Psalm Meditation 694
Twentieth Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 6, 2013
Psalm 3
1 O LORD, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me;
2 many are saying to me, “There is no help for you in God.”Selah
3 But you, O LORD, are a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.
4 I cry aloud to the LORD, and he answers me from his holy hill.Selah
5 I lie down and sleep; I wake again, for the LORD sustains me.
6 I am not afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.
7 Rise up, O LORD! Deliver me, O my God! For you strike all my enemies on the cheek; you break the teeth of the wicked.
8 Deliverance belongs to the LORD; may your blessing be on your people! Selah
(NRSV)
Several years ago, the congregation I was serving at the time had a Miracle Sunday with the goal of $5,000.00. On the day of the offering at least one person confided in the church Council chair that they did not believe we could raise that much money in a single day. When the chair told me the story afterward she said she simply smiled and nodded because she already had more than half of the goal in her pocket, received from those who could not attend that day and wanted to contribute to the cause. I was reminded of that experience when I read the second and third verses of the psalm.
There are those who are quick to tell folks that God could not possibly be present in this or any other situation in life. All we need to do is smile and nod because we know that God is with us as “a shield around me, my glory, and the one who lifts up my head.” Despite appearances to the contrary, we already know that God is with us in this and every event and situation of our lives. That does not mean that we will be rescued from any and all tragedy, free from the trials and tribulations of life. It means that the presence of God will give us comfort and hope now and into the future.
The life events of those who trust in God will not be that much different than for those who do not. The difference will be in the way folks will deal with those events, how they move on from what has happened in the assurance that God is with us to deliver and bless us.
September 30, 2013
Monday, September 30, 2013
Monday, September 23, 2013
Psalm Meditation 693
Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 29, 2013
Psalm 149
1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment decreed. This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
It is my understanding that Israel was very good at defending itself as a military power but was not large or powerful enough to pose a threat to any of the surrounding nations. But if we were, here is what we would do. We would rush in and take our vengeance on all those who have risen against us. We would punish them and drag their kings and nobles into our royal halls and parade them as symbols of our mighty power. And we would do all this to the glory of God.
It is likely that each of us has a dream of success and victory in a chosen field. We get the promotion that puts us where we believe we belong, we score the victory in the sport of our choosing and get congratulated by the folks who are heroes to us now. We make an impression on that person or group that will shoot us into the stratosphere of popularity. And the psalmist reminds us that it is not all about us. The psalmist reminds us to praise the LORD in the midst of our victory.
Whether we really are the most talented person in the field, strive to be that person, or content ourselves with fantasies of success we do well to remember to give credit to God. God has given us gifts, skills and the drive to use them. God has given us dreams that will drive us to be successful one day. God has given us a sense of contentment in the midst of a culture of success at all costs. No matter where we are in and around the culture in which we find ourselves we do well to know that God is with us.
September 23, 2013
Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 29, 2013
Psalm 149
1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment decreed. This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
It is my understanding that Israel was very good at defending itself as a military power but was not large or powerful enough to pose a threat to any of the surrounding nations. But if we were, here is what we would do. We would rush in and take our vengeance on all those who have risen against us. We would punish them and drag their kings and nobles into our royal halls and parade them as symbols of our mighty power. And we would do all this to the glory of God.
It is likely that each of us has a dream of success and victory in a chosen field. We get the promotion that puts us where we believe we belong, we score the victory in the sport of our choosing and get congratulated by the folks who are heroes to us now. We make an impression on that person or group that will shoot us into the stratosphere of popularity. And the psalmist reminds us that it is not all about us. The psalmist reminds us to praise the LORD in the midst of our victory.
Whether we really are the most talented person in the field, strive to be that person, or content ourselves with fantasies of success we do well to remember to give credit to God. God has given us gifts, skills and the drive to use them. God has given us dreams that will drive us to be successful one day. God has given us a sense of contentment in the midst of a culture of success at all costs. No matter where we are in and around the culture in which we find ourselves we do well to know that God is with us.
September 23, 2013
Monday, September 16, 2013
Psalm Meditation 692
Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 22, 2013
Psalm 52
1 Why do you boast, O mighty one, of mischief done against the godly? All day long
2 you are plotting destruction. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, you worker of treachery.
3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking the truth. Selah
4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
5 But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous will see, and fear, and will laugh at the evildoer, saying,
7 “See the one who would not take refuge in God, but trusted in abundant riches, and sought refuge in wealth!”
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever, because of what you have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim your name, for it is good.
(NRSV)
We are quick to attach evil motives to those who disagree with us, especially when those folks mount violent attacks against us. While it is possible that their entire intent is evil, it is also possible that their intent is good, positive and honorable. Their actions may be violent and destructive even as they look to a positive and peaceful outcome. The folks who participated in the Crusades had the laudable goal of winning back the Holy Land for the glory of Christ. The part about totally discounting the faith and even humanity of the folks who lived there continues to give Christians a bad reputation in parts of the world.
