Psalm Meditation 498
Epiphany Sunday
January 3, 2010

Psalm 70
1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O LORD, make haste to help me!
2 Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me.
3 Let those who say, "Aha, Aha!" turn back because of their shame.
4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, "God is great!"
5 But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay!
(NRSV)

There are folks who can do things for us in such a way that we know we would have been better off having gone without their help. They remind us on a regular basis how much they did to help us. We know they will never call in that favor because it will take away their leverage in the relationship. “Be pleased, O God, to deliver me.” is a way of asking God for help that does not make a big issue of it.

The good thing about that is that God is pleased to help us and is not likely to remind us what great things have been done for us by God. It is not about pay backs and bargaining where God is concerned. There is no, ‘I’ll do this for you if you do this for me,’ where God is concerned. God is not manipulated by our bargaining; God is pleased to be a part of our lives. God does not set us up with conditions on our relationship so that we have to jump through lots of hoops to get God to pay attention to us. There are rules and conditions to a relationship with God, just as there are with any relationship and those rules don’t change from one day to the next. God wants to be in relationship with us.

It is probably better to say no to a request from a friend than it is to use that favor as a leverage point in the relationship. If we can’t find a way to be pleased to help another we are probably better off not to help in this case. Eventually an opportunity will present itself that catches our interest and excitement in such a way that we are pleased to help out. When that happens we will know that we are doing a work of God and we can all rejoice together.

© December 28, 2009
LCM manifold@lightbound.com
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 497
First Sunday of Christmas
December 27, 2009

Psalm 45
1 My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.
2 You are the most handsome of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your glory and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride on victoriously for the cause of truth and to defend the right; let your right hand teach you dread deeds.
5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you.
6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity;
7 you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;
8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father's house,
11 and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him;
12 the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people
13 with all kinds of wealth. The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes;
14 in many-colored robes she is led to the king; behind her the virgins, her companions, follow.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.
(NRSV)

This psalms seems to be a wedding song for a princess who is being sent off to marry another king. There are praises to the king as a reminder to all that the king is the agent of God and the clearinghouse for all the good things that could possibly come to those of us who are not the king or queen. In the midst of all the wedding celebration is a reminder that all of the good things in our lives come as gifts of God whether we are kings or subjects of kings.

For those of us for whom royalty is a foreign concept there are still reasons to keep this psalm in the canon. Whether we are governed by hereditary rulers or by elected officials we do well to keep God as a central point in our lives. Years ago, when Becky and I got married, I heard from several people that there are three important people in a good marriage; the husband, the wife and God. The other part of that was usually that the order in which I just listed them was not the order of their importance. God is first, last and in between and the two people make their way together in the presence of God.

There are some couples who live with a constant awareness of the presence of God in their lives, individually and together, the rest of us have our moments. Our lives are filled with temptations; sometimes we give in to those temptations and other times we do not. We may judge those in the public eye more harshly as they give in to the variety of temptations to which celebrity is heir, however we each deal with our own infidelities as we are tempted to wander away from relationships of lasting importance to those of passing fancy. It could be a sexual relationship or it could be too much time and energy at work, a time consuming hobby or any number of ways we are tempted away from faithful relationships. Through it all God is with us and available to us as we discover our desire for God in our lives and relationships.

© December 21, 2009

Psalm Meditation 496
Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 20, 2009

Psalm 20
1 The LORD answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. Selah
4 May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the LORD fulfill all your petitions.
6 Now I know that the LORD will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand.
7 Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the LORD our God.
8 They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.
9 Give victory to the king, O LORD; answer us when we call.
(NRSV)

This psalm seems to be addressed to the king as he goes out to battle. The psalmist lifts up a prayer that all go well as the king and the army head out to war. At the same time there is the reminder for the king that the real source of victory we experience is due to the presence of God. Other nations have better chariots and others have faster horses, however we have the presence of Yahweh to lead us to a much more lasting victory than that won by chariots and horses.

Since we no longer have kings, chariots or horses as a part of our daily lives this psalm must have something else to offer than a prayer for victory as our king goes out to do battle with neighboring kings. Could it be a call for the unquestioning support for those who lead us on a daily basis, from those who supervise us directly all the way to the top of the organizational chart? Or a call to blindly support our elected officials from the most local to those with national influence? I hope not since we are in the habit of second guessing folks at work as well as those in elected office, especially those against whom we voted.

We do better to use this psalm as a reminder that it finally comes down to the source of our pride. Are we proud of the status of our nation and our national leaders? What happens when that shifts and another takes our place? Do we take pride in being largest, or small enough to adapt quickly or any other category we choose or make up to give ourselves a sense of pride? Do we find ourselves at the same time proud and humbled that God has chosen to love us and care for us freely?

God has chosen to love us no matter what. God has chosen to care for us in spite of and because of our very human faults and flaws. God chooses to be with us whether we succeed or fail, win or lose. It is not about our being deserving of God’s love and care, it is about God choosing, wanting, desiring our company in all our humanness. All the trappings of power and influence will fail and fade. The presence of God is a constant.

© December 14, 2009

Psalm Meditation 495
Third Sunday of Advent
December 13, 2009

Psalm 144
1 Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
2 my rock and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues the peoples under me.
3 O LORD, what are human beings that you regard them, or mortals that you think of them?
4 They are like a breath; their days are like a passing shadow.
5 Bow your heavens, O LORD, and come down; touch the mountains so that they smoke.
6 Make the lightning flash and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them.
7 Stretch out your hand from on high; set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hand of aliens,
8 whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are false.
9 I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10 the one who gives victory to kings, who rescues his servant David.
11 Rescue me from the cruel sword, and deliver me from the hand of aliens, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are false.
12 May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars, cut for the building of a palace.
13 May our barns be filled, with produce of every kind; may our sheep increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields,
14 and may our cattle be heavy with young. May there be no breach in the walls, no exile, and no cry of distress in our streets.
15 Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the LORD.
(NRSV)

Children ask for everything, expecting parents and others to fulfill each and every request. As children we really do believe that each one of those things is important to our survival and necessary for our enjoyment in life. Parents smile and nod recognizing that not every request from a child has to be done right away if at all. We even recognize that at times the best way to fill a request is with a refusal. We want to hear the requests even as we know that not every one is as much a matter of life and death as it is presented.

