Where is the Syllabus?

I taught Economics. I taught Theology. In both courses, the syllabus was an essential handout. As a student, I somehow predicted the weight of every beginning class from the required syllabus.

If Christianity is a life course, clear navigation is necessary. Much has been said about the journey but there seems an intriguing absence of a given syllabus on how it ought to be lived.

Every excellent course follows from a good guide that seeks to simplify the dots by connecting them with proper order.

Having followed Christ, I have often searched for a biblical guide that follows the form of a good syllabus. Through the long chase, I have found or should I say, the Pilgrim Psalms found me (Psalms 120-134).

God’s people annually sang the Pilgrim Psalms on their ascent to Jerusalem to rehearse both their identity and responsibility based on a divine manual, which discloses the primacy of God’s gracious work in their lives.

This wonderful guide has remained relevant as it presumes the ultimate mentorship of the Messiah in all of life’s stations.

This blog seeks to provide a simple guide by adapting the indescribable symmetry of the Pilgrim Psalms into our daily lives.

The format follows a simple flow. The chronological points of the syllabus are presented based on the order of the Pilgrim Psalms accompanied by a distinct invitation to join God in what He seeks to accomplish through us. Before and after a syllabus Psalm, two reflective original journal entries introduce and validate the distinctive application of its practice, at least in my own personal journey. 

Journal One will be introduced by a story about my life before I knew the wisdom of Troubleshooting (Syllabus, no. 1). Psalm 120 will then be presented as the major teaching point. The journal will then conclude with another story from my life, validating the usefulness of the point being introduced. This format repeats fifteen times (Psalm 120-134).

This is not a journal of random thoughts but an exposition of God’s impeccable wisdom lived out in a most ordinary life. It is my prayer that as one reads through it, one takes on the journey of a psalm-maker, revisiting points of life and praying through a renewal of one’s steps, onward and upward to where Christ dwells.

Now and Then