334 SE Tecumseh Road  P.O. Box 5  Tecumseh, Kansas 66542  (785) 379-5005  Fax - (785) 379-5061                  Josh Gooding, Pastor

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Deliverance Psalm 40:1-11  Deliver us from evil, we pray each and every Sunday. The question we need to ask ourselves, over and over again: what is evil? We easily agree upon obvious answers:  murder, rape, robbery – those are acts of evil. Most of us are inclined to see ourselves, as well as the people with whom we choose to associate, as basically good people. If that’s the case, why do we, good people that we are, constantly ask God to deliver us from evil? You do note, of course, that the prayer does not say deliver them from evil. After all, it’s them, those other folks, the ones engaged in criminal activities, that are evil, and not you and certainly not me – right? No. Wrong. We do possess evil within us, do we not? It may not (fortunately) result in criminal acts, but it does rear its very ugly head, and we know very well when that happens. It’s evil to perpetuate negative stereotypes of people who are unlike us. It’s evil to spew hatred towards any person or group or race or nation. I know of such evil, for I have participated in it and it embarrasses me, it makes me feel small and guilty before God. When we speak of God’s justice, we speak of a God of love and not one of hate and vengeance. We know very well that when we, good people that we indeed are, allow evil to come out of our hearts, minds and mouths, we are making a contribution (no matter how seemingly small, and never, never innocent) to the victory of evil in the world God gave to us. When we seek or achieve power at the expense of others, we have participated in an evil act. Lead us not into that temptation, Lord, and please Lord - deliver us from evil.   I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation: see, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O Lord. (Ps. 40:9)  - Pastor Piet - January 20, 2008  Breaking the Chain  Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.  Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.  Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction…  The chain reaction of evil – hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars – must be broken.  * Martin Luther King, Jr. *