Certainly God hears our requests in the same manner. While many of our petitions and intercessions seem to be matters of great import to us God recognizes that it is not always in our best interest to give us all we ask for. At times we discover that the answer to our prayers lie in trusting our own abilities to meet our needs and the needs of those around us. Other times God waits patiently for us to ask for help that only God can give as we keep trying to fix it by our own skills. I can only guess that God takes great delight in our willingness to bring God our joys and concerns.

God teaches us, provides for us, shelters us from a variety of storms in a variety of ways. God blesses us in ways that are outside our ability to comprehend. God does all this willingly and lovingly. God wants to be in relationship with us and wants us to be in relationships with each other. As we become more aware of how best to be in those relationships we discover more of what it means to be blessed.

© December 7, 2009

Psalm Meditation 494
Second Sunday of Advent
December 6, 2009

Psalm 119:161-176
161 Princes persecute me without cause, but my heart stands in awe of your words.
162 I rejoice at your word like one who finds great spoil.
163 I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your law.
164 Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous ordinances.
165 Great peace have those who love your law; nothing can make them stumble.
166 I hope for your salvation, O LORD, and I fulfill your commandments.
167 My soul keeps your decrees; I love them exceedingly.
168 I keep your precepts and decrees, for all my ways are before you.
169 Let my cry come before you, O LORD; give me understanding according to your word.
170 Let my supplication come before you; deliver me according to your promise.
171 My lips will pour forth praise, because you teach me your statutes.
172 My tongue will sing of your promise, for all your commandments are right.
173 Let your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts.
174 I long for your salvation, O LORD, and your law is my delight.
175 Let me live that I may praise you, and let your ordinances help me.
176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek out your servant, for I do not forget your commandments.
(NRSV)

If I remember correctly, this psalm is made up of 22 groups of verses with the first word of the group beginning with a different letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Each set of 8 verses has something good to say about God’s law. In a time when it is commonplace to make fun of laws and lawyers it seems out of place to actually praise any kind of law. We may have gotten so used to having laws and folks who do their best to enact and enforce laws fairly that we forget how important those laws can be. I know there are people in all parts of the world who deal with laws that are used as weapons of oppression rather than as tools of freedom so I am grateful to be among those who see laws in a fairly positive light.

Among those who are oppressed by human law it is good to know that God treats people with justice and fairness and tempers those with mercy. God actually bothers to teach us the laws rather than waiting for us to discover what the laws are by breaking them and being punished for the transgression. When kings rule with absolute power and make up laws to suit their particular wants and needs there is great comfort in laws that apply equally to all persons regardless of their economic and political situation. While there are consequences for breaking God’s laws the psalmist continually finds that God is willing to seek us out and bring us back into the protection of the very laws we transgress.

As we complain about the numerous silly, unpopular and unhelpful laws we find on a regular basis we do well to remember that there are many people around the world and in our own communities who do not have the luxury of complaining about the laws and the how and the if of their enforcement. We might also take comfort in knowing that even as human laws are enforced differently depending on the folks involved in any given situation the laws of God are “my delight.”

© November 30, 2009

Psalm Meditation 493
First Sunday of Advent
November 29, 2009

Psalm 94
1 O LORD, you God of vengeance, you God of vengeance, shine forth!
2 Rise up, O judge of the earth; give to the proud what they deserve!
3 O LORD, how long shall the wicked, how long shall the wicked exult?
4 They pour out their arrogant words; all the evildoers boast.
5 They crush your people, O LORD, and afflict your heritage.
6 They kill the widow and the stranger, they murder the orphan,
7 and they say, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive."
8 Understand, O dullest of the people; fools, when will you be wise?
9 He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?
10 He who disciplines the nations, he who teaches knowledge to humankind, does he not chastise?
11 The LORD knows our thoughts, that they are but an empty breath.
12 Happy are those whom you discipline, O LORD, and whom you teach out of your law,
13 giving them respite from days of trouble, until a pit is dug for the wicked.
14 For the LORD will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage;
15 for justice will return to the righteous, and all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers?
17 If the LORD had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence.
18 When I thought, "My foot is slipping," your steadfast love, O LORD, held me up.
19 When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.
20 Can wicked rulers be allied with you, those who contrive mischief by statute?
21 They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn the innocent to death.
22 But the LORD has become my stronghold, and my God the rock of my refuge.
23 He will repay them for their iniquity and wipe them out for their wickedness; the LORD our God will wipe them out.
(NRSV)

One of the most magnificent things about the Psalms is that they put into words the best and worst that humanity has to offer. At the very least thoughts of vengeance cross our minds from time to time whether we bring those thoughts to action or not. It is good to know that folks before me have felt what I am feeling with enough energy and commitment to those feelings to express them in some way. To feel that the claim has enough merit to take it into the presence of God reminds me that not every vengeful thought of mine needs to be carried out.

Psalms of this sort may also remind us that we are not above reproach. It is possible that someone has these thoughts directed toward us. We take advantage of others, intentionally or not and bring them to the point of calling down God’s vengeance on us because we are proud and ignorant of their needs and wants. How many people do we walk or drive past on a daily basis who we fail to see because we are focused on our own wants and needs to the exclusion of theirs. Sadly, we can be pretty oblivious to the damage we do to others in the pursuit of our own needs and desires. Fortunately, God does not respond to every call for vengeance from those who call for it.

