Psalm Meditation 602
First Sunday After Christmas
January 1, 2012
Psalm 15
1 O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?
2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;
3 who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
4 in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
5 who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.
(NRSV)
For such a short psalm, this one packs a pretty big punch. As I read it, no one gets in since each of us has done one or more of these things at least once. Even worse for us, when we do these things we find a way to justify it to ourselves so that we can proclaim ourselves innocent of the very sins that drive us nuts in others. I have noticed that some of those who get upset about other people gossiping can hold their own pretty well when the conversation turns to someone they know.
So if no one can abide in the tent of the Lord, how is it that so many of us believe that we are already at the doorstep waiting our turn to go in? For me, the answer lies not in our deserving so much as in God’s love for us. In Hebrew the word for that steadfast love is chesed. Christians are more familiar with the Greek word, grace. Through God’s love for us more than anything we have done to deserve it we will find a place in the tent of our God.
As we make resolutions to be better people at the beginning of the year, or any other time we make those kinds of resolutions, we can convince ourselves that we can, by our own effort, be the kind of people with whom God wants to be seen. Or we can put ourselves into the gracious hands of God recognizing that we cannot do enough to earn God’s favor. Through God’s steadfast, welcoming love we are given a place in God’s tent.
© December 26, 2011
Monday, December 26, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
Psalm Meditation 601
Christmas
December 25, 2011
Psalm 134
1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.
(NRSV)
Early in the history of God’s people we decided that wealth was a sign of blessing from God. While we are that wealth is not always a blessing and that not all who are wealthy have been blessed by God, there is a persistent sense that God rewards based on our actions in the world. This psalm seems to buy into that mindset as well. It appears to be set up in what is called a logical syllogism, a major point, a minor point and a conclusion usually phrased in “if...then” format. ‘If we bless the Lord, If we lift our hands in the holy places, then God will bless us from Zion.’ The good thing for us is that syllogisms aren’t always right even when they follow proper form.
God blesses us as God chooses and not by our merits. We don’t earn God’s love, we receive it. As in our human relationships, we can’t make someone love us. We can be kind and lovable as we possibly can and it is still up to the other to love us or not. We can be as cruel and hateful as possible and there may still be those who will find something lovable in us. Love is an emotion and it is always a choice. We can’t do enough to earn God’s love, including standing up to bless God constantly throughout the day, we can only receive or reject the love God sends our way.
We bless God because God has already blessed us rather than to get God to bless us. As we bless God we may find ourselves more open and receptive to the blessings God sends our way as we find ourselves in a deepening relationship with God. It is always God who acts first. Our actions in our relationship with God are reactions to the love, blessing and prodding God sends our way.
A very merry Christmas to all with thanks and love.
Cameron
© December 19, 2010
Christmas
December 25, 2011
Psalm 134
1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord!
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.
(NRSV)
Early in the history of God’s people we decided that wealth was a sign of blessing from God. While we are that wealth is not always a blessing and that not all who are wealthy have been blessed by God, there is a persistent sense that God rewards based on our actions in the world. This psalm seems to buy into that mindset as well. It appears to be set up in what is called a logical syllogism, a major point, a minor point and a conclusion usually phrased in “if...then” format. ‘If we bless the Lord, If we lift our hands in the holy places, then God will bless us from Zion.’ The good thing for us is that syllogisms aren’t always right even when they follow proper form.
God blesses us as God chooses and not by our merits. We don’t earn God’s love, we receive it. As in our human relationships, we can’t make someone love us. We can be kind and lovable as we possibly can and it is still up to the other to love us or not. We can be as cruel and hateful as possible and there may still be those who will find something lovable in us. Love is an emotion and it is always a choice. We can’t do enough to earn God’s love, including standing up to bless God constantly throughout the day, we can only receive or reject the love God sends our way.
We bless God because God has already blessed us rather than to get God to bless us. As we bless God we may find ourselves more open and receptive to the blessings God sends our way as we find ourselves in a deepening relationship with God. It is always God who acts first. Our actions in our relationship with God are reactions to the love, blessing and prodding God sends our way.
