Psalm Meditation 672
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 5, 2013
Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory of his name; worship the LORD in holy splendor.
3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the LORD, over mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful; the voice of the LORD is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars; the LORD breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the wilderness; the LORD shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD causes the oaks to whirl,and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood; the LORD sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the LORD give strength to his people! May the LORD bless his people with peace!
(NRSV)
One of the signs of comfort with power is the ability and willingness to share it with others. The psalmist extols the power and glory wielded in God’s voice alone. The voice of God has the power to break cedars and to make the ground look like the jumping of a young animal. The voice of God has the power to change everything in an instant. The power of God’s voice is frightening to some and awe inspiring to those with an awareness of the source of all this power.
At the same time that God is wreaking havoc on the world, the psalmist asks for strength and blessing for the people of God. It is the equivalent to interrupting a dictator, who wields absolute power over others, in mid tirade in order to ask a favor. There is as much danger of instant death at the hand of the dictator as there is chance of getting a hearing. The psalmist is confident that God is not a power mad dictator.
There are folks who see God as a frightening tyrant. These folks do all that they do out of fear that they will somehow offend God and end any chance of spending eternity in God’s presence. (And why would anyone want to spend eternity in the presence of anyone who is both absolutely powerful and easily offended?) Others see God as one who wields power and shares it with others at the same time. This God can scoop us up mid tirade and give us comfort and peace. God offers us a share of the strength we witness on a regular basis and blesses us with the ability to use that strength as free people of God.
April 29, 2013
Monday, April 29, 2013
Monday, April 22, 2013
Psalm Meditation 671
Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2013
Psalm 148
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike, old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
It is interesting that each of us expects the rest of the world to share our emotional states. When we are sad, we expect all the folks we meet to share our sadness, when we are angry we expect that others will share our anger over the particular person or event. And, like the psalmist, when we are overjoyed about something, we expect the whole world to share in our joy. Very quickly, we discover that not everyone shares our particular viewpoint.
A friend of mine wrote a book titled, And Not One Bird Stopped Singing, about the death of her husband. In her grief, she expected everyone and everything to share in her sense of loss. At a point early in the process she came out of herself long enough to notice that the world was going on around her as if nothing had changed. The book served to remind all who read it that grief in particular is shared only by those who share the sense of loss.
The psalmist may be aware that not everyone shares this particular moment of rejoicing. All the more reason to remind us that there is something good going on in or around us all the time. This moment of rejoicing may not be a jumping and shouting kind of rejoicing, it may be an imperceptible smile over some little bit of joy in the midst of all else in and around us. If it is the jump up and shout kind of rejoicing, the psalmist is happy to have our company in calling people of all ages and stations to rejoice. Call all creation, animate and inanimate to rejoice at the gifts God brings and gives. Rejoice with a gusto that brings a smile to face of those who have no reason to smile, except at the exuberance of this celebration. Praise the Lord!
April 22, 2013
Fifth Sunday of Easter
April 28, 2013
Psalm 148
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!
3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!
9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike, old and young together!
13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
It is interesting that each of us expects the rest of the world to share our emotional states. When we are sad, we expect all the folks we meet to share our sadness, when we are angry we expect that others will share our anger over the particular person or event. And, like the psalmist, when we are overjoyed about something, we expect the whole world to share in our joy. Very quickly, we discover that not everyone shares our particular viewpoint.
A friend of mine wrote a book titled, And Not One Bird Stopped Singing, about the death of her husband. In her grief, she expected everyone and everything to share in her sense of loss. At a point early in the process she came out of herself long enough to notice that the world was going on around her as if nothing had changed. The book served to remind all who read it that grief in particular is shared only by those who share the sense of loss.
The psalmist may be aware that not everyone shares this particular moment of rejoicing. All the more reason to remind us that there is something good going on in or around us all the time. This moment of rejoicing may not be a jumping and shouting kind of rejoicing, it may be an imperceptible smile over some little bit of joy in the midst of all else in and around us. If it is the jump up and shout kind of rejoicing, the psalmist is happy to have our company in calling people of all ages and stations to rejoice. Call all creation, animate and inanimate to rejoice at the gifts God brings and gives. Rejoice with a gusto that brings a smile to face of those who have no reason to smile, except at the exuberance of this celebration. Praise the Lord!