How am I guilty when others call for vengeance against me and people like me? Pleas of ignorance of their needs does not excuse me for acting against people. So, as we call down the vengeance of God on others we do well to examine ourselves as well. Who has been damaged by my actions? How do I repent and make amends? What do I do to keep it from happening again? Where is God calling me in response to the sins committed against me and those I commit against others?

© November 23, 2009

Psalm Meditation 492
Reign of Christ Sunday
November 22, 2009

Psalm 69:1-16
1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck.
2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me.
3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.
4 More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; many are those who would destroy me, my enemies who accuse me falsely. What I did not steal must I now restore?
5 O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you.
6 Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me, O Lord GOD of hosts; do not let those who seek you be dishonored because of me, O God of Israel.
7 It is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that shame has covered my face.
8 I have become a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother's children.
9 It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
10 When I humbled my soul with fasting, they insulted me for doing so.
11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them.
12 I am the subject of gossip for those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me.
13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. With your faithful help
14 rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters.
15 Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the Pit close its mouth over me.
16 Answer me, O LORD, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me.
(NRSV)

When someone outside of our comfort group does something bad or foolish we have a tendency to paint everyone else in that group with the same broad brush of guilt by association. In this case it seems to be the psalmist who bears some guilt for foolish acts. There appear to be repercussions that go beyond the actual act that will cause problems not only for the psalmist but for all of the psalmist’s people. In many cases we have no problem thinking and talking as if, “those people are all alike” until someone puts us into a group of ‘those people.’

Like the psalmist, most of us are guilty of some foolish act that will reflect poorly on us. If we are not a part of the in crowd our action will also reflect poorly on the rest of our group. Because some clergy are guilty of sins involving sex or money there are folks who will see all clergy as sex fiends and money grubbers. Whatever your profession, religion, ethnic or social background there are those who will expect you to be as bad as the worst in your particular group.

We may begin our ‘us against them’ mentality to protect ourselves from being hurt in some way by ‘those people.’ At the same time we keep ourselves from experiencing the richness that individuals with experiences beyond our own can bring to bear on our own experiences. In every relationship there is a risk of getting hurt by the other. In every relationship there is the possibility of being enriched by the other. Yes, some of ‘those people’ will hurt us as is true of those within our particular group.

God continually calls us to risk and grow. It is scary and exciting. We will make mistakes and do foolish things. God is and will be with us each time we make the choice to risk toward relationship.

© November 16, 2009

Psalm Meditation 491
Twenty fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time
November 15, 2009

Psalm 44:1-17,26
1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our ancestors have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old:
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm give them victory; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance, for you delighted in them.
4 You are my King and my God; you command victories for Jacob.
5 Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down our assailants.
6 For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes, and have put to confusion those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 Yet you have rejected us and abased us, and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You made us turn back from the foe, and our enemies have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter, and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face
16 at the words of the taunters and revilers, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you, or been false to your covenant.
26 Rise up, come to our help. Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love.
(NRSV)

There is an interesting tension at work in this psalm, a tension of which we too must be aware. How much of what goes on in and around us is the work of God and how much is our own effort. I know folks who take credit for all the good things that happen to them and pass off the blame to others, including God, when things don’t go well. I also know folks who take the blame when things go wrong and give glory to God when things go well. Can it be that God is a micro-manager who can’t let us succeed and fail on our own? Can it be that God is too far away to be concerned with what we do on a day to day basis? Or is it that God presents us with gifts and skills to use and then sits like a parent on the sidelines cheering us on.

Most of us learn early that it is rude to take too much credit for a success and that it is damaging to take too much blame for a failure. People of faith also recognize that God is in the mix somewhere and is willing and able to take a portion of the credit and blame in each of our lives. There is a place for ego as well as humility in the events of our lives. We have every right and responsibility to be proud of the things we accomplish. At the same time we do well to recognize that others have contributed to our successes. The most humbling failure usually has blame to pass around outside ourselves even as we do well to let ourselves be humbled by our faults and failures. Through the highs and lows God is there to cheer us on and to give us comfort.

God is in this with us by choice: God loves us beyond measure. It isn’t always or usually about winning and losing so much as it is about relationships. As we are able to build relationships with God and others we find that the most important victory is the one from our kindergarten report card, “Plays well with others.”

© November 9, 2009

Psalm Meditation 490
Twenty third Sunday of Ordinary Time
November 8, 2009

Psalm 19
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.
7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the LORD are sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the LORD is clear, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the LORD is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the LORD are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
(NRSV)

At some point in our lives it becomes important to look at what we believe and why it is that we believe it. As we begin the process we discover that we believe because someone taught us to believe a certain set of beliefs. Part of the process of adolescence is to reject many of those beliefs as outdated and outmoded and wrong. As we continue the process by building a completely new belief system we discover that some of those old beliefs from our childhood now make perfect sense. We discover that, “The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul...”

We may revise the beliefs of our childhood so that they make sense for our particular situation in life. We discover with the psalmist that the ways of God as we understand them revive us, give us great joy, are timeless and are a source of great wealth in our lives. We discover that while the particulars of our childhood belief system may not work we find ourselves using the same framework for our own beliefs. As we have willingly revised the beliefs of our upbringing we do well to remain open to change and newness in our current beliefs so that they do not grow stale or contain small errors that get bigger over time. We do well to keep our hearts tuned to God so that we do not become overly rigid in our beliefs and practices.

When we are tuned to God we are more ready to see all the ways God is active in our lives. We see the sunrise as a gift of God rather than a daily science experiment; we hear the wind as a voice of praise to God and not simply an expression of interplay of natural forces in and around the earth. We see that the people, creatures, places and events around us are gifts to be treasured rather than resources to be expended. We see God as one we experience rather than one in whom we simply believe. When we are tuned to God we discover our rock and our redeemer.

