judaism had an official status; the Christians were considered related but not approved. Therefore, there were many who opposed the Christians, not realizing that persecution spread the Faith across the Empire. 

Rome built a temple to all the gods - the Pantheon - and it is still standing. The religions of that age were completely corrupt and base, so Christianity seemed especially irritating to the masses.

As Jesus taught Peter and the disciples, unbelievers would hate and punish the little flocks of Christians. They were like sheep led to the slaughter. Since they had the Gospels and the Apostles, the early Christians were convinced of the Resurrection of Christ. They had the truth from the Apostles and the witnesses of the Resurrection of Christ.

The symbol of the fish comes from this era. If strangers met along the road, a Christian would draw half of a fish to see if the other one finished the drawing. If the second person drew it, the figure would indicate a message in the Greek initials IXTHUS - Jesus, the Son of God Savior.

Since they were suspect, it was not surprising that persecution could be unleashed on them. Likewise, today we should not be surprised that a pagan America hates the Christian faith and the unborn. Everything is seen in the opposite of our Constitution and religious heritage - evil is now good, and the only religion is all religions except Christianity.

13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

Sympathy literally means "suffering (pathos) with (sym)". Moreover, partakers of Christ means fellowshipping with Christ and His terrible trials and death. That is part of our early history of the English Bible. Tyndale had to work outside of England to print Bibles. It was the King's law that anyone translating the Bible into English would be killed. Tyndale was killed by a false friend and then burned at the stake to terrify anyone who might offend Henry VIII, the King of England.

When Tyndale learned of his Bible being burned, he said, "Maybe they will burn me, too." And yet, he never stopped his work. King James ordered a new English Bible because he hated the Geneva Bible (from Switzerland). The greatest language experts completed the task in seven years or less, and that KJV was almost completely Tyndale's work. Tyndale exemplified the early Christian motto - "the more you mow us down, the faster we grow." The more delicate version is "the blood of the martyrs is the sed of the Church."

What comes from eternity - the Son of God - will also remain throughout eternity. The Gospel spread throughout of the world through preaching and persecution both.

14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 

I often quote Lenski, who taught at the seminary in Columbus, Ohio. His commentaries and some of his books still circulate. However, he was replaced by a Biblical professor who opposed inerrancy and taught the students error and apostasy.

Lenski is described by the current WELS seminarians as "wrong on justification," as though Justification by Faith were something evil. 

What mankind vilifies, God glorifies because it belongs to God. At any moment, it seems to be easy and good to go along with the gang. In the long run, eternal truths will always belong to God and last forever. That is why we give the same Bible to everyone, because it has the same truth and is most accurate. The King James does not play with words to satisfy the errors of heretics.

The Greek New Testament text of the newest Bibles (the Evil Four - RSV, NRSV, ESV, NIV) is almost exactly the same as the furtive, secretive Westcott-Hort, published 160 years ago). This makes me laugh - the secret Westcott-Hort, created for the failed KJV Revision - is constantly "improved" to get the precisely the same results!

15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters.

Peter warns his flock not to use persecution as an excuse to become lawless. That is the sure sign of apostasy. If one group is not happy, they begin fighting over minor matters because the basic doctrines are too scary. Pettiness leads to all kinds of useless stress. The model in the earliest days was to gather and sort out the truths from the Word alone. Chemnitz has a moving passage where he described the leaders walking around with the manuscripts, saying "These are only sources. When the water is muddy, go to the source of the spring, where it is clearest."

16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

Almost daily we read of giant churches where the leadership work against the Scriptures to be more glorious. Fuller Seminary deals with students who deny the ordination of women and repudiate the inerrancy of the Bible. Willow Creek in Chicago would not purchase Bibles unless they were feminist, even though the founder was chasing women. 

The time has come, as Peter warned.

18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

A large number of the faithful will replicate the faith in the believers. If everyone adopts an Anything Goes attitude, apostasy will spread and become absolutely against the Christian Faith.

We have a faithful revelation of God's truth. Some of us were aware when the Virgin Birth was denied by the RSV. Much more has happened since. Faith means believing what God has passed on down through the ages.

Does Psalm 91 Dominate the Savior's Verses?

 

91 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.

3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

13 Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation.

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GJ - Many teaching opportunities for online students made me emphasize 1) the Holy Trinity and 2) the Savior from the very beginning, Genesis 1:1-3. If God the Father commanded light, then there had to be the object of that comment - Light. 

The same is true of John 1:1-2, which is even clearer concerning the Father and the Son. "The same" is emphatic in Greek, more like HE was in the beginning with God! 

Many believers in the online classroom tended to make the Old Testament God the Father with relatively little about God the Son. But look at how Jesus-centered the Fourth Gospel is -

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2 The same was in the beginning with God.

3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.

The last century did its best to remove the divinity of Christ and the Two Natures of Christ. Lacking the always-helping Holy Spirit, the great theologians little more than Barth, Rahner, Tillich (har!) and worse. 

So much more can be said, so I would emphasize the need to increase the emphasis of the divinity of the Savior and His tender mercy. Psalm 91 is especially moving and kindly toward us fumbling, awkward, and fragile souls.