Psalm Meditation 697
Twenty third Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 27, 2013

Psalm 103
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul.
(NRSV)

The first two verses of this psalm were my wake up call from time to time when dad had the task of waking my younger brother and me. He would stand at the door and recite them with gentleness and enthusiasm. It is possible that he used other verses of psalms, hymns or poems on other mornings but this is the one I remember hearing. It was a reminder, or has become one, to start the day with a sense of holiness, thanksgiving and gratitude for all that God is and does among us.

There are folks who respond to a ‘good morning’ with a ‘what’s good about it?’ How might folks react if we ran through even a partial list of the psalmist’s reasons to bless God. ‘What’s good about this morning? God is good as we are offered forgiveness, redemption, vindication, justice, mercy, grace and steadfast love at the hand of God.’ That might be a little intense for someone who is off to a cynical start to the day, however it might be good to click those off in our own heads before we respond, ‘I wish you a good morning.’

As a morning person, I am inclined to bless God then. For those who function best at other times of the day it is good to spend a moment at the high point of the day remembering that God is with us, blesses us, loves us beyond our ability to comprehend, and enjoys our company in the moments we pause to reflect on the presence and blessings of God in our lives and the lives of those around us. Bless the LORD.

October 21, 2013