© November 2, 2009

Psalm Meditation 489
Twenty Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
November 1, 2009

Psalm 143
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD; give ear to my supplications in your faithfulness; answer me in your righteousness.
2 Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you.
3 For the enemy has pursued me, crushing my life to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4 Therefore my spirit faints within me; my heart within me is appalled.
5 I remember the days of old, I think about all your deeds, I meditate on the works of your hands.
6 I stretch out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah
7 Answer me quickly, O LORD; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me, or I shall be like those who go down to the Pit.
8 Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust. Teach me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.
9 Save me, O LORD, from my enemies; I have fled to you for refuge.
10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path.
11 For your name's sake, O LORD, preserve my life. In your righteousness bring me out of trouble.
12 In your steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am your servant.
(NRSV)

For most of us negative is easier than positive. So when bad things begin to happen to us we start to see everything in the same bad light. The downward spiral begins with long sweeping curves that we barely notice are moving deeper into negative space. As the spiral tightens and picks up speed we may feel that we have lost control and that the only way we can possibly go is further and faster down. The psalmist reminds us that we have the option of reaching up to God to drag us out of the spiral of negativity.

It is not so much that God drags us out as God gives us an anchor point on which to tie our flagging sense of hope. There is some effort on both ends. God will not be our anchor point unless and until we reach out of the downward spiral. Negativity breeds and feeds on negativity and it is by some combination of faith and will that we are able to recognize the danger and begin the process of moving toward positive.

It will always be easier to fall down than it will be to build up. Falling takes no effort at all; building takes resources outside ourselves. To build well usually requires relationship so that we can work together to shape and lift elements into place and then climb what we have built so that we can work on the next level together. Sometimes we build with God alone. Most of the time we build with God and those around us for the mutual lifting of bodies and souls.

© October 26, 2009

Psalm Meditation 488
Twenty first Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 25, 2009

Psalm 118:1,5-14,21-29
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!
5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?
7 The LORD is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in mortals.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)

I was not the coolest, most popular kid growing up and I still am not so I take great comfort in verse 22. The verse is used of Jesus and it is also true of many of the folks God has chosen to lead in Scripture and beyond. Moses thought his brother Aaron would be a much better choice for leading God’s people out of captivity. Samuel was sure that the oldest son of Jesse was the one God would pick to be king in place of Saul, however God had picked David, the youngest of the bunch. God has a way of picking those least likely to succeed to accomplish great things. God sees qualities in each of us that the world fails to notice.

As we see that God does not judge us by the world’s standards we begin to see ourselves and the rest of creation in a new light. We can rejoice at the beginning of each new day as a gift of God. It may not go the way we would hope and we may not win the rat race of the day, however, as we see each day as a gift we can more easily see God at work in all that goes on around us. Seeing through God’s eyes we may even find ourselves redefining what is important and what it means to be a success.

God is not opposed to winning and striving to be the best; God simply invites us to remember that there are multiple ways of deciding a winner and that the way the world decides winners and losers may not be the best way to do things. It is quite likely that God looks on the folks who has done more for others, the ones who have more friends, the ones people want to be like on a day to basis as closer to victory than the one with the most trophies in the glass case. God is much more interested in our relationships than in our prizes and trophies.

© October 19, 2009

Psalm Meditation 487
Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 18, 2009

Psalm 93
1 The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the LORD!
5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.
(NRSV)

In the midst of a trial, especially one as frightening and devastating as a flood, it is easy to forget everything we know. The main reason we have drills and practices is to make the skills needed automatic, to give them multiple pathways in conscious and unconscious ways. The psalmist reminds us that in the most devastating events God is more mighty and majestic than the power with which we are contending.

It doesn’t mean that God will pluck us out of the calamity. It does mean that before, during and after God is both with us and far and away above us. If our primary objective is physical survival it is not much comfort because God does not promise to save our lives. God promises to be with us. For those whose goal is to be in a relationship with God it is wonderful to know that God is with us in the best, the worst and the in between times.

When we practice and drill concerning the presence of God we can be better prepared for the times in which it seems that all is lost. God’s presence is not a reason or excuse to give up in times of trial so much as it is a reminder that we are not alone. The presence of God may inspire us to acts of heroism for ourselves and others; it may simply give us the courage to face calamity with our fears and hopes intact. We live in the presence of God assured of the overarching holiness and majesty of God.

© October 12, 2009

Psalm Meditation 486
Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 11, 2009

Psalm 68:7-23
7 O God, when you went out before your people, when you marched through the wilderness, Selah
8 the earth quaked, the heavens poured down rain at the presence of God, the God of Sinai, at the presence of God, the God of Israel.
9 Rain in abundance, O God, you showered abroad; you restored your heritage when it languished;
10 your flock found a dwelling in it; in your goodness, O God, you provided for the needy.
11 The Lord gives the command; great is the company of those who bore the tidings:
12 "The kings of the armies, they flee, they flee!" The women at home divide the spoil,
13 though they stay among the sheepfolds-- the wings of a dove covered with silver, its pinions with green gold.
14 When the Almighty scattered kings there, snow fell on Zalmon.
15 O mighty mountain, mountain of Bashan; O many-peaked mountain, mountain of Bashan!
16 Why do you look with envy, O many-peaked mountain, at the mount that God desired for his abode, where the LORD will reside forever?
17 With mighty chariotry, twice ten thousand, thousands upon thousands, the Lord came from Sinai into the holy place.
18 You ascended the high mount, leading captives in your train and receiving gifts from people, even from those who rebel against the LORD God's abiding there.
19 Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up; God is our salvation. Selah
20 Our God is a God of salvation, and to GOD, the Lord, belongs escape from death.
21 But God will shatter the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of those who walk in their guilty ways.
22 The Lord said, "I will bring them back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea,
23 so that you may bathe your feet in blood, so that the tongues of your dogs may have their share from the foe."
(NRSV)

Even though this particular section of the psalm ends in blood the important part is the reminder that “Our God is a God of salvation.” Through any victories and defeats we may go the destination toward which God is leading is salvation. Whether we live or die it is God’s intention to bring us to wholeness, which is what the word salvation means. If we bathe our feet in the blood of our enemies while celebrating how wonderful we are in ourselves we have missed out on salvation. If it is our enemies who bathe their feet in our blood and we have remained faithful to God and trusted in God’s providence and deliverance we have found the salvation God promises.

