Psalm Meditation 607
Fifth Sunday after Epiphany
February 5, 2012
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the Lord, "You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you."
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
5 The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(NRSV)
For many of us our good fortune is more a matter of heritage than it is about personal choices. We live where we live because it resembles where we grew up in some way. Our economic status has something to do with the status and expectations of our extended family. Even our belief system was likely inherited, rejected, modified and claimed as a result of the beliefs of those around whom we were raised. In the area in which the Psalms were written this is likely even more the case than for any of us.
Whether our belief system was inherited from family or was a clean break from our familial heritage, we have each chosen the faith we follow. For me, verse 5 says it pretty well, “The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup, you hold my lot.” I was born and raised in Christianity, walked away from various parts of it through the years and when I claimed it as my own it was with firm conviction. I have my doubts and fears, and I know that God in Christ holds my life and is the source of my help and hope.
I also join the psalmist in the sentiment of verse 6, that, for any number of reasons, I am pleased with the full arc of life so far. I wish I had done some things differently, however, since I did not, I live with the choices I have made and the blessings I have received. I see the handiwork of God, sometimes because of and sometimes in spite of, the choices I have inherited and made as well in the choices of others by which I am touched and changed.
© January 30, 2012
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Psalm Meditation 606
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
January 29, 2012
Psalm 135
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 you that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great; our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both human beings and animals;
9 he sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people, and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them and all who trust them shall become like them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You that fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who resides in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)
In the midst of feeling weighed down by the cares of the world, it can be helpful to remember, to know, that someone cares for us and loves us deeply. The psalmist begins by reminding us that we are a people set apart for a special relationship with our God, Yahweh. This God, our God, is not bound by constraints of any kind. This is the God who brings rain, who watches over us and provides for us in a variety of ways.
If God can do all that, certainly God can deliver us from this situation. At the very least, God will be with us, feeling our hurts and offering us compassion in the midst of this series of events. Perhaps it is the presence of the living God that is more important than any power God might use among us. To know that God chooses to be with us in all times and all places is a source of great comfort, especially in times of need.
Certainly, there are times when it seems better to be in the presence of a flesh and blood person in times of need. To have a visual assurance that we are not alone is a source of great comfort. When folks bring the presence of God in their own lives to meet the presence of God in our lives we are more deeply comforted than by flesh and blood alone. No matter what, God is with us.
© January 23, 2012
Fourth Sunday after Epiphany
January 29, 2012
Psalm 135
1 Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord; give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 you that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the Lord is great; our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both human beings and animals;
9 he sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever, your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people, and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them and all who trust them shall become like them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord! O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord! You that fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion, he who resides in Jerusalem. Praise the Lord!
(NRSV)
In the midst of feeling weighed down by the cares of the world, it can be helpful to remember, to know, that someone cares for us and loves us deeply. The psalmist begins by reminding us that we are a people set apart for a special relationship with our God, Yahweh. This God, our God, is not bound by constraints of any kind. This is the God who brings rain, who watches over us and provides for us in a variety of ways.
If God can do all that, certainly God can deliver us from this situation. At the very least, God will be with us, feeling our hurts and offering us compassion in the midst of this series of events. Perhaps it is the presence of the living God that is more important than any power God might use among us. To know that God chooses to be with us in all times and all places is a source of great comfort, especially in times of need.
Certainly, there are times when it seems better to be in the presence of a flesh and blood person in times of need. To have a visual assurance that we are not alone is a source of great comfort. When folks bring the presence of God in their own lives to meet the presence of God in our lives we are more deeply comforted than by flesh and blood alone. No matter what, God is with us.
© January 23, 2012
Monday, January 16, 2012
Psalm Meditation 605
Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 22, 2012
Psalm 105 (selected verses)
1 O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.
5 Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,
6 O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance."
12 When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,
14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
16 When he summoned famine against the land, and broke every staff of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord kept testing him.
20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free.
23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
26 He sent his servant Moses, and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them, and miracles in the land of Ham. 37 Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold, and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.
44 He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the Lord! (NRSV)
Whether you read the whole psalm or this edited for space version, you can see that God was actively involved in the history of the people of Israel. This is a shortened version of a central event in what is called ‘salvation history.’ The emphasis is on the salvation rather than the history. It is much more important to know that God is at work in the lives of the people, Israel, than it is to know details that are important to historians; exact dates and places.
From the poetic version of this series of events we can hear the psalmist answering the question, ‘Is God with us, or not?’ If God was with us in this series of events from Joseph and Israel to Moses and Aaron, it is possible that God is with us in this current series of events. While the poetry leaves out some of the tension between God and the people, it was known well enough. Since God was with us then, God is certainly with us now. Whatever the specifics the psalmist was addressing, the important actor in our salvation now is the same one who was active then.
We too can hear the voice of the psalmist reassuring us that the same God who was saving the people then is saving us now with the same active interest, care and love we see in this slice of salvation history. If God saved the folks who actively distrusted God then, certainly God will save any of us who find ourselves doubting and questioning how God will save us rather than wondering if God will save us.