A very merry Christmas to all with thanks and love.
Cameron
© December 19, 2010
Monday, December 12, 2011
Psalm Meditation 600
Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 18, 2011
Psalm 104:1-11,24,29-35
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
3 you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind,
4 you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers.
5 You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken.
6 You cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.
8 They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys to the place that you appointed for them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.
10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills,
11 giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst.
24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works—
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)
This psalm celebrates both the creativity and providence of God. God is praised for having made all that is, and then praised for the ways God sees fit to provide for each part of creation. While I left out, for space considerations, many of the parts of creation mentioned by the psalmist I commend the whole psalm as it celebrates various animals and the way God has provided for that animal as far as food and water. Vs 24 encapsulates the whole psalm as a celebration of the wide ranging creativity of God.
In addition to the celebration of creativity God’s providence is praised at the same time. Not only did God create this wondrous planet and all the animals with which it is populated, God also provides a place and a means of sustenance for each creature. I notice in various congregations, and am sure it happens other places as well, that we are not always officially aware of the need to maintain many of the things we buy or have provided for us. Since we didn’t plan for maintenance we have to string things along until we can afford to buy a new one. God has actually planned for the sustenance and maintenance of the earth and the creatures who are a part of the earth.
God is not simply the Creator, who set the world in motion and walked away to see how this piece of work would fare. God also sees that the world is sustained as each part of creation is provided a means to survive and thrive. As we look at the creative providence of God can we perhaps see an area in our lives in need of maintenance, especially one in which what is required is a tweak or two rather than a major repair/replacement issue.
© December 12, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Advent
December 18, 2011
Psalm 104:1-11,24,29-35
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great. You are clothed with honor and majesty,
2 wrapped in light as with a garment. You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
3 you set the beams of your chambers on the waters, you make the clouds your chariot, you ride on the wings of the wind,
4 you make the winds your messengers, fire and flame your ministers.
5 You set the earth on its foundations, so that it shall never be shaken.
6 You cover it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains.
7 At your rebuke they flee; at the sound of your thunder they take to flight.
8 They rose up to the mountains, ran down to the valleys to the place that you appointed for them.
9 You set a boundary that they may not pass, so that they might not again cover the earth.
10 You make springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills,
11 giving drink to every wild animal; the wild asses quench their thirst.
24 O Lord, how manifold are your works! In wisdom you have made them all; the earth is full of your creatures.
29 When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord rejoice in his works—
32 who looks on the earth and it trembles, who touches the mountains and they smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord.
35 Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul. Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)
This psalm celebrates both the creativity and providence of God. God is praised for having made all that is, and then praised for the ways God sees fit to provide for each part of creation. While I left out, for space considerations, many of the parts of creation mentioned by the psalmist I commend the whole psalm as it celebrates various animals and the way God has provided for that animal as far as food and water. Vs 24 encapsulates the whole psalm as a celebration of the wide ranging creativity of God.
In addition to the celebration of creativity God’s providence is praised at the same time. Not only did God create this wondrous planet and all the animals with which it is populated, God also provides a place and a means of sustenance for each creature. I notice in various congregations, and am sure it happens other places as well, that we are not always officially aware of the need to maintain many of the things we buy or have provided for us. Since we didn’t plan for maintenance we have to string things along until we can afford to buy a new one. God has actually planned for the sustenance and maintenance of the earth and the creatures who are a part of the earth.
God is not simply the Creator, who set the world in motion and walked away to see how this piece of work would fare. God also sees that the world is sustained as each part of creation is provided a means to survive and thrive. As we look at the creative providence of God can we perhaps see an area in our lives in need of maintenance, especially one in which what is required is a tweak or two rather than a major repair/replacement issue.
© December 12, 2010
Monday, December 5, 2011
Psalm Meditation 599
Third Sunday of Advent
December 11, 2011
Psalm 74:1-11,19-23
1 O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago, which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage. Remember Mount Zion, where you came to dwell.
