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The Psalms of Ascent:
A Long Obedience in the Same Direction

The Psalms of Ascent are a collection of lyrics, a dog-earred songbook at the back of the Book of Psalms. These songs were sung by the Israelites on their pilgrimages to the temple or to national festivals. Eugene Peterson unpacks these scriptures in his book 'A Long Obedience In The Same Direction'. Discipleship to Jesus is a lifelong process; it cannot be short cut or fast tracked. When we say yes to Jesus and discipleship, we are in essence signing up for a long obedience in the same direction.

A Long Obedience in the Same Direction — Pete McKnight
“It is not difficult in such a world to get a person interested in the message of the gospel; it is terrifically difficult to sustain the interest” - Eugene Peterson. Church-planter and friend of Open Heaven Pete McKnight joins us to share heart and wisdom as his family return from Annecy after 7 years of investment in an Open Heaven Church plant called Connect: Annecy.

Obedience — Rachel and Alan Radbourne
Psalm 132
This pilgrim journey of long obedience in the same direction requires our feet on the ground and leaps of faith. Alan and Rach Radbourne share their struggles in obedience as they join us from Anglesey where they are outworking a call from God on their lives to plant a vibrant and growing church in Wales.


Providence And Security — Tilly Pickett
Psalm 121, Psalm 125
Walking with Jesus doesn't exempt us from hardship, pain and suffering. Psalm 121 is a reminder that if we are looking to the hills for help (which was where the god's of the day would have lived), then we are looking in the wrong place. Our help comes from the creator, not the creation.The emphasis of Psalm 125 is on the solidity of the Christian life. Our security is found not by living by our feelings about God, but by facts about God. Our security comes from who God is, not from how we feel. 

Repentance And Calling — Joe McSharry
Psalm 120
When we say no to the culture of this world we say yes to God and his promises and purposes in our lives. 'Dissatisfaction with the world as it is is preparation for travelling in the way of Christian discipleship. The dissatisfaction, coupled with a longing for peace and truth, can set us on a pilgrim path of wholeness in God. Psalm 120 is the decision to take one way over and against the other. It is the turning point marking the transition from a dreamy nostalgia for a better life, to a rugged pilgrimage of discipleship in faith.' Eugene Peterson.

Hope — Rachel Sadler
Psalm 130
Pain, suffering and disappointment in life is inevitable. Hopelessness, cynicism and dejection isn't. Psalm 130 puts suffering front and centre. Eugene Peterson suggests that we must immerse our suffering in God. Pray it. Bring it to Him. We watch and wait, which ultimately means we must hope. And hoping is not in vain, it is 'based on the conviction that God is actively involved in his creation and vigorously at work in redemption'.


Humility — Rich Wilson
Psalm 131
Psalm 131 is described by Eugene Peterson as a 'maintenance Psalm' which is active in 'pruning away unruly ambition and infantile dependency'. Jesus showed us throughout the gospels that God isn't interested solely in what's happening in our external world, but was deeply interested in our internal world. Discipleship to Jesus requires regular heart-checks. As Nicky Gumbel says 'are you focused on your promotion or on exalting Jesus? Is your ambition more for yourself or for Jesus?'


Joy — Luc Sadler
Psalm 126
The next key to our long obedience in the same direction makes the journey of long obedience more pleasurable. Eugene Peterson suggests that 'one of the delightful discoveries along the way of Christian discipleship is how much enjoyment there is, how much laughter you hear, how much sheer fun you find.' We get joy when we decide to live in response to the abundance of God. And because our joy is from God's abundance, even in the midst of suffering and disappointment, we can be real about the pain, whilst also knowing a supernatural joy.

In Conversation With — Stacey McSharry, Ads Fenton-Smith and Heather Crate
On Sunday we drew out the gold from two of Open Heaven's most humble and servant-hearted disciples.

Community — Ness Wilson
Psalm 133
We need to be a part of something bigger than ourselves. We need to be seen and known and heard and to do these things for others. We are created to draw life and nourishment from each other. Community not only nurtures our humanity, but also our spirituality. Community is the place where God meets us. When we say yes to Jesus, we get adopted into his family and automatically become part of his church. And so, as Eugene Peterson suggests, the question we ask changes from 'am I going to be part of a community of faith?' to 'how am I going to live in this community of faith?'

© Open Heaven Church 2023 — Open Heaven Church is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales no. 7244128 and a registered charity no. 1138763.