April 22, 2013
Monday, April 15, 2013
Psalm Meditation 670
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2013
Psalm 118
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?
7 The LORD is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in mortals.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly;
16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
18 The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
When we reach the point at which we are ready to give up, it is good to remember that the love of God is all around us, to build us up and sustain us through any and all situations. When we have fought off all the challenges and trials, and are left drained by the effort, God is there. When we stand victorious in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, God is there. When we feel beat up and broken, God is there. In all our battles, win or lose, God is there, loving us and holding us up.
At the end of those days in which we have been busy all day and have nothing to show for it, the day is a gift from God and the effort has not been wasted even if we are not aware what has been accomplished. On those days when we have done nothing, that day too is a gift from God and we can rejoice that we are in the presence of God. At some point in each day we do well to take a moment to recognize the presence of God in our lives, and the lives of those around us so that we can rejoice in God’s presence no matter what the day may hold for us.
On those days in which we feel as if we have been non productive, and on those days we feel as if we have been counter productive, it is possible that we have, through the agency of God, touched someone or done something that will make a positive difference in some small way. A life may be changed, a bridge may be built, a future may be altered by some word or act of ours that went by unnoticed by us and yet deeply touched another. And if we really were non productive or counter productive it can serve as a reminder that creation is not dependent on our constant store of productivity in order to function. Do we make a difference in the world? Yes. Does the world require our constant vigilance and activity in order to turn and function? No. God is the one who makes the world go round. God is the one who loves us beyond measure. Rejoice and be glad.
April 15, 2013
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 21, 2013
Psalm 118
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!
2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.”
5 Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place.
6 With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me?
7 The LORD is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me.
8 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in mortals.
9 It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.
10 All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
12 They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off!
13 I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me.
14 The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.
15 There are glad songs of victory in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly;
16 the right hand of the LORD is exalted; the right hand of the LORD does valiantly.”
17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD.
18 The LORD has punished me severely, but he did not give me over to death.
19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD.
20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation.
22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.
23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Save us, we beseech you, O LORD! O LORD, we beseech you, give us success!
26 Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the LORD. We bless you from the house of the LORD.
27 The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the festal procession with branches, up to the horns of the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God, I will extol you.
29 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
When we reach the point at which we are ready to give up, it is good to remember that the love of God is all around us, to build us up and sustain us through any and all situations. When we have fought off all the challenges and trials, and are left drained by the effort, God is there. When we stand victorious in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, God is there. When we feel beat up and broken, God is there. In all our battles, win or lose, God is there, loving us and holding us up.
At the end of those days in which we have been busy all day and have nothing to show for it, the day is a gift from God and the effort has not been wasted even if we are not aware what has been accomplished. On those days when we have done nothing, that day too is a gift from God and we can rejoice that we are in the presence of God. At some point in each day we do well to take a moment to recognize the presence of God in our lives, and the lives of those around us so that we can rejoice in God’s presence no matter what the day may hold for us.
On those days in which we feel as if we have been non productive, and on those days we feel as if we have been counter productive, it is possible that we have, through the agency of God, touched someone or done something that will make a positive difference in some small way. A life may be changed, a bridge may be built, a future may be altered by some word or act of ours that went by unnoticed by us and yet deeply touched another. And if we really were non productive or counter productive it can serve as a reminder that creation is not dependent on our constant store of productivity in order to function. Do we make a difference in the world? Yes. Does the world require our constant vigilance and activity in order to turn and function? No. God is the one who makes the world go round. God is the one who loves us beyond measure. Rejoice and be glad.
April 15, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Psalm Meditation 669
Third Sunday of Easter
April 14, 2013
Psalm 88
1 O LORD, God of my salvation, when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
2 let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry.
3 For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help,
5 like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah
8 You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a thing of horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
9 my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call on you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O LORD, cry out to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O LORD, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Wretched and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.