3 Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.
4 Your foes have roared within your holy place; they set up their emblems there.
5 At the upper entrance they hacked the wooden trellis with axes.
6 And then, with hatchets and hammers, they smashed all its carved work.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated the dwelling place of your name, bringing it to the ground.
8 They said to themselves, "We will utterly subdue them"; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our emblems; there is no longer any prophet, and there is no one among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand; why do you keep your hand in your bosom?
19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild animals; do not forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of violence.
21 Do not let the downtrodden be put to shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, plead your cause; remember how the impious scoff at you all day long.
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of your adversaries that goes up continually.
(NRSV)
There was a time when people believed that without a temple filled with the proper symbols and emblems it was impossible for a god to be with the people. While we know that God is with us in all times and places we do find ourselves most comfortable in our places of worship when all is as it has always been. We want all the symbols and furnishings in their proper places and in proper working order. We also find ourselves most comfortable if we are in our regular place, same seat, same row. I have served congregations that did not like the choir to take the center of the chancel for the Christmas and Easter Cantatas so that they did not block the view of the altar, seemingly thereby blocking access to God.
The important symbol of the presence of God is the faithful people of God. It is those who remain faithful in the face of persecution, in the face of being sidelined as irrelevant, in the face of having the faith commandeered by those with a power agenda of their own. Faithful people appreciate the value and comfort of familiar symbols in familiar places. They also know that there is more to the presence of God than whether a particular picture hangs in a particular place. More important is that the needs of people are being met in terms of justice and righteousness, with a touch of grace and mercy for all people everywhere.
It is likely that God enjoys opulence as much as any of us. It is more likely that God enjoys the folks who live out a commitment to achieve a sense of wholeness for as many people as possible, calling each of us to make sacrifices of time, effort, status, dogma and doctrine for the sake of the people with whom we live on a daily basis.
© December 5, 2010
LCM manifold@lightbound.com
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Third Sunday of Advent
December 11, 2011
Psalm 74:1-11,19-23
1 O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago, which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage. Remember Mount Zion, where you came to dwell.
3 Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.
4 Your foes have roared within your holy place; they set up their emblems there.
5 At the upper entrance they hacked the wooden trellis with axes.
6 And then, with hatchets and hammers, they smashed all its carved work.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated the dwelling place of your name, bringing it to the ground.
8 They said to themselves, "We will utterly subdue them"; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our emblems; there is no longer any prophet, and there is no one among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand; why do you keep your hand in your bosom?
19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild animals; do not forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of violence.
21 Do not let the downtrodden be put to shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, plead your cause; remember how the impious scoff at you all day long.
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of your adversaries that goes up continually.
(NRSV)
There was a time when people believed that without a temple filled with the proper symbols and emblems it was impossible for a god to be with the people. While we know that God is with us in all times and places we do find ourselves most comfortable in our places of worship when all is as it has always been. We want all the symbols and furnishings in their proper places and in proper working order. We also find ourselves most comfortable if we are in our regular place, same seat, same row. I have served congregations that did not like the choir to take the center of the chancel for the Christmas and Easter Cantatas so that they did not block the view of the altar, seemingly thereby blocking access to God.
The important symbol of the presence of God is the faithful people of God. It is those who remain faithful in the face of persecution, in the face of being sidelined as irrelevant, in the face of having the faith commandeered by those with a power agenda of their own. Faithful people appreciate the value and comfort of familiar symbols in familiar places. They also know that there is more to the presence of God than whether a particular picture hangs in a particular place. More important is that the needs of people are being met in terms of justice and righteousness, with a touch of grace and mercy for all people everywhere.
It is likely that God enjoys opulence as much as any of us. It is more likely that God enjoys the folks who live out a commitment to achieve a sense of wholeness for as many people as possible, calling each of us to make sacrifices of time, effort, status, dogma and doctrine for the sake of the people with whom we live on a daily basis.
© December 5, 2010
LCM manifold@lightbound.com
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)