DailyJan03

Sunday, 5 January 2003
Psalm 124:8 NRSV
Our help is in the name of the L ORD , who made heaven and earth.

Our help is in you, Lord. Our hope is in you, Lord. We rattle off phrases like "who made heaven and earth" without stopping to think of their significance and power. Anyone who could create heaven and earth out of nothing must have unimaginable power. How could anyone stand against you? Why would anyone even want to try? And yet our traditions tell us that Satan tried to stand against you and took an entire third of the angels with him (or her or it or whatever). Defeated from Jump Street, they foolishly keep up the battle, attacking you and your people at every opportunity. There are some things I do not yet understand, Lord. If Satan is defeated, why is he still here? Why does he still have the power to influence people? If he could influence a third of the angels to depart from you and your glory (and for what?), I shudder at the thought of how many humans he could influence. Satan was defeated at the cross. He never stood a chance in the first place. Still he rages on. Some people are foolish enough to follow him. (OK, foolish is not a strong enough term. How about abjectly stupid.) Some of those who do not follow him allow themselves to be influenced by his lies. That could happen to almost anyone, Lord. But even those who can see clearly what a liar he is can fall prey to fear of him. A lot of Christians are so afraid of Satan, one wonders if they believe you have any power at all. Our help is in you, Lord. You made heaven and earth. Nothing is greater than you. Satan has no power over you, and you dwell within us. Our help is not our own strength, but you. You made heaven and earth. You made the evil one and you made us. Nothing is more powerful than you. No one is more powerful than you. Our help is in you. Our hope is in you. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Saturday, 4 January 2003
Psalm 123:3 NRSV
Have mercy upon us, O L ORD , have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.

LGBTetc Christians get it from all sides, Lord. The Christian church does not embrace us, for the most part. They are so very focused on our groin and whatever it is they imagine goes on down there, that they cannot see our spirit. They are so sure we are "deceived" and "deluded" that they deny any possibility that you could love us just as we are and not want us to change into anything else. The Rainbow Nation is only slightly more tolerant. Most of them have been so burned and abused by the church that they cannot understand how we can side with the evil oppressors. They think we are deceived. There are a fair number who tolerate our belief in you, but most of them are somewhat patronizing about it. They think we are deluded, believing in you because we just don't know any better. All of this falls in the context of a society where increasing numbers of people believe that church attendance is irrelevant. Lord, we have had more than enough of contempt. Show yourself! For the sake of your name and reputation, let your glory and power be revealed. Lord, those who despise us, despise you. Do not let them die in this sin. Let your glory fall on this earth that all might experience your awesome might. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Friday, 3 January 2003
Psalm 122:6-7 NRSV
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers."

Apparently we have not been praying hard enough. Peace is the one thing Jerusalem seems not to have. Personally, I think that the reason peace eludes us in Jerusalem is that certain people believe that you, O God, need our help in establishing and maintaining peace. We keep trying to make peace with guns and bombs, but it doesn't seem to be working. I note that the verse does not say, "Fight for the peace of Jerusalem," but rather "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." Perhaps if we used more prayers and less guns and bombs, we would have better results. But it occurs to me, O God, that the context tells us that the reason we pray for the peace of Jerusalem is that the temple is there. Only, it is not there anymore. Peace in Jerusalem is important so that the temple may be preserved. But the temple is gone. In its place a new one was built and it is gone as well. Perhaps we should be praying for peace in the church. And since the realm (or kingdom) of God is within us, maybe we should be praying for peace in our hearts. That has been fairly elusive as well. If we can get peace in our hearts and peace in the church, then maybe we will have a shot at peace in Jerusalem. Thank you, Lord. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Thursday, 2 January 2003
Psalm 121:7 NRSV
The L ORD will keep you from all evil; God will keep your life.