© January 16, 2012
Third Sunday after Epiphany
January 22, 2012
Psalm 105 (selected verses)
1 O give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples.
2 Sing to him, sing praises to him; tell of all his wonderful works.
3 Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
4 Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually.
5 Remember the wonderful works he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he has uttered,
6 O offspring of his servant Abraham, children of Jacob, his chosen ones.
7 He is the Lord our God; his judgments are in all the earth.
8 He is mindful of his covenant forever, of the word that he commanded, for a thousand generations,
9 the covenant that he made with Abraham, his sworn promise to Isaac,
10 which he confirmed to Jacob as a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 saying, "To you I will give the land of Canaan as your portion for an inheritance."
12 When they were few in number, of little account, and strangers in it,
13 wandering from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people,
14 he allowed no one to oppress them; he rebuked kings on their account,
15 saying, "Do not touch my anointed ones; do my prophets no harm."
16 When he summoned famine against the land, and broke every staff of bread,
17 he had sent a man ahead of them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 His feet were hurt with fetters, his neck was put in a collar of iron;
19 until what he had said came to pass, the word of the Lord kept testing him.
20 The king sent and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free.
23 Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham.
26 He sent his servant Moses, and Aaron whom he had chosen.
27 They performed his signs among them, and miracles in the land of Ham. 37 Then he brought Israel out with silver and gold, and there was no one among their tribes who stumbled.
44 He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples,
45 that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the Lord! (NRSV)
Whether you read the whole psalm or this edited for space version, you can see that God was actively involved in the history of the people of Israel. This is a shortened version of a central event in what is called ‘salvation history.’ The emphasis is on the salvation rather than the history. It is much more important to know that God is at work in the lives of the people, Israel, than it is to know details that are important to historians; exact dates and places.
From the poetic version of this series of events we can hear the psalmist answering the question, ‘Is God with us, or not?’ If God was with us in this series of events from Joseph and Israel to Moses and Aaron, it is possible that God is with us in this current series of events. While the poetry leaves out some of the tension between God and the people, it was known well enough. Since God was with us then, God is certainly with us now. Whatever the specifics the psalmist was addressing, the important actor in our salvation now is the same one who was active then.
We too can hear the voice of the psalmist reassuring us that the same God who was saving the people then is saving us now with the same active interest, care and love we see in this slice of salvation history. If God saved the folks who actively distrusted God then, certainly God will save any of us who find ourselves doubting and questioning how God will save us rather than wondering if God will save us.
© January 16, 2012
Monday, January 9, 2012
Psalm Meditation 604
Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 15, 2012
Psalm 75
1 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks; your name is near. People tell of your wondrous deeds.
2 At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.
3 When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants, it is I who keep its pillars steady. (Selah)
4 I say to the boastful, "Do not boast," and to the wicked, "Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with insolent neck."
6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up;
7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed; he will pour a draught from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.
9 But I will rejoice forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
(NRSV)
I was reminded recently of the saying, “if you have to say it out loud, it probably isn’t true.” It is a reminder that many of our protestations, justifications and boastings don’t hold up under outside investigation. In the psalm, God, through the psalmist, reminds us that all of our boasting and tooting our own horns does not make others look at us through the same lens we see ourselves. It is more often a way to get them to want to avoid seeing us at all. It is in serving rather than bragging that we align ourselves with God.
This doesn’t mean we don’t take pride in our work and service or that we let others run us down because we live by a standard other than theirs. It means we are at least as interested in what God thinks of us as we are in what others think. Folks who are running for office or vying for awards in their work need to point out the reasons they warrant the attention they seek. The rest of us can be content knowing that we serve God as people of justice and righteousness, to the best of our ability.
The folks who live too much of their lives vying for the attention of the largest number of people possible will find themselves drinking the foaming wine God offers. Foaming wine was probably poisoned. Folks who spend too much time and energy at the center of their own lives, aching for the attention of others, will find their lives poisoned with meaninglessness in the end. Imagine coming to the end of your life with nothing to show but selfishness, greed and ego.
God points us to lives of justice, righteousness and service. Yes, there are those who put on the show of these three so that we will see how wonderful they are. There are just as many, if not more, who spend their lives serving for the sake of justice and righteousness in a way that a limited number even know the extent of their serving. At some point, in God’s good time, these folks will be exalted.
© January 9, 2012
Second Sunday after Epiphany
January 15, 2012
Psalm 75
1 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks; your name is near. People tell of your wondrous deeds.
2 At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.
3 When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants, it is I who keep its pillars steady. (Selah)
4 I say to the boastful, "Do not boast," and to the wicked, "Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with insolent neck."
6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up;
7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
8 For in the hand of the Lord there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed; he will pour a draught from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.
9 But I will rejoice forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
(NRSV)
I was reminded recently of the saying, “if you have to say it out loud, it probably isn’t true.” It is a reminder that many of our protestations, justifications and boastings don’t hold up under outside investigation. In the psalm, God, through the psalmist, reminds us that all of our boasting and tooting our own horns does not make others look at us through the same lens we see ourselves. It is more often a way to get them to want to avoid seeing us at all. It is in serving rather than bragging that we align ourselves with God.