Some of the evils we have experienced in recent years have been a response to the actions of Christians during the Crusades. That does not make either side good or right in the actions carried out, it simply gives a window into the thought processes of the folks who are seen by others as evil. I do believe that there is evil in the world and that simply because we have a way to justify our actions does not mean that those actions are not seen as evil by someone else. At some point in our lives we have railed against the unfairness of our parents as they asked or demanded a certain course of action. While we saw them as terrible parents they saw themselves as people acting out of love in the best interest of us, their children.
What is evil to me is justifiable and even laudable to you. At times, it is a matter of whether we are giving or receiving an action that defines it as evil. Yes, there is evil. Yes, there are evil people. Yes, sometimes it is ‘them’ who do the evil deeds, Yes, sometimes it is ‘us’ who do the evil. As our hearts and lives are more finely tuned to God we are confronted by the evils we have perpetrated on others. We can find ways to justify our actions or we can find ways to repent and move forward in our relationship with God and with the people with whom we live and work.
September 16, 2013
Eighteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 22, 2013
Psalm 52
1 Why do you boast, O mighty one, of mischief done against the godly? All day long
2 you are plotting destruction. Your tongue is like a sharp razor, you worker of treachery.
3 You love evil more than good, and lying more than speaking the truth. Selah
4 You love all words that devour, O deceitful tongue.
5 But God will break you down forever; he will snatch and tear you from your tent; he will uproot you from the land of the living. Selah
6 The righteous will see, and fear, and will laugh at the evildoer, saying,
7 “See the one who would not take refuge in God, but trusted in abundant riches, and sought refuge in wealth!”
8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.
9 I will thank you forever, because of what you have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim your name, for it is good.
(NRSV)
We are quick to attach evil motives to those who disagree with us, especially when those folks mount violent attacks against us. While it is possible that their entire intent is evil, it is also possible that their intent is good, positive and honorable. Their actions may be violent and destructive even as they look to a positive and peaceful outcome. The folks who participated in the Crusades had the laudable goal of winning back the Holy Land for the glory of Christ. The part about totally discounting the faith and even humanity of the folks who lived there continues to give Christians a bad reputation in parts of the world.
Some of the evils we have experienced in recent years have been a response to the actions of Christians during the Crusades. That does not make either side good or right in the actions carried out, it simply gives a window into the thought processes of the folks who are seen by others as evil. I do believe that there is evil in the world and that simply because we have a way to justify our actions does not mean that those actions are not seen as evil by someone else. At some point in our lives we have railed against the unfairness of our parents as they asked or demanded a certain course of action. While we saw them as terrible parents they saw themselves as people acting out of love in the best interest of us, their children.
What is evil to me is justifiable and even laudable to you. At times, it is a matter of whether we are giving or receiving an action that defines it as evil. Yes, there is evil. Yes, there are evil people. Yes, sometimes it is ‘them’ who do the evil deeds, Yes, sometimes it is ‘us’ who do the evil. As our hearts and lives are more finely tuned to God we are confronted by the evils we have perpetrated on others. We can find ways to justify our actions or we can find ways to repent and move forward in our relationship with God and with the people with whom we live and work.
September 16, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
Psalm Meditation 691
Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 15, 2013
Psalm 102 (selected verses)
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you.
5 Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like an owl of the wilderness, like a little owl of the waste places.
7 I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.
11 My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.
12 But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations.
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to favor it; the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold its stones dear, and have pity on its dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory.
16 For the LORD will build up Zion; he will appear in his glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.
18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the LORD:
19 that he looked down from his holy height, from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die;
21 so that the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem,
22 when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.
25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. you change them like clothing, and they pass away;
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall live secure; their offspring shall be established in your presence.
(NRSV)
We tend to believe that God looks with favor on those who have wealth, popularity and possessions. It only seems right that the folks with lots of stuff have all that stuff because of God’s blessing on their lives. At least, that is the thinking of those of us who have more than a large percentage of the world’s population will ever dream of having. While there are those who have lots more than we have, there are considerably more who have a lot less than we have. It is always tempting to believe that we are among those blessed by God.
The psalmist reminds us that our God, Yahweh, has a heart for those who do not have a lot of stuff. God gives a different set of rich blessings to those who do not have a lot of material resources at their command. For several years research has shown that the most generous class of folks are those who are in poverty. They know what it is like to be without and if they can help someone else they are willing to do as they are able. As folks share limited resources, they also build strong communities based on shared suffering as well as shared resources. While having stuff may seem to be more fun, having a community full of relationships is more lasting and more fulfilling.
Those of us with stuff do well to build relationships with those who seem to be in want. It is possible that they will teach us how to live with less as they teach us about their real needs. We might also learn the importance of relationships, over having everything we think we might need. While God really does love each of us, it is those who relish the importance of relationship with God and with others who are most attuned to the love God offers.