God, we really need for this to be true. It seems like we are working overtime to keep ourselves from evil, believing that it is all up to us. Thank you for reminding us that it is YOUR job to keep us from evil. It is YOUR job to keep our lives (or, as the NIV says, "watch over" our lives). By our own efforts, we don't have the strength to keep ourselves from evil. Evil is powerful and seductive. You, on the other hand, are more powerful and (hopefully) more seductive. Seduce us away from evil, O God. Seduce us with your love. Surround and protect us with your presence. And Lord, please protect us from self-righteous, know-it-all Christians who grieve our hearts and test our patience. In fact, Lord, keep us from being self-righteous, know-it-all Christians. There is none righteous, only you. Lord, when the enemy assails us, protect us. When we are tempted to keep others from evil by pointing out all their failings, please protect them. Lord, we need you here. Now. Thanks, God. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Wednesday, 1 January 2003
Psalm 120:7 NRSV
I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.

They are for war whether I speak or not. Lord, it seems like the world continues to be on the brink of war. People of peace do exist, but the people of war have all the weapons. How does a person of peace prevail over a person of war? I suppose we could eliminate all the people of war, but then we would no longer be people of peace. Lord, this continual brinksmanship stirs up feelings in me that I didn't know I had and that I don't much like. Prejudices about people of other lands and other faith traditions reveal themselves for fleeting moments and then dart away again to ever-changing recesses of my mind. The real battle is not nation against nation, ideology against ideology or religion against religion. The real battle is the battle for our minds. If I give in and allow feelings of prejudice and violence sanctuary in my spirit, then the war mongers will have won. This is your battle, Lord. Without you I cannot remain a man of peace. Even with you, it is a challenge. I have no shame; I am begging you, O God: Let me remain a man of peace. Let peace be more than the absence of violence, let peace be a powerful force that wells up within me and radiates forth to those around me until all the world is ruled by peace. May this new year be the year when peace prevails. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Sunday, 12 January 2003
Psalm 130:5 NRSV
I wait for the L ORD , my soul waits, and in God's word I hope.

Show yourself, Lord! Reveal your mighty power, O God! I wait for you; my soul waits for your manifest presence. It is your word that ruined me, my God. I mean, I heard your word all my life, and I thought, "Wouldn't it be nice if it were true." But growing up as I did, in my surroundings, with my experiences, your word seemed to me to be a bit removed from what we called reality. I believed in you, but I came to believe the miracles, signs and wonders were quaint myths. They were the product of an ignorant people, trying their best to explain something they could not completely understand. They were figures of speech, hyperbole and metaphor. They were allegories and parables. They were at best religious fiction, written not for their literal truth but to convey deeper spiritual truth. At worst they were tall tales, stories that grew more fantastic with each retelling. They were everything but real. We have gotten so smart, Lord. We value intellect above all else, even faith. But intellect assumes that everything real can be figured out. Therefore, if it can't be figured out, it can't be real. And all this is exacerbated by the presence of the fundamental literalists who believe that everything in scripture must be literally true, that there is no room for hyperbole or metaphor or simple poetry. "God said it. I believe it. That settles it." Their abject intolerance for anyone who disagreed tarnished their witness and drove even more to worship at the altar of intellect. You saw where I was headed and you gave me new surroundings and new experiences. From Kansas City to Toronto to Wycoff, New Jersey, you exposed me to things I never dreamed existed. The God Chasers fairly screamed at me from the shelf of the bookstore until I took it home and devoured it. You led me up the mountain to Martinsville, where a fellowship of like-minded believers gathered to seek more of your presence. You keep wooing me and seducing me to even greater levels of intimacy with you. The more you show yourself to me, the more I want. Like a holy addiction, every cell in my body craves more of your presence. Every breath of my spirit longs for communion with you. I wait for you, Lord. My soul waits for you, and in your word I hope. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Saturday, 11 January 2003
Psalm 129:2 NRSV
Often have they attacked me from my youth, yet they have not prevailed against me.

