Psalm Meditation 541
Twenty third Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 31, 2010
Psalm 122
1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem--built as a city that is bound firmly together.
4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers."
8 For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
(NRSV)
This psalm celebrates the arrival in Jerusalem of a band of pilgrims. There was an expectation that as many as were able would go to Jerusalem for this annual feast. Jerusalem is the home of the Temple and the center of the faith. In one sense it is a homecoming even for those who attend for the first time.
Each of us has a space, a place that feels like home for us. It may be our actual residence, the house in which we grew up, the place where a parent or parents live or a place that feels comfortable each time we go. There may be a family connection or it may be a feeling of comfort and wholeness that gives a sense of peace as we arrive or even as we bring the place to mind. My sense is that in some form or another God is in these places for us.
In one sense this home remains unchanged even though things are different each time we go. At its core the home-ness of it remains even though the physical characteristics change. Much like the essential God-ness of God is a constant even as God continually changes methods and forms of relating to us.
© October 25, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Psalm Meditation 540
Twenty second Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 24, 2010
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)
I know people who have made the choice to remain faithful and those who have chosen to let faith and other things go as they aged. It becomes obvious when someone says that they have already done a particular act of service and that it is time for the younger ones to step up. Yes, in some cases it does take a younger stronger person to do some particular task; those are not the ones I am troubled to hear. It is in the projects in which there are multiple levels of activity needed and they don’t want to do any of them. They seem to be no longer invested in any part of the project.
At the other end are the folks who put people half their age to shame with the variety and intensity of activity around congregation and home. These folks have made the choice to be actively engaged in life for as long as they are even remotely able. Their faithfulness of spirit is evident in their investment in the people around them. They thrive on the activity as well as the fellowship that goes into many a congregational project. Their lives are a testimony to their sense of gratitude to God for the gift of life and all it offers.
The task is not so much to decide what another person’s motives might be as it is to invest ourselves as thankfully and faithfully as possible into the work of God in the congregation and the rest of the world. The reward comes as much from having invested a bit of oneself as from any success of the project itself. It is good to give thanks to God and to sing God’s praises. It is good to live out our thanks and praise in strong, deep relationships that lead us and others deeper into the steadfast love of God.
© October 18, 2010
Twenty second Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 24, 2010
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)
I know people who have made the choice to remain faithful and those who have chosen to let faith and other things go as they aged. It becomes obvious when someone says that they have already done a particular act of service and that it is time for the younger ones to step up. Yes, in some cases it does take a younger stronger person to do some particular task; those are not the ones I am troubled to hear. It is in the projects in which there are multiple levels of activity needed and they don’t want to do any of them. They seem to be no longer invested in any part of the project.
At the other end are the folks who put people half their age to shame with the variety and intensity of activity around congregation and home. These folks have made the choice to be actively engaged in life for as long as they are even remotely able. Their faithfulness of spirit is evident in their investment in the people around them. They thrive on the activity as well as the fellowship that goes into many a congregational project. Their lives are a testimony to their sense of gratitude to God for the gift of life and all it offers.
The task is not so much to decide what another person’s motives might be as it is to invest ourselves as thankfully and faithfully as possible into the work of God in the congregation and the rest of the world. The reward comes as much from having invested a bit of oneself as from any success of the project itself. It is good to give thanks to God and to sing God’s praises. It is good to live out our thanks and praise in strong, deep relationships that lead us and others deeper into the steadfast love of God.
© October 18, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Psalm Meditation 539
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Tim
October 17, 2010
Psalm 62
1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken. 3 How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence. They take pleasure in falsehood; they bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. (Selah)
5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. (Selah)
9 Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.
(NRSV)
When we come right down to it, what do we really have in our lives besides relationships? We start with a relationship with ourselves. For some it is a good relationship as we think of ourselves pretty much as we are. For others we have a warped relationship with ourselves; giving ourselves too much or too little credit for who we are and we can do in the world. We have relationships with other people and with the things around us. We have a relationship with God in some form. The psalmist reminds us that we do well to work on our relationship with God because that is the one that will outlast all the others.
