Costly

May 9, 2011: Yesterday in church our pastor, Sid Burgess, used the Psalm of the Day as his text. In Psalm 116 there is a verse that says, “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.” In the context of the recent tornadoes which left 234 people dead in Alabama, many of them just a few miles from us, the meaning of this verse is crucial. 

The death of people is precious to God? This verse is easily misunderstood. Sid explained that the Hebrew word translated ‘precious’ can also mean ‘costly.’ The verse makes more sense and better theology when translated, “Costly in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones.” It hurts God to see people die. 

The Epistle reading was from 1^st Peter 1 and had a verse that says, “You know you were ransomed…with the precious blood of Christ.” Again, the word ‘precious’ could be read differently: “You know that you were ransomed…with the costly blood of Christ.” Sid had an excellent sermon as usual. You can hear the Edgewood sermons through iTunes: find it here.

Part of yesterday’s Prayer of Confession:

Risen Lord, how often you come to us, and we do not recognize you.

In friends and strangers, who seek and offer kindness;

in words that make sense of our lives and the world around us;

in living, enduring promises that we have all but forgotten, you come, O God,

but our hearts are slow to see and honor you.

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