Salvation is not about winning and coming in first so much as it is about standing firm in the presence of God and having within ourselves an assurance that whether we live or die we are made whole in our relationship with God and others. Winning is wonderful. If winning comes at the cost of our relationship with God it comes at a high price indeed. Salvation is more about a relationship than it is about winning or losing.

It is good to win and it hurts to lose. We can define winning and losing however we like, and we do, so that we end up defining what we did as winning. We can also change the categories so that it is not about winning or losing so much as it is bring as many folks as possible into a relationship of wholeness with God and others. It is probably easier to measure beating and getting beaten. I hope it is more in line with God’s will for us to move in directions that lead to healing and wholeness: salvation.

© October 5, 2009

Psalm Meditation 485
Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 4, 2009

Psalm 43
1 Vindicate me, O God, and defend my cause against an ungodly people; from those who are deceitful and unjust deliver me!
2 For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you cast me off? Why must I walk about mournfully because of the oppression of the enemy?
3 O send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling.
4 Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy; and I will praise you with the harp, O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
(NRSV)

In order to learn a new skill the person who has been doing it for us has to step back and let us make the attempt on our own. Whether our benefactor stands with us as we work it out or walks away and leaves us to succeed or fail on our own we will still feel abandoned. Whether God has actually walked away from the psalmist or simply stood back for a moment we don’t know. We do know that the psalmist feels abandoned by God and left to deal with these enemies alone.

My experience has been that God is much more likely to have stepped back than to have walked away completely. While the psalmist feels as if God is absent the conversation continues to be with God. God is somewhere within earshot and is invited to respond, “Polo” to the psalmist’s “Marco.” In the back and forth of call and response we find our way back to the presence of God. We find ourselves richer and our relationship with God deeper as we discover new skills and strengths within ourselves and new appreciation for the presence of God.

While the sense of abandonment can be deep and depressing it can motivate us to take off our blinders and look in and around ourselves for ways God is newly present to us. In the searching we find that, while we will always be dependent on God, we are a step closer to an interdependent relationship with God.

© September 28, 2009

Psalm Meditation 484
Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 27, 2009

Psalm 18:1-6,16-28
1 I love you, O LORD, my strength.
2 The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.
3 I call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies.
4 The cords of death encompassed me; the torrents of perdition assailed me;
5 the cords of Sheol entangled me; the snares of death confronted me.
6 In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.
16 He reached down from on high, he took me; he drew me out of mighty waters.
17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from those who hated me; for they were too mighty for me.
18 They confronted me in the day of my calamity; but the LORD was my support.
19 He brought me out into a broad place; he delivered me, because he delighted in me.
20 The LORD rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands he recompensed me.
21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
22 For all his ordinances were before me, and his statutes I did not put away from me.
23 I was blameless before him, and I kept myself from guilt.
24 Therefore the LORD has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his sight.
25 With the loyal you show yourself loyal; with the blameless you show yourself blameless;
26 with the pure you show yourself pure; and with the crooked you show yourself perverse.
27 For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down.
28 It is you who light my lamp; the LORD, my God, lights up my darkness.
(NRSV)

Of the fifty verses of this psalm one of them jumped out at me more enthusiastically than the rest and I confess to editing the psalm for the sake of verse 25. It serves as a reminder that God is bigger than any one of us and likely bigger than all of us taken together. Because God is so big and broad and grand we are able to see in God whatever we bring to the relationship with God.

When I place emphasis on the importance of being loyal to God I discover that God has greater reserves of loyalty on which to draw than I can even imagine. God is there for me at every turn both calling me to deeper loyalty and demonstrating what it means to be ever more loyal in a relationship. When I decide that it is of great importance that I be blameless I find that God is ever and always above reproach. When I strive to be pure I find that God is modeling purity and encouraging me to make the choices that will keep me pure. When I become cynical, knowing that God can’t possibly be as good as all that I discover that God is not always consistent and that God has a temper and that God sometimes walks away in the middle of a conversation. It turns out that whatever I bring to the relationship with God it is already there.

Is God that fickle and changeable that whatever I bring is there to meet me, or is God the mirror of my mood who meets me where I am and invites me to grow deeper and wider in our relationship? Our moods and attitudes spring from the well of God’s bountiful grace. Whatever we feel has its beginnings in God in some way. When I emphasize blamelessness and purity God leads me service and understanding. When I bring my anger and cynicism God points me to injustice and the ways I might help make them right. What I bring God meets and augments with something that will deepen our relationship as well as the relationships I have with those around me.

© September 21, 2009

Psalm Meditation 483
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 20, 2009

Psalm 142
1 With my voice I cry to the LORD; with my voice I make supplication to the LORD.
2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit is faint, you know my way. In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look on my right hand and see-- there is no one who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for me.
5 I cry to you, O LORD; I say, "You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living."
6 Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low. Save me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring me out of prison, so that I may give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.
(NRSV)

There is something helpful about a lament. It is cathartic, a way of gathering up all the energy around this terrible event and throwing it into the presence of God where it can be drained off and robbed of its deep pain. One of the pictures that comes to my mind is that of an old movie in which the heroine stands beating the chest of the hero until she collapses in his arms in tears. A sexist image, I know. Put yourself in the place of the heroine and God in the hero position and you have an image of the power and purpose of the lament.

God is not offended, put off or angry with us when we stand beating on God’s chest in some form. In order to beat on the chest of God we have to be close and God is glad to have us close. In many cases the act of yelling and beating on the chest of God is all we need; the opportunity to get it out in the open. God is grateful to be trusted with our hurts and fears because those often give rise to hope and newness. God loves to be around when we discover newness in and around us.