This doesn’t mean we don’t take pride in our work and service or that we let others run us down because we live by a standard other than theirs. It means we are at least as interested in what God thinks of us as we are in what others think. Folks who are running for office or vying for awards in their work need to point out the reasons they warrant the attention they seek. The rest of us can be content knowing that we serve God as people of justice and righteousness, to the best of our ability.
The folks who live too much of their lives vying for the attention of the largest number of people possible will find themselves drinking the foaming wine God offers. Foaming wine was probably poisoned. Folks who spend too much time and energy at the center of their own lives, aching for the attention of others, will find their lives poisoned with meaninglessness in the end. Imagine coming to the end of your life with nothing to show but selfishness, greed and ego.
God points us to lives of justice, righteousness and service. Yes, there are those who put on the show of these three so that we will see how wonderful they are. There are just as many, if not more, who spend their lives serving for the sake of justice and righteousness in a way that a limited number even know the extent of their serving. At some point, in God’s good time, these folks will be exalted.
© January 9, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
Psalm Meditation 603
Epiphany Sunday
January 8, 2012
Psalm 45
1 My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.
2 You are the most handsome of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your glory and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride on victoriously for the cause of truth and to defend the right; let your right hand teach you dread deeds.
5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you.
6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity;
7 you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;
8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father's house,
11 and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him;
12 the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people
13 with all kinds of wealth. The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes;
14 in many-colored robes she is led to the king; behind her the virgins, her companions, follow.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.
(NRSV)
Kings were so closely associated with God, that in a sense they became one. The king, as God’s agent, became the personification of God to the people and the rest of the world. A pretty daunting task to those of us not raised with the knowledge that one day folks will treat us as the voice and hand of God. Who really wants that kind of responsibility, to be the representative of the most high God for all the people over whom we have any influence whatsoever?
Um, while we may not have worldwide influence, we do represent God to the folks in our circle of influence. We may do it very well, living our lives with the knowledge that God makes a difference in our lives. As an agent of God we live in such a way that God is honored and glorified in what we do. We will certainly be less representative than we had hoped from time to time, however, in the broad scheme of things we will honor God. We may, like some other kings, live out a personal agenda in the name of God. We will act as if God blesses all we do because we are set apart as those favored by God. People will get an image of who God is by our actions, however it will not convey the image God would like people to have. We may not be royalty or rulers of any kind. We continue to be representatives of God to the world.
Through the years we have emphasized a variety of characteristics of God as being most important. We have seen God as sovereign, standing aloof from us, and we have seen God as relational, sharing the hurts and hopes of people in all walks of life. We have seen God as judgmental and as loving unconditionally. We have seen God as the destroyer of all that is not of God and we have seen God as the great healer who makes us whole. These and other images are found in Scripture as characteristics of God. As agents of God we decide how we can best represent God to others, recognizing we are, at best, painting a partial portrait of God.
© January 2, 2012
Epiphany Sunday
January 8, 2012
Psalm 45
1 My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe.
2 You are the most handsome of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your glory and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride on victoriously for the cause of truth and to defend the right; let your right hand teach you dread deeds.
5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies; the peoples fall under you.
6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity;
7 you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions;
8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad;
9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir.
10 Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father's house,
11 and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him;
12 the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people
13 with all kinds of wealth. The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes;
14 in many-colored robes she is led to the king; behind her the virgins, her companions, follow.
15 With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king.
16 In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons; you will make them princes in all the earth.
17 I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever.
(NRSV)
Kings were so closely associated with God, that in a sense they became one. The king, as God’s agent, became the personification of God to the people and the rest of the world. A pretty daunting task to those of us not raised with the knowledge that one day folks will treat us as the voice and hand of God. Who really wants that kind of responsibility, to be the representative of the most high God for all the people over whom we have any influence whatsoever?
Um, while we may not have worldwide influence, we do represent God to the folks in our circle of influence. We may do it very well, living our lives with the knowledge that God makes a difference in our lives. As an agent of God we live in such a way that God is honored and glorified in what we do. We will certainly be less representative than we had hoped from time to time, however, in the broad scheme of things we will honor God. We may, like some other kings, live out a personal agenda in the name of God. We will act as if God blesses all we do because we are set apart as those favored by God. People will get an image of who God is by our actions, however it will not convey the image God would like people to have. We may not be royalty or rulers of any kind. We continue to be representatives of God to the world.
Through the years we have emphasized a variety of characteristics of God as being most important. We have seen God as sovereign, standing aloof from us, and we have seen God as relational, sharing the hurts and hopes of people in all walks of life. We have seen God as judgmental and as loving unconditionally. We have seen God as the destroyer of all that is not of God and we have seen God as the great healer who makes us whole. These and other images are found in Scripture as characteristics of God. As agents of God we decide how we can best represent God to others, recognizing we are, at best, painting a partial portrait of God.
© January 2, 2012
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