Psalm Meditation 511
Easter
April 4, 2010
Psalm 97
1 The LORD is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad!
2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
3 Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side.
4 His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles.
5 The mountains melt like wax before the LORD, before the Lord of all the earth.
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.
7 All worshipers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him.
8 Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O God.
9 For you, O LORD, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods.
10 The LORD loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked.
11 Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.
12 Rejoice in the LORD, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name!
(NRSV)
I remember a time when I believed that evil does not exist. It was not much more than a word people used to describe things they did not like or those with whom they really disagreed. So far I have been really lucky to have never had a first hand encounter with evil, however I do know that it is out there. I know that evil manifests itself in person to person contacts as well in systems. I know that evil can be seen in actions as well as in inaction and that it is easier to talk about than it is to root out. In order to be among those who hate evil we have to acknowledge that evil exists.
We have to be aware that it is not because we hate evil that God loves us. The love of God is not a reciprocal agreement of cause and effect; if you hate evil than God will love you. When we realize that the evil in and around us keeps us from experiencing the fullness of life and that evil in and around people and systems robs each of us and all of us we find ourselves more open to the love God offers to us on a constant basis.
Does God guard us from evil by keeping it away from us? That has not been my experience. God guards us from evil by helping us keep the evil we experience and the evil those around us experience from taking rood in our lives. God invites us not to become jaded and pessimistic, to continue to hold out hope in the face of all that comes our way. It doesn’t seem to get any easier to ward off the creep of cynicism and negativity. After millennia of human history God continues to be patient and loving among us, inviting us to move toward the more loving choices spread out before us.
© March 29, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Monday, March 22, 2010
Psalm Meditation 510
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 28, 2010
Psalm 72:1-7,11-20
1 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service.
12 For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live! May gold of Sheba be given to him. May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all day long.
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun. May all nations be blessed in him; may they pronounce him happy.
18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.
(NRSV)
I understand that in royal cultures, where there is an all powerful sovereign, that it is understood that the ruler owns all the resources of the realm. From those resources the ruler is expected to provide care for each and every subject and in return the subjects give the ruler loyalty and trust. In Israel there was also a strong connection between God and ruler so that in some instances the ruler and God were described using the same terms. Folks were certainly aware of the distinctions including the knowledge that the ruler was chosen by God and was an agent of God only as long as the word and will of God were followed.
So for this psalm to ask God to give the king justice and peace was to ask for that same justice and peace to be given to all in Israel. For the sake of the nation folks prayed for the health and prosperity of the king. It is not always easy to pray for those in power, especially in representative forms of government. We expect the rulers, representatives, elected officials to do what we would like for them to do or we brand them as wrong even evil. There are probably not a lot of us who can say we have wholeheartedly supported the actions of the folks for whom we voted let alone the folks who were elected by a majority of which we were not a part.
We no longer see rulers, especially elected officials, as special agents of God. We can even have trouble seeing them as human beings who deserve the respect due any person. God continues to work through flawed human beings of every stripe and party giving us not what we deserve but what God wants for us. God continues to call us to deeper and wider relationships with people, even people with whom we disagree.
© March 22, 2010
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 28, 2010
Psalm 72:1-7,11-20
1 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king's son.
2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness.
4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor.
5 May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations.
6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth.
7 In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more.
11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service.
12 For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper.
13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy.
14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight.
15 Long may he live! May gold of Sheba be given to him. May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all day long.
16 May there be abundance of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field.
17 May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun. May all nations be blessed in him; may they pronounce him happy.
18 Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things.
19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.
20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended.
(NRSV)
I understand that in royal cultures, where there is an all powerful sovereign, that it is understood that the ruler owns all the resources of the realm. From those resources the ruler is expected to provide care for each and every subject and in return the subjects give the ruler loyalty and trust. In Israel there was also a strong connection between God and ruler so that in some instances the ruler and God were described using the same terms. Folks were certainly aware of the distinctions including the knowledge that the ruler was chosen by God and was an agent of God only as long as the word and will of God were followed.
So for this psalm to ask God to give the king justice and peace was to ask for that same justice and peace to be given to all in Israel. For the sake of the nation folks prayed for the health and prosperity of the king. It is not always easy to pray for those in power, especially in representative forms of government. We expect the rulers, representatives, elected officials to do what we would like for them to do or we brand them as wrong even evil. There are probably not a lot of us who can say we have wholeheartedly supported the actions of the folks for whom we voted let alone the folks who were elected by a majority of which we were not a part.
We no longer see rulers, especially elected officials, as special agents of God. We can even have trouble seeing them as human beings who deserve the respect due any person. God continues to work through flawed human beings of every stripe and party giving us not what we deserve but what God wants for us. God continues to call us to deeper and wider relationships with people, even people with whom we disagree.