I learned that "fairy" was a derogatory term long before I had any idea what it meant. And I recall a parent explaining what "queer" meant on one occasion when I repeated something I had heard. With facial expressions denoting loathing and disgust, it was explained to me that queers were men who go with other men. This was followed by a shudder and another facial expression signifying impending nausea. All the while, I was thinking, "and the problem with that is what, exactly?" At some point around that time I was given a book called, "The Facts of Life and Love for Teenagers." There was a section on homosexuality and the admonition that we should not tease or make fun of such people because they really couldn't help it. I kept thinking, "Why would anyone want to? What would be the point?" all the while not realizing how progressive that book was for the late 1950s. I did absorb the message while growing up that being gay was something that was generally not approved of, although I never clearly understood why. As a late teen and young adult I had my issues surrounding sexuality and intimacy and stuff, but being wracked with guilt over being gay was not among them. I thought of it more as a nuisance because for some strange reason other people didn't like it, and also because I didn't really know how to find other gay people to socialize with. Lord, you were with me through all of that. You never forsook me. Even when I read Romans 1 for the first time and was much afraid, it was your voice I kept hearing telling me to keep reading it until I understood it better. And in all the spiritual crises before, during and after seminary, you were there, reaching out to me with your love. It must be a God thing. Even today when people I otherwise respect and admire try and tell me how I am deceived or deluded or otherwise wrong, I hear your voice of love, drawing me ever closer to you. The enemy has tried all my life to use this to separate me from you, but has not prevailed. Your love is greater. Your power is greater. Your truth is greater. I surrender myself completely into your hands. You are my sustainer, for now and always. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Friday, 10 January 2003
Psalm 128:1-2 NRSV
Happy is everyone who fears the L ORD , who walks in God's ways. You shall eat of
the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.

Lord, despite all of our attempts to explain it away, I still feel intimidated by the phrase, "fear of the Lord." This Psalm says that happiness arises from fear of the Lord. Happiness comes from fear! Hmmmmm. I find this odd, God. Some say a better translation for "fear" would be "awe." If this is so, how come modern translators continue to translate it as "fear"? Didn't they get the memo? Or is "fear" really the better choice? What are we to make of this, Lord? We are told that you love us and then we are told to fear you. We are encouraged to love you, and then we are told to fear you? What kind of relationship is this? If I had a boyfriend whom I was simultaneously to love and be afraid of, I would call it an unhealthy relationship and extricate myself ASAP. But the psalmist says that if we fear you, O Lord, we will be happy and it shall go well with us. So which do you want from us, God, love or fear? Even though I cannot noodle it out, I believe the answer is both. Fear without love is clearly not an attractive option, but love without fear sounds pretty good. Still, it would be impossible to be in the presence of something as all-powerful as God without being at least a little afraid. My cats love me. They love me so much they want to rub up against my ankles when I am walking through the house. They don't seem to care that I am carrying an overflowing laundry basket, feel unstable and can't see them. If they were smarter they would be afraid. But they trust my love for them. They trust I will make every effort not to step on them. And I do, but they still should be afraid. This helps my understanding some. Keep working on me, Lord. I know I'll get it sooner or later. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Thursday, 9 January 2003
Psalm 127:1 NRSV
Unless the L ORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the L ORD guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain.

Unless the Lord starts a ministry, those who start one do so in vain. O Lord, I pray for Rainbow Revival. I pray that it be your ministry from start to finish. You have brought me to a crossroads where many paths seems to intersect. Who was it that said, "When you come to a fork in the road, take it."? What a collection of forks I have by now! Lord, you have pressed upon my heart a message that few seem willing to hear. I thought it would be an easy job, preaching revival. You didn't really lay on me a burden for the unsaved. You didn't really assign me the task of confronting the power establishment with demands for justice. Those are both worthy tasks and you give them to whom you will. My task seemed fairly straightforward and simple: go to the established church and proclaim revival. Who wouldn't want revival? Who wouldn't want your Holy Spirit to sweep into a church and take over? Who would resist your manifest presence? I am finding that plenty of people like church just the way it is and want no change, even if it means more of you. Did I misunderstand you, Lord? Is this, perhaps, not the ministry you called me to build? The more I pray the more I believe that this is exactly the ministry you called me to. I was not wrong about the mission. I was only wrong to think it would be easy. It may be a struggle, but please, O God, keep me from thinking it is my struggle. If I think that, I will fail. This is your struggle, Lord. You can handle it. You do the struggling, I will do the proclaiming. You battle the religious spirits, I will contend with my own self-doubts. Deal? Thank you, Lord. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Tuesday, 7 January 2003
Psalm 126:5 NRSV
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.

