Psalm Meditation 572
Seventh Sunday of Easter
June 5, 2011
Psalm 9
1 I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and exult in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High.
3 When my enemies turned back, they stumbled and perished before you.
4 For you have maintained my just cause; you have sat on the throne giving righteous judgment.
5 You have rebuked the nations, you have destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 The enemies have vanished in everlasting ruins; their cities you have rooted out; the very memory of them has perished.
7 But the LORD sits enthroned forever, he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He judges the world with righteousness; he judges the peoples with equity.
9 The LORD is a stronghold for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O LORD, have not forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion. Declare his deeds among the peoples.
12 For he who avenges blood is mindful of them; he does not forget the cry of the afflicted.
13 Be gracious to me, O LORD. See what I suffer from those who hate me; you are the one who lifts me up from the gates of death,
14 so that I may recount all your praises, and, in the gates of daughter Zion, rejoice in your deliverance.
15 The nations have sunk in the pit that they made; in the net that they hid has their own foot been caught.
16 The LORD has made himself known, he has executed judgment; the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands. Higgaion. Selah
17 The wicked shall depart to Sheol, all the nations that forget God.
18 For the needy shall not always be forgotten, nor the hope of the poor perish forever.
19 Rise up, O LORD! Do not let mortals prevail; let the nations be judged before you.
20 Put them in fear, O LORD; let the nations know that they are only human. Selah
(NRSV)
There is tremendous comfort in knowing we are not alone in almost any circumstance. To know that there are those who agree with us, who share our joy as well as our pain, who stand with us in the face of unrelenting forces, who call us to account, can be a great source of peace for us. There is a sense of trepidation in cases in which we may feel ourselves called to be that source of comfort and peace for those who do not have the power to speak for themselves. God leans toward those who are oppressed and invites us to do what we can to ease the oppression they feel.
We do go about remembering the needy in different ways. Some want to pull everyone up from the top of the economy while others work to a middle ground for all and still others work to push the most needy up to a level that allows them to meet their own needs. The important part is to give hope to those who have no hope and to serve to remind ourselves and others that God wants each of us to have a sense of abundance in our lives that is based in relationship rather than in stuff.
In all of this we are not alone. We are surrounded by those who have more and those who have less than we have ourselves. Even when we get to the point of the needy being remembered and the poor having hope there will be those who have more and those who have less in any number of categories. The psalmist invites us to lean toward remembrance and hope for each other and to move in the ways that lead us, each and all, closer to the ways of God.
May 30, 2011
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 23, 2011
Psalm Meditation 571
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 29, 2011
Psalm 128
1 Happy is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
4 Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 May you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!
(NRSV)
It has not been that long ago that a large family was very important. Children gave the family a dependable work force in the family business and having many children was a guarantee that at least some would live to maturity to carry on the family name and business. With industrialization most of us don’t own or operate our workplace so we have less stake in the survival of the business. With advances in medicine as well as an awareness of global population figures the reasons to have large families are also less compelling.
The psalm continues to speak to us. We continue to enjoy the fruit of our labor in a lot of ways. In a depressed and depressing economy we may not get the financial rewards we had hoped, however we continue to take pride in the work we are able to do. Some are able to continue doing the work they did in a booming economy even though they may have less money to show for that same work. Others have found new areas of labor and some struggle to find a place with any reward in this troubled time. Hopefully, each of us can find something that gives meaning to our lives.
When rewards for work are scarce it may also be more difficult to find joy in family. There are so many extra worries when money and other resources are stretched tight. As we struggle, it is possible to find a haven in the bonds of family. As we are able to look for ways that God’s blessings touch us we can see that love of God and family can help us through even the worst of times; especially the ones that try all our resources.
God is with us and does make our burdens lighter by that holy presence. As the economy improves we may find that we can continue to do with fewer things so that we are better able to keep the joy we discovered in the company of God and each other in the rich relationship of faith and trust.
May 23, 2011
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 29, 2011
Psalm 128
1 Happy is everyone who fears the LORD, who walks in his ways.
2 You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you.
3 Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.
4 Thus shall the man be blessed who fears the LORD.
5 The LORD bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
6 May you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!
(NRSV)
It has not been that long ago that a large family was very important. Children gave the family a dependable work force in the family business and having many children was a guarantee that at least some would live to maturity to carry on the family name and business. With industrialization most of us don’t own or operate our workplace so we have less stake in the survival of the business. With advances in medicine as well as an awareness of global population figures the reasons to have large families are also less compelling.
The psalm continues to speak to us. We continue to enjoy the fruit of our labor in a lot of ways. In a depressed and depressing economy we may not get the financial rewards we had hoped, however we continue to take pride in the work we are able to do. Some are able to continue doing the work they did in a booming economy even though they may have less money to show for that same work. Others have found new areas of labor and some struggle to find a place with any reward in this troubled time. Hopefully, each of us can find something that gives meaning to our lives.
When rewards for work are scarce it may also be more difficult to find joy in family. There are so many extra worries when money and other resources are stretched tight. As we struggle, it is possible to find a haven in the bonds of family. As we are able to look for ways that God’s blessings touch us we can see that love of God and family can help us through even the worst of times; especially the ones that try all our resources.