God is not afraid of our anger or our sadness. We have been given these emotions as a gift to deal with parts of our lives and the lives of those around us. They are scary to face alone so God is with us and has given us the gift of each other so that we might be together even when, or is it especially when, we feel as if we are the only ones who have ever or will ever face a situation like this. Beat on the chest of God knowing that the only way you can do that is by being close.

© September 14, 2009

Psalm Meditation 482
Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 13, 2009

Psalm 117
1 Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!
2 For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)

For as long as there have been books folks have been writing about how much God loves us. Even in the times during which the emphasis has been on God’s judgment, someone has written about how much God loves us and how faithful and steadfast God is about sharing that love with each one of us. There have been volumes written and there is still more to write as we continue to discover new ways in which God loves us. The psalmist realizes that to go into detail is not necessary. It is enough to invite us to offer our praise and leave the details of that praise to each one of us.

Today, throughout this week and into the rest of our lives we do well to keep our eyes, hearts and lives open to the ways God invites is into relationships based in the steadfast love of God. As we experience God’s love for us we may find that we more readily accept the invitation of the psalmist to praise the LORD.

© September 7, 2009

Psalm Meditation 481
Fourteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 6, 2009

Psalm 92
1 It is good to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O LORD, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
5 How great are your works, O LORD! Your thoughts are very deep!
6 The dullard cannot know, the stupid cannot understand this:
7 though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever,
8 but you, O LORD, are on high forever.
9 For your enemies, O LORD, for your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.
10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil.
11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants.
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap,
15 showing that the LORD is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
(NRSV)

Years ago in seminary someone stood up in a chapel service and lamented that celebrities are no longer heroes and heroes are no longer celebrities. The intervening years have made his comments seem more true. We tend to idolize those who have made a big splash and used that to help themselves and those around them without giving much thought to those who have deeper more pressing needs. My guess is that there have always been people like that, just as there have always been people who use any fame and fortune they may receive to help others. The difference is not in them so much as it is in what we as a culture see as important.

There are sports figures who make a lot of money and use some of it to help others just as there are sports figures who use the money they make for pursuit of selfish pleasure. Which one makes the news? Trials and troubles are much more interesting than the plain, boring folks who reach out to help others. With the dullard and the stupid of the psalm folks would rather celebrate the quick sprouting, get rich quick and loud folks than the ones who work quietly to help others. Whether we celebrate them or not each one gets the same result over time. The folks who use resources for their own benefit will fall and those who use their resources to help others will share together in the benefit.

Whether good works are noticed or not they are still good works. In some circles, good works that are noticed actually lose some of their luster. Our actions do have consequences for good and ill. The task is to take root in the presence of God, for the sake of a relationship with God, so that we and those we touch can flourish and continue to produce goodness whether it is celebrated or not.

© August 31, 2009

Psalm Meditation 480
Thirteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 30, 2009

Psalm 67
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.
(NRSV)

It strikes me as interesting that this psalm of praise is so short. The list of things God does with us and for us would wear us out with its length and breadth. The psalmist decides to limit the list to equitable judgment and guidance as reasons to give God praise. Those two alone could fill volumes if we were to list the specifics of how God does those two things among each of us as individuals. Rather than go into specifics let us leave is as a broad category for praise to and about God.

The interesting part is that when we decide to lament we go into great and gory detail about all the terrible things that are going on around us from which God simply must deliver us immediately. The psalms lament personal as well as national calamity in detail as if God could not possibly know how bad it is for us without our list of woes shoved into the face of God.

Or, perhaps the lists of praises are short because they are such large, broad categories. There is so much for which to praise God that we can do it broad brush strokes. Our list of laments and woes are more specific because we know they are limited in time and scope. They are painful and weigh heavily on us however briefly they may touch us. The small brush detail work of a lament takes more time and effort than the broad brushstrokes of praise. Most of the time a heartfelt, ‘wow’ is ever so much more meaningful than gushing over how perfect or praiseworthy this or that may be.

God blesses us in so many ways. When we begin to describe or even list the wonderful ways God touches us we run out of words and simply stand in awe of the greatness of God and God’s gifts. And this great God does all these great things by choice. God wants to be a part of our lives and wants us to have life and have it abundantly.

© August 24, 2009

Psalm Meditation 479
Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 23, 2009

Psalm 42
1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God.
2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?
3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, "Where is your God?"
4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival.
5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help
6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar.
7 Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me.
8 By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life.
9 I say to God, my rock, "Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?"
10 As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, "Where is your God?"
11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.
(NRSV)

We long for something that is bigger than ourselves, something to remind us and assure us that there is more to this life than our own selfishness. Even the folks who convince themselves that there is no more to life than this brief time on earth gather up stuff so that they can prove to others they were here for a short time. Some of the folks who become very wealthy give money away so that their wealth can touch others and so that they can leave a legacy of help and hope after they are gone. Others simply hang on to their wealth so that they leave a monument to themselves. Whether our riches consist of material wealth or some other kind of richness we each make the same choices.

The psalmist shares the richness of a relationship with God, so that others will see the depth of possibility in a relationship with God. Those who know this relationship already can nod in agreement while those who are searching can see that what they seek is available and possible. We also discover that in the midst of a deep relationship with God it is possible to have moments of questioning and doubt. To realize that these doubts are not a sign of weakness so much as a part of the process we can be encouraged to let our doubts and questions lead us deeper rather than let them scare us away. We become a part of the long line of folks who share with others the richness of living into a relationship with God.

Which type of spiritual millionaire will we aspire to be; the one who shares wealth as a way to touch and encourage others or the one who hoards wealth so that it becomes a monument to our selfishness? We have this great gift available to us: the gift of a relationship with God. It is not a gift that can be taken from us. We choose to share it with others or we choose to give it up as times get tough. God is the source of our help and hope.