16 Your wrath has swept over me; your dread assaults destroy me.
17 They surround me like a flood all day long; from all sides they close in on me.
18 You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness.
(NRSV)
To my knowledge, this is the only psalm that ends without any sense of hope and in at least one translation the last phrase is, “and darkness is my only companion.” Not only is the psalmist surrounded by darkness, there are no friends or companions with whom to share the sense of gloom, despair and abandonment. The only note of hope in the psalm is that it is addressed to God, and perhaps that it has been written down at all. To address the psalm to God acknowledges that God is present in the times in which it feels as if no one is available to the psalmist, to us. To write the psalm down is an acknowledgement that this companionless darkness will not last forever and that at some point the psalmist will have someone with whom to share this gloomy sense of emptiness.
One of my professors recommended this as a psalm for those who are grieving. Find a private place and read this out loud with as much energy as one can muster, at least once a day. For a time it will be hard to get through, the pain will be intense and folks will be drained by the experience of reading or reciting this aloud. At some point it will grow easier and yet later the psalm will have lost the stinging pain that goes with grieving. At that point one is encouraged to pick another psalm of lament that ends on a word of hope.
The hope contained in the psalm is not in the words themselves, the hope is in God to whom the psalm is directed. Even though the psalmist feels abandoned there is still a sense that God is close enough to hear and perhaps to respond to the feeling of being helpless, hopeless and worthless. While I would hope and pray that you never feel this deeply abandoned I know that most of us have or will go through a time like this in our lives. I am instead grateful that a psalmist had the faith and courage to put this sense of loss in a form that can be passed down to us.
April 8, 2013
Third Sunday of Easter
April 14, 2013
Psalm 88
1 O LORD, God of my salvation, when, at night, I cry out in your presence,
2 let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry.
3 For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol.
4 I am counted among those who go down to the Pit; I am like those who have no help,
5 like those forsaken among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, like those whom you remember no more, for they are cut off from your hand.
6 You have put me in the depths of the Pit, in the regions dark and deep.
7 Your wrath lies heavy upon me, and you overwhelm me with all your waves. Selah
8 You have caused my companions to shun me; you have made me a thing of horror to them. I am shut in so that I cannot escape;
9 my eye grows dim through sorrow. Every day I call on you, O LORD; I spread out my hands to you.
10 Do you work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise up to praise you? Selah
11 Is your steadfast love declared in the grave, or your faithfulness in Abaddon?
12 Are your wonders known in the darkness, or your saving help in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O LORD, cry out to you; in the morning my prayer comes before you.
14 O LORD, why do you cast me off? Why do you hide your face from me?
15 Wretched and close to death from my youth up, I suffer your terrors; I am desperate.
16 Your wrath has swept over me; your dread assaults destroy me.
17 They surround me like a flood all day long; from all sides they close in on me.
18 You have caused friend and neighbor to shun me; my companions are in darkness.
(NRSV)
To my knowledge, this is the only psalm that ends without any sense of hope and in at least one translation the last phrase is, “and darkness is my only companion.” Not only is the psalmist surrounded by darkness, there are no friends or companions with whom to share the sense of gloom, despair and abandonment. The only note of hope in the psalm is that it is addressed to God, and perhaps that it has been written down at all. To address the psalm to God acknowledges that God is present in the times in which it feels as if no one is available to the psalmist, to us. To write the psalm down is an acknowledgement that this companionless darkness will not last forever and that at some point the psalmist will have someone with whom to share this gloomy sense of emptiness.
One of my professors recommended this as a psalm for those who are grieving. Find a private place and read this out loud with as much energy as one can muster, at least once a day. For a time it will be hard to get through, the pain will be intense and folks will be drained by the experience of reading or reciting this aloud. At some point it will grow easier and yet later the psalm will have lost the stinging pain that goes with grieving. At that point one is encouraged to pick another psalm of lament that ends on a word of hope.
The hope contained in the psalm is not in the words themselves, the hope is in God to whom the psalm is directed. Even though the psalmist feels abandoned there is still a sense that God is close enough to hear and perhaps to respond to the feeling of being helpless, hopeless and worthless. While I would hope and pray that you never feel this deeply abandoned I know that most of us have or will go through a time like this in our lives. I am instead grateful that a psalmist had the faith and courage to put this sense of loss in a form that can be passed down to us.
