Psalm Meditation 737
Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time
August 3, 2014
Psalm 91
1 You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
2 will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress; my God, in whom I trust.”
3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the deadly pestilence;
4 he will cover you with his pinions, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by day,
6 or the pestilence that stalks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes and see the punishment of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the Most High your dwelling place,
10 no evil shall befall you, no scourge come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up, so that you will not dash your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you will trample under foot.
14 Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name.
15 When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them.
16 With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation.
(NRSV)
To take this psalm literally is dangerous to body and soul. To take this psalm seriously is quite another matter. We know that suffering is a part of the life of each person and that God does not pull us out of trouble when we get into it or put up a blockade to keep us out of the dangers that are a part of life. When Jesus was tempted with verses 11 and 12 he was unwilling to test the literal truth even as he was more than willing to put his whole faith and trust in God. There are people of faith who walk into dangerous situations and come out unharmed. There are other situations in which people of faith do get hurt and do get killed without regard to their faithfulness. And there are folks who walk into situations that seem dangerous and deadly to us which hold no fear for them. As people of faith we are not exempt from the suffering and danger of the world around us.
In times of crisis, people of faith have a touch point that is missing in the lives of others. We have a place, a person, where we can turn to keep our hope and courage centered. The presence of God does not change the outward appearance of the situation in any way. The presence of God does not keep us from hurting and suffering. The presence of God gives us hope that no matter what God is with us. God offers us the comfort of the divine presence. In most times of suffering the most comforting thing to know is that we are not alone.
I imagine that for the psalmist the phrase that gets left out of many of the sentences of this psalm is, ‘it is as if…’ Secure in the presence of God, it is as if we are covered by the wings of God, as if we are kept from injury and death, as if angels watch over us to keep us from even the smallest tripping hazard. The presence of God does not change what is going on around us, protect us from or pull us out of danger. The presence of God changes us, giving us help, hope and perspective in facing the trials of our lives.
July 28, 2014
LCM
Monday, July 28, 2014
Monday, July 21, 2014
Psalm Meditation 736
Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 27, 2014
Psalm 10
1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart, those greedy for gain curse and renounce the LORD.
4 In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, “God will not seek it out”; all their thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 Their ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of their sight; as for their foes, they scoff at them.
6 They think in their heart, “We shall not be moved; throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.”
7 Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.
8 They sit in ambush in the villages; in hiding places they murder the innocent. Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert; they lurk that they may seize the poor; they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.
10 They stoop, they crouch, and the helpless fall by their might.
11 They think in their heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
12 Rise up, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God, and say in their hearts, “You will not call us to account”?
14 But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief, that you may take it into your hands; the helpless commit themselves to you; you have been the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers; seek out their wickedness until you find none.
16 The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations shall perish from his land.
17 O LORD, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
18 to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed, so that those from earth may strike terror no more.
(NRSV)
We live in a world of abundance and behave as if we lived in a world of scarcity. Since there can’t possibly be enough to go around, I will grab for all I can at every opportunity. Once I have amassed the biggest pile of property, I will protect it from you so that you can’t get any of mine and then will do what I can to keep you from getting any from anywhere, let alone from me. Some of us are so convinced of the scarcity of the world’s resources that we use them sparingly after having collected them. We become hoarders and misers, fearful of anyone who appears to be a threat to our stuff.
In biblical times the belief was that there was a set limit to wealth that had already been realized and the only way to get more was at the expense of someone else. That meant that the only way to get rich was by taking from someone else and in the case of the very rich, by taking from everyone else. While we know that there is a limit to the resources of the earth, we have not reached the point of there being no more wealth available. It is possible that making resources available to those who have little to none will actually open up new economic horizons for those with as well as those without wealth in the current scheme of things.
No matter the current state of the economy, it falls to the people of God to share our resources with those who have none. It is not because they deserve it or have done something to earn it, so much as it is an expression of gratitude on our part for the gracious generosity that comes from God. Since all we have comes from God and since God leans toward helping those who cannot help themselves, we do well to help others with a gracious and generous hand as people of God, set apart for service.
