Psalm Meditation 519
Trinity Sunday
May 30, 2010
Psalm 148
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike, old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
What would happen if we actually expressed the praise we feel bubbling up within us? I suppose we might sing or dance or laugh or cavort in ‘unseemly’ ways. And I wonder when it happened that began to see expressions of joy and praise as unseemly. When did we have it decided for us that anything that looks like celebration is a bad thing. The National Football League has even banned excessive celebration as ‘unsportsmanlike conduct.’ Yes, an in-your-face-I’m-better-than-you-are celebration is rude and unsportsmanlike. At the same time, most football players are really still kids with youthful enthusiasm. Is it possible to teach folks not to be nasty to each other rather than to say it is not nice to celebrate your accomplishments.?
All that to ask again, what would happen if we actually expressed the praise we feel bubbling up within us? We might actually be calmer, less prone to violence if we could burn off all of our excitement in praise instead of holding in every adrenaline based event until it explodes in an act of anger and violence. We might discover that dancing and laughing with gusto are not actually tools of the devil so much as they are expressions of vulnerability in the presence of the numinous, the holy. Some other emotional states that involve vulnerability might regain some of their respectability as gifts of God if we could see them as vehicles of praise rather than seeing them only as unseemly.
I don’t really expect any of us to begin using our bodies as vehicles of praise in worship this week. I do hope that some of us might be a bit less self conscious in our expressions of praise and that we might be a bit less judgmental around those who can and do use their bodies in giving praise to God. Some of us who are reluctant even to lift our hands as an act of worship might experiment in the privacy of our own homes. And those who will jump up and down and yell and scream as we watch a sporting event might wonder to ourselves what it would be like to express our praise to God in some like manner. And those of us who would rather take a beating than express any emotion with any more than a smile, a nod and maybe a wave, could go into the most private place we can find and raise a hand as if we were waiting to be called on in school just to see what it might feel like to praise God with reckless abandon.
© May 24, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Psalm Meditation 518
Pentecost Sunday
May 23, 2010
Psalm 123
1 To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.
(NRSV)
For most of us this psalm is not so much about us as against us. We are the folk mentioned in the last verse, the ones who are at ease heaping scorn and contempt on others. We don’t see ourselves as people of privilege because there are others who have more stuff who are more than willing to heap scorn and contempt on us. So, we are caught in the middle. I imagine there are folk working around us in near anonymity; folks we see and don’t know. At our worst we have gotten to the point of ignoring them. We notice more when they are not there than when they are.
Even the folks who make the effort to know the folks who work around them on a daily basis can’t know all the folk who do the vital services we tend to take for granted. The good thing is that some of the folks who do those dirty jobs take great pride in their work and know that going home tired dirty and under appreciated is a gift they give to those of us who don’t have those jobs and tasks.
Every now and then it is good for us to take a step back from our lives and see what kinds of tasks we know someone else does so that we are free to do things that may be more impressive but are not any more important. Wait for a sanitation workers strike to see how important it is to have regular trash pick up. Wait for a hotel workers strike to see how important it is to have a clean room when we check in. Wait for a day when the kitchen help at your favorite restaurant is too busy to washes dishes before using them to cook and serve your meal. Look to the workers in mines and fields who work for substandard wages so that we can have affordable, often cheap, prices. Take a moment to notice some of the tasks that usually go unnoticed. If it is not practical or possible to thank some of the folks who do those tasks take a moment to thank God for those people and to ask for forgiveness for all the times those folk have been heaped with scorn and contempt.
© May 17, 2010
Pentecost Sunday
May 23, 2010
Psalm 123
1 To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.
(NRSV)
For most of us this psalm is not so much about us as against us. We are the folk mentioned in the last verse, the ones who are at ease heaping scorn and contempt on others. We don’t see ourselves as people of privilege because there are others who have more stuff who are more than willing to heap scorn and contempt on us. So, we are caught in the middle. I imagine there are folk working around us in near anonymity; folks we see and don’t know. At our worst we have gotten to the point of ignoring them. We notice more when they are not there than when they are.
Even the folks who make the effort to know the folks who work around them on a daily basis can’t know all the folk who do the vital services we tend to take for granted. The good thing is that some of the folks who do those dirty jobs take great pride in their work and know that going home tired dirty and under appreciated is a gift they give to those of us who don’t have those jobs and tasks.
Every now and then it is good for us to take a step back from our lives and see what kinds of tasks we know someone else does so that we are free to do things that may be more impressive but are not any more important. Wait for a sanitation workers strike to see how important it is to have regular trash pick up. Wait for a hotel workers strike to see how important it is to have a clean room when we check in. Wait for a day when the kitchen help at your favorite restaurant is too busy to washes dishes before using them to cook and serve your meal. Look to the workers in mines and fields who work for substandard wages so that we can have affordable, often cheap, prices. Take a moment to notice some of the tasks that usually go unnoticed. If it is not practical or possible to thank some of the folks who do those tasks take a moment to thank God for those people and to ask for forgiveness for all the times those folk have been heaped with scorn and contempt.