© March 22, 2010
Monday, March 15, 2010
Psalm Meditation 509
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 21, 2010
Psalm 47
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy.
2 For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm.
8 God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted.
(NRSV)
Many of us were trained to behave and take worship quietly and seriously. Where did that come from? In this psalm we are told to shout and clap and celebrate as we worship God. For those of us brought up in a more staid tradition it can be unnerving to participate in a service in which there is more celebration and conversation between the pastor, the people and God. It can also be contagious to recognize that sanctuaries will not fall on us if we find reason to celebrate and rejoice during and as a part of our worship.
This psalm is about a particular victory celebration, it is also about worship. Back in the 1960s and 70s good people were scandalized by the introduction of guitars into worship. And now people are attending worship in congregations with live bands. The pendulum continues to swing from noisy celebration to quiet conversation with God. Either one can be an effective way to worship if most of the folks in the congregation find themselves drawn closer into a relationship with God. Either one can be ineffective as it becomes a showcase for fashion or the skills of the worship leaders.
God is with us and watches over us. The presence of God is worth celebrating. Some folks choose to celebrate God’s presence with joyful noise. Other folks choose to celebrate God’s presence with a quiet dignity. The right way to celebrate God’s presence is the one that works for you. It may change from day to day and it may remain the same for a lifetime. The important thing is to find a way to an ever deeper relationship with God and give yourself wholeheartedly.
© March 15, 2010
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 21, 2010
Psalm 47
1 Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy.
2 For the LORD, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth.
3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet.
4 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah
5 God has gone up with a shout, the LORD with the sound of a trumpet.
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm.
8 God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne.
9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted.
(NRSV)
Many of us were trained to behave and take worship quietly and seriously. Where did that come from? In this psalm we are told to shout and clap and celebrate as we worship God. For those of us brought up in a more staid tradition it can be unnerving to participate in a service in which there is more celebration and conversation between the pastor, the people and God. It can also be contagious to recognize that sanctuaries will not fall on us if we find reason to celebrate and rejoice during and as a part of our worship.
This psalm is about a particular victory celebration, it is also about worship. Back in the 1960s and 70s good people were scandalized by the introduction of guitars into worship. And now people are attending worship in congregations with live bands. The pendulum continues to swing from noisy celebration to quiet conversation with God. Either one can be an effective way to worship if most of the folks in the congregation find themselves drawn closer into a relationship with God. Either one can be ineffective as it becomes a showcase for fashion or the skills of the worship leaders.
God is with us and watches over us. The presence of God is worth celebrating. Some folks choose to celebrate God’s presence with joyful noise. Other folks choose to celebrate God’s presence with a quiet dignity. The right way to celebrate God’s presence is the one that works for you. It may change from day to day and it may remain the same for a lifetime. The important thing is to find a way to an ever deeper relationship with God and give yourself wholeheartedly.
© March 15, 2010
Monday, March 8, 2010
Psalm Meditation 508
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 14, 2010
Psalm 22:1-11,26-31
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
8 "Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver-- let him rescue the one in whom he delights!"
9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother's breast.
10 On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD. May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
(NRSV)
I can’t seem to avoid verse 26 today. It seems to be one of the constants of ministry in particular is dealing with folks who come to us with a variety of needs only one of which is the need for food. The folks who come to the various church buildings looking for the resources with which to sustain life are invariably good, faithful Christian folk. If they are faithful and “The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD.” then why are they still hungry? I learned and continue to learn that it is not up to me to question the faith or faithfulness of the folks who come for help; it is up to me to help as I am able.
The hungry continue to be fed by churches and groups who take it as a part of their work to serve the poor. There are still hungry people, however there are fewer than there would be because of those who band together as people of faith to meet the needs of the poor and the hungry. The poor are fed because there are groups of folks who know that God calls us to feed the hungry and to care for those who cannot, and in some cases even those who will not, care for themselves. People of faith pool their resources to meet the needs of those who are continually set before us as those in need of the care and concern we have to offer.
God calls us to feed and comfort those in need. There is no request or requirement to make sure they are people of faith. It is our faith as much as theirs that is on the line when folks come to us in need. We certainly do well to make sure our systems are not being abused so that we can help the greatest number of people. Through it all there is a special place in God’s heart for the poor, the downtrodden, the outcast. As we are able to offer our stuff and ourselves to them we discover that the call to relationship with God includes those outside the circle of ‘nice’ people. We find ourselves enriched as we enlarge our circle of relationships to touch those who are especially loved of God.
© March 8, 2010
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 14, 2010
Psalm 22:1-11,26-31
1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest.
3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel.
4 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them.
5 To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame.
6 But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people.
7 All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads;
8 "Commit your cause to the LORD; let him deliver-- let him rescue the one in whom he delights!"