God is with us and does make our burdens lighter by that holy presence. As the economy improves we may find that we can continue to do with fewer things so that we are better able to keep the joy we discovered in the company of God and each other in the rich relationship of faith and trust.
May 23, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Psalm Meditation 570
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 22, 2011
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)
Other places in scripture it says the day of judgment is going to be a rough day. The psalmist sees it as a party. The psalm itself appears to be celebrating a military victory of some kind and the psalmist may well be looking to God’s final victory as a very similar day of jubilation. Is the day of judgment going to be a good people on one side and the bad people on the other or is God more subtle than that? It is entirely possible that each one of us will be found with good and bad stirred up together in our motives and actions in every aspect of our lives.
So who wins? Does God base our salvation on a balance sheet of good and bad actions with a small tip of the scale based on whether our motives were good or bad over and against what actually came of those motives? Good action that sprung from bad motives will be slightly weighted to the bad side of the balance. Bad action that came out well will be weighted to the good side. At the end we see where the balance needle ends up and that is our final judgment. That would be fine if we believe that our actions determine whether we win or lose. Can we do enough to earn salvation?
I am pretty sure that it will be intimidating to stand before God, knowing it is judgment day. It will likely go hardest for those of us who believe we have to prove ourselves worthy of the saving love of God. I believe that the love of God will tip the balance toward the side of celebration. Does God’s love give us each a free pass? Either way is possible. It does seem that the more readily we place ourselves within the bounds of God’s love right now that more likely it is that we will receive and appreciate the love of God each time we are in a position to accept it.
May 16, 2011
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 22, 2011
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)
Other places in scripture it says the day of judgment is going to be a rough day. The psalmist sees it as a party. The psalm itself appears to be celebrating a military victory of some kind and the psalmist may well be looking to God’s final victory as a very similar day of jubilation. Is the day of judgment going to be a good people on one side and the bad people on the other or is God more subtle than that? It is entirely possible that each one of us will be found with good and bad stirred up together in our motives and actions in every aspect of our lives.
So who wins? Does God base our salvation on a balance sheet of good and bad actions with a small tip of the scale based on whether our motives were good or bad over and against what actually came of those motives? Good action that sprung from bad motives will be slightly weighted to the bad side of the balance. Bad action that came out well will be weighted to the good side. At the end we see where the balance needle ends up and that is our final judgment. That would be fine if we believe that our actions determine whether we win or lose. Can we do enough to earn salvation?
I am pretty sure that it will be intimidating to stand before God, knowing it is judgment day. It will likely go hardest for those of us who believe we have to prove ourselves worthy of the saving love of God. I believe that the love of God will tip the balance toward the side of celebration. Does God’s love give us each a free pass? Either way is possible. It does seem that the more readily we place ourselves within the bounds of God’s love right now that more likely it is that we will receive and appreciate the love of God each time we are in a position to accept it.
May 16, 2011
Monday, May 9, 2011
Psalm Meditation 569
Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 15, 2011
Psalm 68:1-10,32-35
1 Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee before him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, let the wicked perish before God.
3 But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds -- his name is the LORD-- be exultant before him.
5 Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
6 God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land.
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.
32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens; listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel; and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel; he gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
(NRSV)
This psalm of victory has great imagery of bloody battle and celebration of the defeat of one’s foes, however that is not what caught my imagination for today. I am much more taken by the community images for the people of God. While it is right to give God credit for protecting widows and orphans, giving the desolate a home and leading prisoners to prosperity these things are accomplished through the people of God. While the majority of the psalm celebrates victory in battle I am much more taken by the victories over the obstacles of daily living.
It is up to the people of God to look out for widows and orphans, to give a home to the desolate and the freedom of prosperity to the prisoners. The most important way we do that is to welcome them into our faith communities as children of God first and foremost. There are certainly specific needs for the categories of widow, orphan, desolated and prisoner however we meet those needs for individual children of God.
One of the strengths of a community is the number of folks with something in common. The power of numbers makes it so much easier to get things done as folks work together toward a common goal. Another strength of a community is the variety of individuals with their particular strengths and needs meshing with the needs and strengths of those inside and outside of the community. God invites us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves as a part of a particular community, the family of God.
May 9, 2011
Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 15, 2011
Psalm 68:1-10,32-35
1 Let God rise up, let his enemies be scattered; let those who hate him flee before him.
2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away; as wax melts before the fire, let the wicked perish before God.
3 But let the righteous be joyful; let them exult before God; let them be jubilant with joy.
4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name; lift up a song to him who rides upon the clouds -- his name is the LORD-- be exultant before him.
5 Father of orphans and protector of widows is God in his holy habitation.
6 God gives the desolate a home to live in; he leads out the prisoners to prosperity, but the rebellious live in a parched land.
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.