O Lord, we have more than enough cause to sow in tears. Our world is broken, and we along with it. Poverty afflicts some, pain afflicts others, disease still more. When this Psalm was written, Israel was in exile in a foreign land. All they had was their faith. They had faith that you would restore their nation. And in time you did. Still, the sad fact is that many died in exile without seeing the fortunes of Israel restored. Many died without seeing their prayers answered. Yet they clung to their faith that one day they would be able to go home again, freed from slavery. And in many ways, the Rainbow Nation is a nation in exile. We are a people without a land to call our own. A difference is that we never had our own land. We have always been a nation within other nations. We live in perpetual exile. And there are those in the US (and all over the world) who want to keep it that way. They work overtime to try their best to keep us despised. Many (most?) of them do this in your name. They claim to be acting for you. Reveal their lies, O Lord. Let the world know they serve the Father of Lies. May the Rainbow Nation be as respected as any other. Whether or not we ever have a land to call our own, grant that we live in dignity and freedom. We have sown in tears, may we reap with shouts of joy. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Monday, 6 January 2003
Psalm 125:1 NRSV
Those who trust in the L ORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

Mount Zion cannot be moved (or "shaken" in the NIV). Those who trust in you, O Lord, abide (or live) forever. Clearly, God, there are advantages to trusting in you. I'm just curious as to why those advantages are not more immediately evident. Since you are so almighty and all powerful, I'm wondering why anyone would not want to be on your team. But I suppose there are those who want to believe that they themselves possess all the power they need. To acknowledge your power would be to admit that their own personal power had limits. I am sure glad that I don't have any such delusions. But I confess, O Lord, that I probably do have at least a few. So I must repent of any areas in my life where I feel totally self-sufficient. It all comes from you, Lord. Every ounce of strength I have comes from you. Every breath I take comes from you. Any talent or skill I have comes from you. Even my desire for more of you comes from you. I cannot help but pity those who feel otherwise. Hold them close, Lord. Hold all of us close whenever we think we can do it without you. Grant us the grace to see our need and the wisdom to reach out to you to fulfill it. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Sunday, 19 January 2003
Psalm 136:10 NRSV
...who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever...

Hi God. Psalm 136 tells us over and over again that your steadfast love endures forever. But I was particularly struck by verse 10 which makes reference to your killing all the first born of Egypt. This is given as an example of how your steadfast love endures forever. Somehow, Lord, I get the feeling that the Egyptians would have a different take on this. I am not completely sure they would see killing off the firstborn of all their children and animals as an act of your steadfast love. From Israel's point of view, Egypt had many chances, many opportunities to let Israel go before such Draconian measures were required. That may be true. But as I read over the account in Exodus, I see that you, O God, take responsibility for hardening of Pharaoh's heart. Then you punish Pharaoh (and all Egypt) for being hard-hearted. I guess that is why I will never be a good literalist or legalist. Surely there must be more to the story. But notice how far afield I have gone from the Psalm. Its point is that your steadfast love endures forever. And if one of the ways that you show your love for us is by protecting us from our enemies, I will receive that. Offing their firstborn may no longer be required. But even if it is, it is good to know that I don't have to do. You've got it covered. Your steadfast love endures forever. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen!

Saturday, 18 January 2003
Psalm 135:18 NRSV
Those who make idols and all who trust them shall become like them.