© August 17, 2009

Psalm Meditation 478
Eleventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 16, 2009

Psalm 17
1 Hear a just cause, O LORD; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit.
2 From you let my vindication come; let your eyes see the right.
3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress.
4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent.
5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words.
7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand.
8 Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings,
9 from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me.
10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly.
11 They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground.
12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush.
13 Rise up, O LORD, confront them, overthrow them! By your sword deliver my life from the wicked,
14 from mortals--by your hand, O LORD-- from mortals whose portion in life is in this world. May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their little ones.
15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness.
(NRSV)

One definition of love is to seek the best for someone. Using that definition the psalmist’s enemies are loved. Since they live as if this world is the best life has to offer may they have the best of this world. Sometimes, perhaps even often we do not take the time to learn anything about those who stand against us. We content ourselves with dehumanizing and demonizing them so that we do not have to understand them or even pretend to understand them. The psalmist knows that this particular adversary seeks creature comforts at the expense of the psalmist’s people. If that is what they want may they find comfort in those things while we find comfort in God.

At the same time the psalmist seeks out a relationship with God as a source of refuge from the attacks of adversaries. As is the case with most of us, the psalmist sees no justification for the attacks and seeks to rise above the fray with claims to personal purity and fidelity to the ways of God. We do have a tendency to see ourselves as victims when we are attacked and as justified when we do the attacking, so the psalmist is in good company there. The important part is that the psalmist leans toward a relationship with God as a source of refuge rather than feeling abandoned by God because of the attacks.

We do well to stand with the psalmist in these things. We do well to love our enemies and adversaries which means we do well to learn what drives them so that we can help them by seeking the best for them even if it is not the direction we would go ourselves. We do well to keep ourselves in a relationship with God when times are good and when times are bad. A relationship with God will be a gift to us whether we live or die. In the end it is all about God.

© August 10, 2009

Psalm Meditation 476
Tenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 9, 2009

Psalm 141
1 I call upon you, O LORD; come quickly to me; give ear to my voice when I call to you.
2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard over my mouth, O LORD; keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not turn my heart to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with those who work iniquity; do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 Let the righteous strike me; let the faithful correct me. Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head, for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds.
6 When they are given over to those who shall condemn them, then they shall learn that my words were pleasant.
7 Like a rock that one breaks apart and shatters on the land, so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol.
8 But my eyes are turned toward you, O GOD, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless.
9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me, and from the snares of evildoers.
10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I alone escape.
(NRSV)

Complaining is easier than complementing and much easier than doing anything to change a situation. Many of us can complain about things and complain about folks who are doing something to change the way things are all in the same breath. We may not know how things should be done but we are pretty sure that this is not the way. We do well to keep verse 3 in mind as we go through a day.

I can fall into complaining and whining about the state of the world with the best of them and not notice that I am anything but positive about life, the world and the people of the world. We turn to evil so readily we do not even notice. It is not that we are actively doing bad things so much as we are cruising into entropy, a state of least possible movement. We don’t do bad things we simply fail to do good things. We don’t cause damage we simply allow it to happen and then complain that no one cares enough to do anything to stop the slow slide into apathy. We don’t exploit people we simply take advantage of the exploitation. It is not that we contribute to the evil so much as we fail to contribute to the positive.

Just as physical exercise both drains and fuels the body so too spiritual exercise drains and fuels the spirit. While prayer can be exhausting it also inspires us to keep praying as we become more open to the ways God works in our lives and the lives of those around us. Exercise reshapes our bodies, our priorities and our relationships. As our bodies become stronger we are no longer content to sit and do nothing, we find ourselves pressing to the next level of fitness and we discover that we desire the company of others who share our desire for fitness and health. Spiritual exercise reshapes us in similar ways. We find that we are no longer content with things as they are, we find ourselves looking for ways to bring God into the world and the world closer to God and we find ourselves seeking out the company of those who see God at work in the world in a variety of ways.

As we turn toward God we discover that while we continue to acknowledge the presence of evil in the world our focus is on the presence of God. We discover that the refuge God offers is not a hiding place so much as a place to rest from our labors as we look toward the next opportunity to bring wholeness to a world longing for a loving relationship with the living God.

© August 3, 2009

Psalm Meditation 475
Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 2, 2009

Psalm 116
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me; I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: "O LORD, I pray, save my life!"
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.
6 The LORD protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said, "I am greatly afflicted";
11 I said in my consternation, "Everyone is a liar."
12 What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)

There is always a reason for us to love God; our love is always a response to something God has done in our lives. It is, however, still a choice that we make. We do not love God because we are forced to do so, we have been given the choice to love God or not. In the situation of this psalm there was an illness, perhaps, from which the psalmist prayed to be saved. In other cases folks abandon God at the first sign of illness. Rather than ask to be delivered they simply choose to reject God and any relief or benefit that might come from depending on God’s presence in our lives.

If for no other reason our love for God is a response to God’s presence in our lives. As a parent can love a child before the child is aware of the presence of the parent so is God able to love us and be present with us in ways that are outside our ability to comprehend or match. Our children will grow up to be adults and will be able to give and take with us on a level plane. Because we are not on a level with God we cannot out love or out respond to God.

It is sometimes said that God does not need our thanks and praise. While in one sense I agree I also believe that God does appreciate and relish our responses of thanks and praise for all that God does in our lives. God is certainly self-sufficient, however that does not mean that God is so self-contained that there is no room for us to be in relationship with God. God has chosen to be in love with us and so has chosen to be touched by the ways we react to the loving presence God offers to us. While God does not need our praise, God deeply desires and is touched by each of our responses. Praise the LORD.

© July 27, 2009

Psalm Meditation 474
Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 26, 2009

Psalm 91
1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust."
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14 Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.
(NRSV)

Experience shows that those who live in the presence of God are at least as likely to suffer as those who avoid God. It may be because people of God tend to go intentionally into places in which there is suffering and pestilence in order to be of service to those who were in the midst of it from the beginning. In those situations it is likely that the people of God have little awareness of their personal danger because their focus is on others. They are in just as much danger, however the presence of God acts as a shield to their noticing the danger.