July 21, 2014
LCM
Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 27, 2014
Psalm 10
1 Why, O LORD, do you stand far off? Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?
2 In arrogance the wicked persecute the poor—let them be caught in the schemes they have devised.
3 For the wicked boast of the desires of their heart, those greedy for gain curse and renounce the LORD.
4 In the pride of their countenance the wicked say, “God will not seek it out”; all their thoughts are, “There is no God.”
5 Their ways prosper at all times; your judgments are on high, out of their sight; as for their foes, they scoff at them.
6 They think in their heart, “We shall not be moved; throughout all generations we shall not meet adversity.”
7 Their mouths are filled with cursing and deceit and oppression; under their tongues are mischief and iniquity.
8 They sit in ambush in the villages; in hiding places they murder the innocent. Their eyes stealthily watch for the helpless;
9 they lurk in secret like a lion in its covert; they lurk that they may seize the poor; they seize the poor and drag them off in their net.
10 They stoop, they crouch, and the helpless fall by their might.
11 They think in their heart, “God has forgotten, he has hidden his face, he will never see it.”
12 Rise up, O LORD; O God, lift up your hand; do not forget the oppressed.
13 Why do the wicked renounce God, and say in their hearts, “You will not call us to account”?
14 But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief, that you may take it into your hands; the helpless commit themselves to you; you have been the helper of the orphan.
15 Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers; seek out their wickedness until you find none.
16 The LORD is king forever and ever; the nations shall perish from his land.
17 O LORD, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear
18 to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed, so that those from earth may strike terror no more.
(NRSV)
We live in a world of abundance and behave as if we lived in a world of scarcity. Since there can’t possibly be enough to go around, I will grab for all I can at every opportunity. Once I have amassed the biggest pile of property, I will protect it from you so that you can’t get any of mine and then will do what I can to keep you from getting any from anywhere, let alone from me. Some of us are so convinced of the scarcity of the world’s resources that we use them sparingly after having collected them. We become hoarders and misers, fearful of anyone who appears to be a threat to our stuff.
In biblical times the belief was that there was a set limit to wealth that had already been realized and the only way to get more was at the expense of someone else. That meant that the only way to get rich was by taking from someone else and in the case of the very rich, by taking from everyone else. While we know that there is a limit to the resources of the earth, we have not reached the point of there being no more wealth available. It is possible that making resources available to those who have little to none will actually open up new economic horizons for those with as well as those without wealth in the current scheme of things.
No matter the current state of the economy, it falls to the people of God to share our resources with those who have none. It is not because they deserve it or have done something to earn it, so much as it is an expression of gratitude on our part for the gracious generosity that comes from God. Since all we have comes from God and since God leans toward helping those who cannot help themselves, we do well to help others with a gracious and generous hand as people of God, set apart for service.
July 21, 2014
LCM
Monday, July 14, 2014
Psalm Meditation 735
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 20, 2014
Psalm 142
1 With my voice I cry to the LORD; with my voice I make supplication to the LORD.
2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit is faint, you know my way. In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look on my right hand and see—there is no one who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me; no one cares for me.
5 I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low. Save me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring me out of prison, so that I may give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.
(NRSV)
Most of us feel abandoned from time to time, as if no one cares about us at all. There are some folks for whom that is true, who have no one who calls them by name, any name. They have few choices in their lives, especially when it comes to leaving a legacy. They can attempt to make a name for themselves through an incredible act of violence that draws attention from all of us who have previously ignored them. They can give up and let themselves fade away without any notice from the rest of us. They can turn to God, who knows each one of us, and live in the assurance that God is aware of their presence even if no one else is.
The psalmist chooses to turn to God, to take refuge in God’s presence. In the face of persecution the psalmist turns to God for relief rather than giving up or lashing out at these persecutors. Do the externals of the situation change? Probably not. Aren’t folks still out to get this person? Probably so. In many cases, the presence of God makes a world of difference even if the external pieces of a situation remain unchanged. The presence of God does more to change us than what is going on around us.