The text goes on to say that they have eyes but do not see. They have ears but do not hear. They have mouths but do not speak. There is no breath in them. Now Lord, out of all of the verses in this glorious Psalm, I am not quite sure why you led me to this one. As a people, we don't build statues and worship them any more. But there are plenty of things that we do worship besides you. The usual suspects include money and power and sexual conquest. But that is not where I feel you leading me today. Today's idols are church and religion. Forgive us, Lord. We are meant to worship you and you alone. But somehow, we have come to worship church and religion as our gods. O wait, there is a third one called Spirituality. So many are so proud of themselves, saying things like, "O I don't go to any established church; I don't believe in organized religion, but I am very spiritual." That is not a giant leap. Most folks have figured out that spirit is the essence of who they are. These physical bodies sure don't last all that long. And churches have turned off so many people (or bored them out of their tree) that not to go seems more than fashionable, it is necessary for our spiritual survival. But do we worship you, O God, or our own spirituality? The question bears considering. The church has been worshiping itself for a long time now. Great thinkers have idolized religion as their salvation; non thinkers have idolized legalism and biblical literalism. We have idolized church buildings; we have idolized church institutions; we have idolized denominations; we have idolized philosophies; we have even idolized the Bible. Enough with the idols! Let us return to you, O Lord, and worship you alone. Smash every idol, Lord. Let us not worship your house, but come to your house to worship you! Let us not worship the book, but rather search the scriptures in order to find you. Turn our hearts from all vain idols. May we worship you and you alone. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Friday, 17 January 2003
Psalm 134:1-2 NRSV
Come, bless the L ORD , all you servants of the L ORD , who stand by night in the house of the L ORD !
Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the L ORD .

May all that I do be a blessing to you, O God. Some phrases fall too easily off the tongue, greased by decades of thoughtless use. "Bless the Lord." What does it mean to bless, you, O God? Usually it works the other direction. We expect you to bless us. We parade endless litanies of wish lists, before you, Lord, requesting everything under the sun. And we are supposed to bring our petitions before you. But we are also called to bless you, and so often we don't have a clue how to do that. We have become master beggars and slothful blessers. We seem to think that to impart a blessing requires supernatural power, but as I recall, to bless means basically to make happy. In fact, some translations of the beatitudes say "Happy are those..." instead of "Blessed are those...." This seems a bit less intimidating. Still, what does it take to make you happy, O Lord? I used to think that we could make you happy by making other humans happy. And there is still some truth to that. Whenever we care for someone less fortunate than ourselves, you are blessed. But I am coming to believe there is more. I am starting to see that you also desire acts of pure love for you. We must not neglect the poor, the infirm or the imprisoned, but you also want some one on one time. Jesus went about healing the sick and raising the dead and proclaiming the good news. That was his job (along with dying for us). But he also made time to be alone with you, heavenly father. Worship is the key. It is through worship that we bless you, O Lord. The Psalm says as much. When I say worship, I am talking about pure love and adoration expressed through prayer, song, dance, blowing of the shofar, waving the banners, and all the other things we do simply to praise your holy name. How sad it is that so many church services include everything except worship. Well, that is a whole other reflection; we'll go there another day. For today I give you my prayers, I give you my praise. I bless your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Thursday, 16 January 2003
Psalm 133 NRSV
How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious
oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over
the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion.
For there the L ORD ordained his blessing, life forevermore.

OK, Lord, now this is weird! Just last night as a few of us gathered for supper and to wait upon you, Nancy felt moved of your Spirit to go on and on about being in one accord, and how beautiful and important that was. I confess, I didn't really get it. I mean, I certainly agreed, I just didn't understand why she found it so profound. And then this morning's Psalm extols the virtues of kindred together in unity. You must be up to something, God, but what? Also last night, Annie shared her testimony about a miraculous physical healing she had on Sunday. And she mentioned Michael anointing her with copious amounts of oil and how it ran down her face. And then today's Psalm mentions oil running down Aaron's beard and the collar of his robes. Also, one of the words received for Nancy last night had to do with being refreshed by gentle rain. Today's Psalm mentions the dew of Hermon, which I read is the heaviest dew in all of Israel. In a land where it doesn't rain for the four months of summer, this heavy dew keeps the plants alive. It is only a bit of a stretch from a heavy dew to a gentle rain. Yes God, you are up to something. Seldom are your confirmations so blatant with me. You, the master of subtlety, are knocking me upside the head with a two by four. The key, both to last night's gathering and this morning's Psalm is unity. I guess you want me to understand that it really is that profound. I have spent so much of my life celebrating diversity, that I haven't given unity all that much thought. I have been praying so long for your manifest presence, and lately Zelma has started praying for it as well. Could it be that the two are related? Is unity required for your presence to manifest? You're God. You can show up whenever you want. In fact, I have been believing that your presence would need to manifest before unity would ever be possible. That could be the connection, or perhaps I have it backwards. Which comes first, unity or manifest presence? Help me, Lord! I'm going off on a theological head trip! Whatever it is you are trying to teach me, it may take a two by four to get it through my thick skull. But Lord, please be gentle. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Wednesday, 15 January 2003
Psalm 132:8 NRSV
Rise up, O L ORD , and go to your resting place, you and the ark of your might.