April 8, 2013
Monday, April 1, 2013
Psalm Meditation 668
Second Sunday of Easter
April 7, 2013
Psalm 58
1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge people fairly?
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.
3 The wicked go astray from the womb; they err from their birth, speaking lies.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter.
6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
7 Let them vanish like water that runs away; like grass let them be trodden down and wither.
8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime; like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.
9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!
10 The righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance done; they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 People will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth."
(NRSV)
Why is it that when others wait to see us suffer die they are wicked, and when we want to see our adversaries suffer and die it is righteous revenge? That is, how do we know that our enemies and the enemies of God are the same? It is certainly my hope that the people of whom I am a part are on the side of God. I am also very aware that any one of us has done at least one thing in the name of God that is troubling to God, at the very least. When we factor in the things we have done as a part of a larger group it is just as troubling.
While this psalm serves a purpose, it is not helpful to use it as a public statement against anyone. Psalms like this allow us to vent our frustration and fear to God without having to act on our inclinations toward revenge. Yes, our humanness waits to see those who have wronged us suffer for their deeds. Yes, we know that revenge will be give us a sweet sense of victory over those who stand against us in some way. Vengeance tends to ring hollow and carries a high personal cost that is not usually worth it. The psalm lets us rehearse our desire for revenge without having to go through with it.
Divine justice does finally work itself out. We may or may not be satisfied with the result. The psalmist allows us to offer God our idea of what would be a fulfilling revenge even as we turn the situation over to God. It keeps us from becoming the very people from whom we are calling God to defend us. To call on God continues to be an act of defiance against tyranny in a way that does not lead us to be tyrants ourselves.
April 1, 2013
Second Sunday of Easter
April 7, 2013
Psalm 58
1 Do you indeed decree what is right, you gods? Do you judge people fairly?
2 No, in your hearts you devise wrongs; your hands deal out violence on earth.
3 The wicked go astray from the womb; they err from their birth, speaking lies.
4 They have venom like the venom of a serpent, like the deaf adder that stops its ear,
5 so that it does not hear the voice of charmers or of the cunning enchanter.
6 O God, break the teeth in their mouths; tear out the fangs of the young lions, O LORD!
7 Let them vanish like water that runs away; like grass let them be trodden down and wither.
8 Let them be like the snail that dissolves into slime; like the untimely birth that never sees the sun.
9 Sooner than your pots can feel the heat of thorns, whether green or ablaze, may he sweep them away!
10 The righteous will rejoice when they see vengeance done; they will bathe their feet in the blood of the wicked.
11 People will say, "Surely there is a reward for the righteous; surely there is a God who judges on earth."
(NRSV)
Why is it that when others wait to see us suffer die they are wicked, and when we want to see our adversaries suffer and die it is righteous revenge? That is, how do we know that our enemies and the enemies of God are the same? It is certainly my hope that the people of whom I am a part are on the side of God. I am also very aware that any one of us has done at least one thing in the name of God that is troubling to God, at the very least. When we factor in the things we have done as a part of a larger group it is just as troubling.
While this psalm serves a purpose, it is not helpful to use it as a public statement against anyone. Psalms like this allow us to vent our frustration and fear to God without having to act on our inclinations toward revenge. Yes, our humanness waits to see those who have wronged us suffer for their deeds. Yes, we know that revenge will be give us a sweet sense of victory over those who stand against us in some way. Vengeance tends to ring hollow and carries a high personal cost that is not usually worth it. The psalm lets us rehearse our desire for revenge without having to go through with it.
Divine justice does finally work itself out. We may or may not be satisfied with the result. The psalmist allows us to offer God our idea of what would be a fulfilling revenge even as we turn the situation over to God. It keeps us from becoming the very people from whom we are calling God to defend us. To call on God continues to be an act of defiance against tyranny in a way that does not lead us to be tyrants ourselves.
April 1, 2013
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