Psalm Meditation 635
Twelfth Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 19, 2012

Psalm 111
1 Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.
2 Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.
3 Full of honor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds; the LORD is gracious and merciful.
5 He provides food for those who fear him; he is ever mindful of his covenant.
6 He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the heritage of the nations.
7 The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy.
8 They are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.
9 He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name.
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever.
(NRSV)

We tend to find the things we seek. When we are looking for things that have or will go wrong, we will find them in bucketsful. When we are looking for things to go well, we will concentrate on the good things. When we are looking for reasons to blame God and others for the ill twists and turns of our lives, we discover ample cause to give God and others blame. When we are looking for reasons to give God thanks we can find all sorts of reasons. I imagine that there are as many reasons to complain as there are to praise, depending on the focus we bring to any given situation.

I once read that Woody Hayes, long time Ohio State football coach, would walk out for the first practice and say to the players, “First string over here; second string over there.” With notable exceptions on both sides, he discovered that folks separated themselves pretty accurately. He noted that we live into our expectations of ourselves. The psalmist invites us to see ourselves as blessed by God. God is gracious, merciful, provident, mindful, steadfast, faithful and just. The list goes on in the psalm and in our awareness. We see God reflected in our own expectations.

My hope is that even the most negative and cynical among us can teach ourselves to live into the invitation to praise offered by the psalmist. As we look for reasons to praise God and lift up those praises we will find that we are able to see even more reasons to praise. Like walking from the darkness into the light, we discover that our vision improves with time, practice and patience. We go from squinting in pain to an ever deeper appreciation of all that is now illuminated. We tend to find the things we seek. My hope for each of us is that we will seek the things of God.

August 13, 2012