9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother's breast.
10 On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help.
26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD. May your hearts live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.
28 For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.
29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.
30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord,
31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.
(NRSV)
I can’t seem to avoid verse 26 today. It seems to be one of the constants of ministry in particular is dealing with folks who come to us with a variety of needs only one of which is the need for food. The folks who come to the various church buildings looking for the resources with which to sustain life are invariably good, faithful Christian folk. If they are faithful and “The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD.” then why are they still hungry? I learned and continue to learn that it is not up to me to question the faith or faithfulness of the folks who come for help; it is up to me to help as I am able.
The hungry continue to be fed by churches and groups who take it as a part of their work to serve the poor. There are still hungry people, however there are fewer than there would be because of those who band together as people of faith to meet the needs of the poor and the hungry. The poor are fed because there are groups of folks who know that God calls us to feed the hungry and to care for those who cannot, and in some cases even those who will not, care for themselves. People of faith pool their resources to meet the needs of those who are continually set before us as those in need of the care and concern we have to offer.
God calls us to feed and comfort those in need. There is no request or requirement to make sure they are people of faith. It is our faith as much as theirs that is on the line when folks come to us in need. We certainly do well to make sure our systems are not being abused so that we can help the greatest number of people. Through it all there is a special place in God’s heart for the poor, the downtrodden, the outcast. As we are able to offer our stuff and ourselves to them we discover that the call to relationship with God includes those outside the circle of ‘nice’ people. We find ourselves enriched as we enlarge our circle of relationships to touch those who are especially loved of God.
© March 8, 2010
Monday, March 1, 2010
Psalm Meditation 507
Third Sunday in Lent
March 7, 2010
Psalm 146
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
Depending on political party and nationality we each have a favorite leader who was well on the way to saving the nation and perhaps the world as this chosen one reached the end of that nearly divine term in office. And no matter who it is we have to ignore much of both their personal and political life in order to remember them so well. Many church folks have a particular pastor who means the world to them for one or more reasons. I was advised on more than one occasion that pastors grow six feet for every year they are gone and that it is a good idea to invite those saints back from time to time as a reminder of their true stature.
All this to say that as we put our trust in people we are going to be disappointed. It is also true that if we put our hopes in some future person who will make everything better we are going to find ourselves disappointed. No one person or group can fix all the problems faced by a single congregation let alone a nation or a world. Hard as it is, we do well to work together with our tensions and disagreements out in the open. Even that won’t solve or fix everything, however it does get us lots closer.
We do well to look to God for advice and counsel. God rarely reaches in to stir the pot, however God has been known to give each one of us gifts to be used in concert with the gifts of others in helpful ways. We can fight over every little thing or we can make the time and effort to listen to God and to each other for a helpful course of action. It may be that one side has it right this time and the other side gets it right another time. It may be that the answer is totally elsewhere and we simply need a moment to stop, look and listen just as we were taught in elementary school.
God loves us and wants what is best for us in all things. That does not mean that what we want is best or what God wants for us. Faithful living is not easy, however it seems to be worth the effort and may even end up being fun. “The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!”
© March 1, 2010
Third Sunday in Lent
March 7, 2010
Psalm 146
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!
2 I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.
3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help.
4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish.
5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD their God,
6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever;
7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD sets the prisoners free;
8 the LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.
9 The LORD watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
Depending on political party and nationality we each have a favorite leader who was well on the way to saving the nation and perhaps the world as this chosen one reached the end of that nearly divine term in office. And no matter who it is we have to ignore much of both their personal and political life in order to remember them so well. Many church folks have a particular pastor who means the world to them for one or more reasons. I was advised on more than one occasion that pastors grow six feet for every year they are gone and that it is a good idea to invite those saints back from time to time as a reminder of their true stature.
All this to say that as we put our trust in people we are going to be disappointed. It is also true that if we put our hopes in some future person who will make everything better we are going to find ourselves disappointed. No one person or group can fix all the problems faced by a single congregation let alone a nation or a world. Hard as it is, we do well to work together with our tensions and disagreements out in the open. Even that won’t solve or fix everything, however it does get us lots closer.
We do well to look to God for advice and counsel. God rarely reaches in to stir the pot, however God has been known to give each one of us gifts to be used in concert with the gifts of others in helpful ways. We can fight over every little thing or we can make the time and effort to listen to God and to each other for a helpful course of action. It may be that one side has it right this time and the other side gets it right another time. It may be that the answer is totally elsewhere and we simply need a moment to stop, look and listen just as we were taught in elementary school.
God loves us and wants what is best for us in all things. That does not mean that what we want is best or what God wants for us. Faithful living is not easy, however it seems to be worth the effort and may even end up being fun. “The LORD will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the LORD!”
© March 1, 2010
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