If people turn on us we can continue to count on God to be present with us. If we get caught up in the pursuit of stuff we will eventually lose it all and God will be there with us in our poverty. When it seem that the world is not fair God is there as we pick ourselves up and go on with what we have. Whatever happens in our lives God is the one who is right there with us. We can relish that relationship, we can ignore it or we can actively stand against God; and in each case God is with us.
God draws us into relationships with folks we would not have chosen if we ran our lives the way we sometimes think we do. We get thrown in with family and co-workers and congregation members with whom we have little in common and we wonder what we are doing with these people. And then somehow we discover that we have a bond with someone or maybe a few someones that makes all the rest of the group a cherished part of our lives. Our lives rest in God and that is good.
© October 11, 2010
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Tim
October 17, 2010
Psalm 62
1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken. 3 How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence. They take pleasure in falsehood; they bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. (Selah)
5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. (Selah)
9 Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.
(NRSV)
When we come right down to it, what do we really have in our lives besides relationships? We start with a relationship with ourselves. For some it is a good relationship as we think of ourselves pretty much as we are. For others we have a warped relationship with ourselves; giving ourselves too much or too little credit for who we are and we can do in the world. We have relationships with other people and with the things around us. We have a relationship with God in some form. The psalmist reminds us that we do well to work on our relationship with God because that is the one that will outlast all the others.
If people turn on us we can continue to count on God to be present with us. If we get caught up in the pursuit of stuff we will eventually lose it all and God will be there with us in our poverty. When it seem that the world is not fair God is there as we pick ourselves up and go on with what we have. Whatever happens in our lives God is the one who is right there with us. We can relish that relationship, we can ignore it or we can actively stand against God; and in each case God is with us.
God draws us into relationships with folks we would not have chosen if we ran our lives the way we sometimes think we do. We get thrown in with family and co-workers and congregation members with whom we have little in common and we wonder what we are doing with these people. And then somehow we discover that we have a bond with someone or maybe a few someones that makes all the rest of the group a cherished part of our lives. Our lives rest in God and that is good.
© October 11, 2010
Monday, October 4, 2010
Psalm Meditation 538
Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 10, 2010
Psalm 32
1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
(NRSV)
I have been told, and have found it to be true that all shame is based in secrets. When we tell our secrets we have nothing to be ashamed of. The psalmist seems to have discovered this as well. As long as nothing was said the psalmist wasted away from the weight of the secret being kept and the fear of being discovered. Once the sin is acknowledged and confessed the burden is lifted and a new and deeper sense of peace is discovered.
Confession also brings support. The support can come from some surprising people and places. Through confession of faults, failings and foibles we discover that we are not the only ones who have ever had to deal with this particular situation. In some cases we discover that people we look up to and respect have dealt with similar situations. There will still be consequences to face in each and every situation; they do not magically disappear due to our confession.
When we no longer have a barrier between us and God we can more readily receive the steadfast love God offers to us. Without having to worry about protecting ourselves and our secrets from God we become more open to the instruction God offers in daily living. We no longer feel confined by our secrets and are free to deepen our relationship with God and with those around us.
© October 4, 2010
Fifteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 10, 2010
Psalm 32
1 Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
2 Happy are those to whom the LORD imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3 While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long.
4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. Selah
5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, "I will confess my transgressions to the LORD," and you forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah
6 Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress, the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
7 You are a hiding place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
8 I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you.
9 Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.
10 Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the LORD.
11 Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
(NRSV)
I have been told, and have found it to be true that all shame is based in secrets. When we tell our secrets we have nothing to be ashamed of. The psalmist seems to have discovered this as well. As long as nothing was said the psalmist wasted away from the weight of the secret being kept and the fear of being discovered. Once the sin is acknowledged and confessed the burden is lifted and a new and deeper sense of peace is discovered.
Confession also brings support. The support can come from some surprising people and places. Through confession of faults, failings and foibles we discover that we are not the only ones who have ever had to deal with this particular situation. In some cases we discover that people we look up to and respect have dealt with similar situations. There will still be consequences to face in each and every situation; they do not magically disappear due to our confession.
When we no longer have a barrier between us and God we can more readily receive the steadfast love God offers to us. Without having to worry about protecting ourselves and our secrets from God we become more open to the instruction God offers in daily living. We no longer feel confined by our secrets and are free to deepen our relationship with God and with those around us.
© October 4, 2010
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