© May 17, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Psalm Meditation 517
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 16, 2010
Psalm 98
1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
(NRSV)
In every generation there have been folks who know that the world is going to the dogs and that we are a short span from total destruction due to our sin and wickedness, but especially the sin and wickedness of those other folk who are way worse than we are at living out the will of God. I can see the point even as I disagree with it. I see most of us making long slow progress toward God and each other on many fronts.
At either extreme and at the points between on the scale of the world going to the dogs or to God we can recite this Psalm as we end each day relatively unscathed. If the world is an evil place then God is victorious each time the people of God get through the day with our lives more or less intact. If the world is making long slow progress toward the will of God we can see each day as a new victory for God and the people of God as we get better at living out and spreading deep peace to the people in our circle of influence.
God may be in every military victory we celebrate. God is certainly in the smaller victories in which we make the choice toward fulfilling relationships with God and with each other. As we celebrate victories of steadfast love and faithfulness over hate and greed we will find ourselves singing a new song to and about the living God. It will be a communal song of victory over evil tendencies rather than victory over folks we see as evil. We will celebrate together with music and perhaps a dance.
© May 10, 2010
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 16, 2010
Psalm 98
1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
(NRSV)
In every generation there have been folks who know that the world is going to the dogs and that we are a short span from total destruction due to our sin and wickedness, but especially the sin and wickedness of those other folk who are way worse than we are at living out the will of God. I can see the point even as I disagree with it. I see most of us making long slow progress toward God and each other on many fronts.
At either extreme and at the points between on the scale of the world going to the dogs or to God we can recite this Psalm as we end each day relatively unscathed. If the world is an evil place then God is victorious each time the people of God get through the day with our lives more or less intact. If the world is making long slow progress toward the will of God we can see each day as a new victory for God and the people of God as we get better at living out and spreading deep peace to the people in our circle of influence.
God may be in every military victory we celebrate. God is certainly in the smaller victories in which we make the choice toward fulfilling relationships with God and with each other. As we celebrate victories of steadfast love and faithfulness over hate and greed we will find ourselves singing a new song to and about the living God. It will be a communal song of victory over evil tendencies rather than victory over folks we see as evil. We will celebrate together with music and perhaps a dance.
© May 10, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Psalm Meditation 516
Sixth Sunday of Easter / Festival of the Christian Home
May 9, 2010
Psalm 73:1-17,25-28
1 Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth.
10 Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12 Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued, and am punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will talk on in this way," I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, to tell of all your works.
(NRSV)
In our fantasies many of us have more than enough money to do all the things we want to do and we have it all without sacrificing any part of who we currently are. The psalmist reminds us that the changes we will go through as we approach this fantasy begin with envy of those who have all the resources we would like to have for ourselves. In order to make fantasy reality we have to make choices and sacrifices other than the ones we make on a daily basis. We also have to put on a different set of blinders that keep us from seeing that the people we aspire to be also have pains and troubles even though they are very different from the ones with which we deal regularly.
No matter who we are and what we do there are things we do that are simply a part of who we are even though to others they seem to be amazing sacrifices. Many years ago I wished out loud that I had a million dollars. My father went through a brief list of worries, frets and fears that would be mine if I had that kind of money. I still think I would like to try it for awhile though it did make me aware that just because someone does not share my worries and concerns does not mean they have none. I do without millions so that I can enjoy the freedom from worrying about how to protect and preserve those millions.
As people of God we make choices with others in mind. We do without so that others are able to have a little. We go to worship even though there are other pressing matters, including the desire for rest and sleep that call to us as we get ready and go. We make choices that seem to be a waste of time and energy in order to make a difference in the life of folks unknown. We risk life and health because we have heard and responded to an invitation from God to serve others in some form as a way to be drawn ever nearer to God.
© May 3, 2010
Sixth Sunday of Easter / Festival of the Christian Home
May 9, 2010
Psalm 73:1-17,25-28
1 Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth.
10 Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12 Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued, and am punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will talk on in this way," I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, to tell of all your works.
(NRSV)
In our fantasies many of us have more than enough money to do all the things we want to do and we have it all without sacrificing any part of who we currently are. The psalmist reminds us that the changes we will go through as we approach this fantasy begin with envy of those who have all the resources we would like to have for ourselves. In order to make fantasy reality we have to make choices and sacrifices other than the ones we make on a daily basis. We also have to put on a different set of blinders that keep us from seeing that the people we aspire to be also have pains and troubles even though they are very different from the ones with which we deal regularly.
No matter who we are and what we do there are things we do that are simply a part of who we are even though to others they seem to be amazing sacrifices. Many years ago I wished out loud that I had a million dollars. My father went through a brief list of worries, frets and fears that would be mine if I had that kind of money. I still think I would like to try it for awhile though it did make me aware that just because someone does not share my worries and concerns does not mean they have none. I do without millions so that I can enjoy the freedom from worrying about how to protect and preserve those millions.
As people of God we make choices with others in mind. We do without so that others are able to have a little. We go to worship even though there are other pressing matters, including the desire for rest and sleep that call to us as we get ready and go. We make choices that seem to be a waste of time and energy in order to make a difference in the life of folks unknown. We risk life and health because we have heard and responded to an invitation from God to serve others in some form as a way to be drawn ever nearer to God.
© May 3, 2010
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