September 9, 2013
Seventeenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 15, 2013
Psalm 102 (selected verses)
1 Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you.
5 Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like an owl of the wilderness, like a little owl of the waste places.
7 I lie awake; I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.
11 My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.
12 But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; your name endures to all generations.
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to favor it; the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants hold its stones dear, and have pity on its dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth your glory.
16 For the LORD will build up Zion; he will appear in his glory.
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.
18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet unborn may praise the LORD:
19 that he looked down from his holy height, from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die;
21 so that the name of the LORD may be declared in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem,
22 when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.
25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you endure; they will all wear out like a garment. you change them like clothing, and they pass away;
27 but you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 The children of your servants shall live secure; their offspring shall be established in your presence.
(NRSV)
We tend to believe that God looks with favor on those who have wealth, popularity and possessions. It only seems right that the folks with lots of stuff have all that stuff because of God’s blessing on their lives. At least, that is the thinking of those of us who have more than a large percentage of the world’s population will ever dream of having. While there are those who have lots more than we have, there are considerably more who have a lot less than we have. It is always tempting to believe that we are among those blessed by God.
The psalmist reminds us that our God, Yahweh, has a heart for those who do not have a lot of stuff. God gives a different set of rich blessings to those who do not have a lot of material resources at their command. For several years research has shown that the most generous class of folks are those who are in poverty. They know what it is like to be without and if they can help someone else they are willing to do as they are able. As folks share limited resources, they also build strong communities based on shared suffering as well as shared resources. While having stuff may seem to be more fun, having a community full of relationships is more lasting and more fulfilling.
Those of us with stuff do well to build relationships with those who seem to be in want. It is possible that they will teach us how to live with less as they teach us about their real needs. We might also learn the importance of relationships, over having everything we think we might need. While God really does love each of us, it is those who relish the importance of relationship with God and with others who are most attuned to the love God offers.
September 9, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Psalm Meditation 690
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 8, 2013
Psalm 49
1 Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life, there is no price one can give to God for it.
8 For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice,
9 that one should live on forever and never see the grave.
10 When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy, the end of those who are pleased with their lot.Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.Selah
16 Do not be afraid when some become rich, when the wealth of their houses increases.
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not go down after them.
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy —for you are praised when you do well for yourself—
19 they will go to the company of their ancestors, who will never again see the light.
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
(NRSV)
In the psalmist’s time, it was believed that there was a limited amount of wealth available so the only way anyone could get rich was at the expense of someone else. In order for me to get rich I would have to take the resources out of your hands, land out from under your feet, food out of your mouth and so on. The folks who did get wealthy around the psalmist were thought to be guilty of great evil since they had, for all intents and purposes stolen their wealth from others.
We know that, while wealth is an ever expanding pool, it is often true that folks become rich by using the labor and resources of others. Sometimes those others are compensated for their labor and resources, fairly or not. Other times the resources are claimed in a way that requires no reimbursement, even though fairness might dictate otherwise.
The psalmist tells us not to worry about the folks who get rich because their wealth will not last beyond their own lifetime. When they die the riches they have worked so hard to attain will remain here on earth while they will be lost to Sheol. Since the psalmist and the folks addressed by the psalm have spent lives laboring after the things of God they know they will be redeemed from Sheol into the presence of God.
Eventually, we reap the reward of our efforts. Those who seek wealth will achieve that and will die. Those who seek a relationship with God will find that and will live in the presence of God.
September 3, 2013
Sixteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 8, 2013
Psalm 49
1 Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life, there is no price one can give to God for it.
8 For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice,
9 that one should live on forever and never see the grave.
10 When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy, the end of those who are pleased with their lot.Selah
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.Selah
16 Do not be afraid when some become rich, when the wealth of their houses increases.
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not go down after them.
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy —for you are praised when you do well for yourself—
19 they will go to the company of their ancestors, who will never again see the light.
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
(NRSV)
In the psalmist’s time, it was believed that there was a limited amount of wealth available so the only way anyone could get rich was at the expense of someone else. In order for me to get rich I would have to take the resources out of your hands, land out from under your feet, food out of your mouth and so on. The folks who did get wealthy around the psalmist were thought to be guilty of great evil since they had, for all intents and purposes stolen their wealth from others.
We know that, while wealth is an ever expanding pool, it is often true that folks become rich by using the labor and resources of others. Sometimes those others are compensated for their labor and resources, fairly or not. Other times the resources are claimed in a way that requires no reimbursement, even though fairness might dictate otherwise.
The psalmist tells us not to worry about the folks who get rich because their wealth will not last beyond their own lifetime. When they die the riches they have worked so hard to attain will remain here on earth while they will be lost to Sheol. Since the psalmist and the folks addressed by the psalm have spent lives laboring after the things of God they know they will be redeemed from Sheol into the presence of God.
Eventually, we reap the reward of our efforts. Those who seek wealth will achieve that and will die. Those who seek a relationship with God will find that and will live in the presence of God.
September 3, 2013
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