32 Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth; sing praises to the Lord, Selah
33 O rider in the heavens, the ancient heavens; listen, he sends out his voice, his mighty voice.
34 Ascribe power to God, whose majesty is over Israel; and whose power is in the skies.
35 Awesome is God in his sanctuary, the God of Israel; he gives power and strength to his people. Blessed be God!
(NRSV)
This psalm of victory has great imagery of bloody battle and celebration of the defeat of one’s foes, however that is not what caught my imagination for today. I am much more taken by the community images for the people of God. While it is right to give God credit for protecting widows and orphans, giving the desolate a home and leading prisoners to prosperity these things are accomplished through the people of God. While the majority of the psalm celebrates victory in battle I am much more taken by the victories over the obstacles of daily living.
It is up to the people of God to look out for widows and orphans, to give a home to the desolate and the freedom of prosperity to the prisoners. The most important way we do that is to welcome them into our faith communities as children of God first and foremost. There are certainly specific needs for the categories of widow, orphan, desolated and prisoner however we meet those needs for individual children of God.
One of the strengths of a community is the number of folks with something in common. The power of numbers makes it so much easier to get things done as folks work together toward a common goal. Another strength of a community is the variety of individuals with their particular strengths and needs meshing with the needs and strengths of those inside and outside of the community. God invites us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves as a part of a particular community, the family of God.
May 9, 2011
Monday, May 2, 2011
Psalm Meditation 568
Third Sunday of Easter
May 8, 2011
Psalm 38
1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath.
2 For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.
5 My wounds grow foul and fester because of my foolishness;
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all day long I go around mourning.
7 For my loins are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am utterly spent and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9 O Lord, all my longing is known to you; my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes--it also has gone from me.
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction, and my neighbors stand far off.
12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin, and meditate treachery all day long.
13 But I am like the deaf, I do not hear; like the mute, who cannot speak.
14 Truly, I am like one who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no retort.
15 But it is for you, O LORD, that I wait; it is you, O LORD my God, who will answer.
16 For I pray, "Only do not let them rejoice over me, those who boast against me when my foot slips."
17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.
19 Those who are my foes without cause are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20 Those who render me evil for good are my adversaries because I follow after good.
21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me;
22 make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
(NRSV)
Verse 5 jumped out at me quickly. Through my years in ministry I have noticed that church people in particular don’t like to admit to being hurt or wounded in body mind or spirit. Our perfectionism will not let us admit that anything is wrong so we simply cover our wounds and anticipate that they will go away on their own. Some do go away, many don’t. Even when they are gross and painful we simply cover them with larger bandages so that we don’t have to see or acknowledge our woundedness.
Sometimes people come along and pull off those bandages without our permission. They expose our wounds as well as our foolishness when it comes to wound care. Rather than take steps to deal with our wounds we blame the one who exposed the wound as if that one were the cause of the wound in the first place. In a sense we compound the wound by wanting to lay blame rather than wanting to seek care and cure.
And God continues to send us healing through divine presence and through the presence of others who love us and care for us. God reminds us that sometimes the folks we feel are out to get us are the ones who love us the most. They desire our healing and are taking the sometimes painful steps to accomplish that wholeness in our lives. God does not forsake us even when God steps back to allow us to discover our own skills and strengths.
May 2, 2011
Third Sunday of Easter
May 8, 2011
Psalm 38
1 O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath.
2 For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me.
3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin.
4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.
5 My wounds grow foul and fester because of my foolishness;
6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all day long I go around mourning.
7 For my loins are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh.
8 I am utterly spent and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart.
9 O Lord, all my longing is known to you; my sighing is not hidden from you.
10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes--it also has gone from me.
11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction, and my neighbors stand far off.
12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin, and meditate treachery all day long.
13 But I am like the deaf, I do not hear; like the mute, who cannot speak.
14 Truly, I am like one who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no retort.
15 But it is for you, O LORD, that I wait; it is you, O LORD my God, who will answer.
16 For I pray, "Only do not let them rejoice over me, those who boast against me when my foot slips."
17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me.
18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.
19 Those who are my foes without cause are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully.
20 Those who render me evil for good are my adversaries because I follow after good.
21 Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me;
22 make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation.
(NRSV)
Verse 5 jumped out at me quickly. Through my years in ministry I have noticed that church people in particular don’t like to admit to being hurt or wounded in body mind or spirit. Our perfectionism will not let us admit that anything is wrong so we simply cover our wounds and anticipate that they will go away on their own. Some do go away, many don’t. Even when they are gross and painful we simply cover them with larger bandages so that we don’t have to see or acknowledge our woundedness.
Sometimes people come along and pull off those bandages without our permission. They expose our wounds as well as our foolishness when it comes to wound care. Rather than take steps to deal with our wounds we blame the one who exposed the wound as if that one were the cause of the wound in the first place. In a sense we compound the wound by wanting to lay blame rather than wanting to seek care and cure.
And God continues to send us healing through divine presence and through the presence of others who love us and care for us. God reminds us that sometimes the folks we feel are out to get us are the ones who love us the most. They desire our healing and are taking the sometimes painful steps to accomplish that wholeness in our lives. God does not forsake us even when God steps back to allow us to discover our own skills and strengths.
May 2, 2011
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