We know that good people and bad people suffer and die on a daily basis. We also know that those who live in the presence of God do not dwell on their mortality, living as if there is more to life than flesh and blood. Building relationships with others and building bridges of relationship between God and others is much more consuming than the preservation of one’s personal life. So, yes, we will suffer and die in numbers similar to those who do not live in an awareness of the presence of God. It will not be a chief consideration in anything that we do. Knowing that we have a relationship with God that goes beyond this life sets us free to charge in when others are suffering.

The presence of God in our lives calls us, leads us, invites us to go places and do things that others would not even consider. God does not seem to pull us out of harm’s way near as often as God gives us the wherewithal to go into situations with the needs of others foremost in our hearts and minds. Yes, we take care of ourselves and give thought to personal health and safety all while looking to the pressing needs of others. Through it all we carry with us an awareness of the overarching presence of God.

© July 20, 2009

Psalm Meditation 473
Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 19, 2009

Psalm 66
1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.
3 Say to God, "How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name." Selah
5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him,
7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations-- let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs;
12 you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows,
14 those that my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.
17 I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.
(NRSV)

Everything we do is a response to God’s gifts. At our best we give God praise and glory with heart and voice and life. Whether we are grateful or not God continues to give gifts because it is the nature of God to give beyond our ability to comprehend. While God appreciates our thanks and praise it does not influence the number or quality of gifts so much as it opens our awareness to all that God does among us.

God delivers us from some calamities and either leads us into or does not stop us from running headlong into others. In the midst of those calamites we discover that there is a lesson to be learned and strength to be gained if we allow ourselves to remain open to God in the midst of trial and hurt. Much as we may have dreaded tests in our formal education process the intent was to discover how well we had learned and to remind us that there is always more to know and to learn. If nothing else we learn that God is with us in even the most brutal circumstances.

In good times and in bad times God is active in our lives. We may not notice all the ways God touches us and surrounds us, however that does not mean that God is not present. God invites us into an ever increasing awareness of God’s presence in our lives. We may notice God in nature, in other people, in situations and events. As we become more aware of the ways in which God is now working in our lives we may also notice that God has always been present in that way and we have missed it until now.

God works in our lives because God finds joy in our company. We offer our uniqueness to God in our relationship and that is a source of great joy to God to see how we take God’s good gifts and use them to deepen our relationship with God and with others.


© July 13, 2009

Psalm Meditation 472
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 12, 2009

Psalm 41
1 Happy are those who consider the poor; the LORD delivers them in the day of trouble.
2 The LORD protects them and keeps them alive; they are called happy in the land. You do not give them up to the will of their enemies.
3 The LORD sustains them on their sickbed; in their illness you heal all their infirmities.
4 As for me, I said, "O LORD, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you."
5 My enemies wonder in malice when I will die, and my name perish.
6 And when they come to see me, they utter empty words, while their hearts gather mischief; when they go out, they tell it abroad.
7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me.
8 They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me, that I will not rise again from where I lie.
9 Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me.
10 But you, O LORD, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them.
11 By this I know that you are pleased with me; because my enemy has not triumphed over me.
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever.
13 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.
(NRSV)

Having been scammed numerous times by folks who are abusing the system of church safety nets I find myself pretty cynical when folks come to ask for help. Fortunately there are folks around me who are good enough to remind me that even folks who play the system are children of God. They also remind me that even if most of the people who come through asking for help are as cynical on their side as I am on mine, every now and then someone really is in need of the help we have to offer. Even in my cynicism I know that it is important to consider the poor; those who ask for help and those who suffer silently not knowing where to turn.

Most of the time it is easier to consider the poor as a group than it is to deal with individuals in poverty. That is not a bad thing. If we find ourselves working toward changes in the system that will move people out of poverty we have done something for the individuals as well. If we help folks one at a time the systemic causes of that poverty still exist. Will we ever alleviate poverty completely? No. There will always be someone with less of something than others. Does that mean we give up and simply grab all we can so that we never become one of the poor? No. We do well to keep helping the individuals as best we can as well as working for changes in the system that will make poverty less of a threat to more and more people.

The history of salvation reminds us that God is always on the side of the poor, the oppressed and the downtrodden. For us to ignore those in poverty is to ignore the people closest to God’s own heart. It is important to find the way that works for each of us. It is not necessarily the easy way so much as the one that gives the feeling of having acted out of a relationship with God in building a more healthy and whole place for all to live

© July 6, 2009

meditation 471

New to blogging but not to meditating on the psalms so we begin with 471 and go from here.

Psalm Meditation 471

Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

July 5, 2009

Psalm 16

1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.

2 I say to the LORD, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."

3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.

4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.

5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.

6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.

7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.

8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.

10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.

11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

(NRSV)

Every time we make a decision we remove the possibility of some other choice or choices. Most of the time we don’t notice that we are doing that because the decision is so clear to us that we don’t consider the alternatives. There are however some life altering decisions on which we will agonize about making the decision and second guess ourselves once we have. We do wonder from time to time what would be different if we had made another choice about following God, Yahweh.

Every now and then I wonder how my life would have been different if I had not been introduced to and raised up in a relationship with God. What if my parents had been some of those who decided not to be active in church so that I could make my own decision later instead of those who decided to answer the upward call of God on their lives and to raise my brothers and me in the presence of God, knowing that we would each have to make our own decision later.

“Yahweh is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.” I would love to say that I have never seriously second guessed my choice. There have been times, when the way of God was more difficult than usual, that I have wondered what I was thinking when I made this decision to cast my lot with God. While there have been unpleasant times, the presence of God and the people of God continue to remind me in a number of ways how good it is to count myself among the people of God. It is not always smooth, and it doesn’t always live out in the way I would have wanted, however the presence of God and the people of God bring me and those around me a joy that others do not seem to have and I am grateful.

© June 29, 2009