Even the ancients felt the need to call you, O God, into the temple. Lord, you know how it troubles me that you seem absent in so many churches these days. Oh, I know you are there because you are, in fact, everywhere. But I get the feeling in a lot of churches that rather than go and meet you face to face, the people opt for a teleconference. And in some churches it is more like voice mail. Voice mail can be wonderful. With it we can leave a message for someone who isn't home. Better yet, we can use it when we want a one-sided conversation and really don't want to hear what the other person has to say. Teleconferences are neat, too. We can use a teleconference when we are unable or unwilling to take the trouble to meet in person. They make good business sense, if what you are having is a business meeting. But Lord, our relationship with you is not business; it is love. And while lovers can talk on the phone and enjoy it, whenever possible they want to be physically in each others' presence. We can speak words of love on the phone, but they cannot compare with a touch, a caress, an embrace, a kiss, or things more intimate. And that is where I am with you, Lord. I am tired of settling for mere words. Words are nice; I like words. I use way too many of them. But what I desire from you, Lord, goes way beyond words. I want to feel your touch, linger in your embrace, return your kisses, and dwell in the unfathomable joy of your presence. I want to feel the warmth of your breath on my neck, the scratch of your beard as it rubs against mine. I long for you, Lord, as for a lover. Make my heart your resting place. Rise up, O Lord, and come to your resting place. Lay by my side and pour your love deep within me. Then I shall be whole. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen.

Monday, 13 January 2003
Psalm 131:1 NRSV
O L ORD , my heart is not lifted up, my eyes are not raised too high;
I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me.

I found this to be a strange passage at first, O God, until I read it in the NIV where it begins, "My heart is not proud, my eyes are not haughty..." Now, of course, I have to wonder which is the more accurate translation. Even as I type these words I am tempted to dust off old seminary textbooks or do internet searches and see if I can puzzle out the most excruciatingly correct translation of whatever the Hebrew term is. Or I could pray and listen to your Holy Spirit. And upon reflection, that appears to be the point of the Psalm. It is very short, only 3 verses. And to paraphrase the whole thing, it seems to be saying, "I am not going to waste my time pondering great theological issues. I want you, O God, not just knowledge about you. Like a child with its mother, I want little else than to be in your presence. Would that all your people would put all their hope and trust in you." There, I did it. I re-wrote a psalm, and I only took twice as many words as the original--which may be why you didn't choose me to pen your scriptures. Lord, the temptation to place our faith and our trust and our hope in our own intellect is very great. Our intellect and our intelligence are wonderful gifts you have given to us. But we fool ourselves if we think we can know you by intellect alone. The best we can know are facts about you, and most of those we can't prove. Scientists write about biochemical reactions. Poets write about love. And our scriptures tell us that you are love, O God. Thank you, Lord for whatever intelligence I may have. May I use it for your glory. May I even use it to inform my faith. But may I never lift it above my faith. May my focus always be on you, Lord. Increase my desire for you. Let me be overwhelmed with passion for you. Let me know you through our love for each other. My heart is not lifted up. You, and only you, are lifted up. And you draw me to you. And I can only say, "Yes, Lord, yes. Praise your holy name, now and forever. Alleluia and amen."