God is always a choice. When we turn to God feeling helpless, hopeless and worthless we find, at the very least, a sense of worth in the presence of God. As we find the assurance that our lives matter to God we find a new or renewed sense of hope in the future. As we grow in hope we find the strength to do things for ourselves and for others. We may not be remembered outside a small circle of influence, however we will know that we are in the presence of God who is the source of our help and hope and worth.
July 14, 2014
LCM
Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 20, 2014
Psalm 142
1 With my voice I cry to the LORD; with my voice I make supplication to the LORD.
2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit is faint, you know my way. In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.
4 Look on my right hand and see—there is no one who takes notice of me;
no refuge remains to me; no one cares for me.
5 I cry to you, O LORD; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.”
6 Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low. Save me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me.
7 Bring me out of prison, so that I may give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me.
(NRSV)
Most of us feel abandoned from time to time, as if no one cares about us at all. There are some folks for whom that is true, who have no one who calls them by name, any name. They have few choices in their lives, especially when it comes to leaving a legacy. They can attempt to make a name for themselves through an incredible act of violence that draws attention from all of us who have previously ignored them. They can give up and let themselves fade away without any notice from the rest of us. They can turn to God, who knows each one of us, and live in the assurance that God is aware of their presence even if no one else is.
The psalmist chooses to turn to God, to take refuge in God’s presence. In the face of persecution the psalmist turns to God for relief rather than giving up or lashing out at these persecutors. Do the externals of the situation change? Probably not. Aren’t folks still out to get this person? Probably so. In many cases, the presence of God makes a world of difference even if the external pieces of a situation remain unchanged. The presence of God does more to change us than what is going on around us.
God is always a choice. When we turn to God feeling helpless, hopeless and worthless we find, at the very least, a sense of worth in the presence of God. As we find the assurance that our lives matter to God we find a new or renewed sense of hope in the future. As we grow in hope we find the strength to do things for ourselves and for others. We may not be remembered outside a small circle of influence, however we will know that we are in the presence of God who is the source of our help and hope and worth.
July 14, 2014
LCM
Monday, July 7, 2014
Psalm Meditation 734
Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 13, 2014
Psalm 59
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from those who work evil; from the bloodthirsty save me.
3 Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,
4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Rouse yourself, come to my help and see!
5 You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel. Awake to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
6 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths, with sharp words on their lips—
for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
8 But you laugh at them, O LORD; you hold all the nations in derision.
9 O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress.
10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
11 Do not kill them, or my people may forget; make them totter by your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13 consume them in wrath; consume them until they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah
14 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
15 They roam about for food, and growl if they do not get their fill.
16 But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
(NRSV)
Sometimes we make our enemies by our actions and attitudes and sometimes our enemies choose us for reasons of their own that may have nothing to do with who we are and what we have done. Either way, when the attacks come we find ourselves calling out for protection and deliverance. We may have established a pattern of abuses and our enemies finally weary of it and rise up to attack in retaliation. We may simply be at a certain place at an inopportune time and be chosen by someone as the enemy of the day. The attacks are devastating no matter what the provocation. We turn to God for protection from our enemies.
In some cases we pray for the total destruction and elimination of our enemies, in this case the psalmist asks that the enemy be left with no power to rise up and that they consume themselves in their pride, curses and lies. As that happens it falls to the people of God to acknowledge God’s activity in our lives, rather than suddenly claim the victory as our own, forgetting about all the ways God has been at work in us. If we allow ourselves to become proud in the face of victory we run the risk of being consumed ourselves in our pride, curses and lies.
To be the people of God is to see God as active in our lives and in the lives of those around us. In some instances God will be building us up, in others God will be judging us, in all instances God will be loving us steadfastly and wholeheartedly. As people of God we look for the activity of God in our lives so that we can participate with God to the best of our ability. Where we are being built up, we exercise that gifts God is giving us, where we are being judged we are moved to repent, in all things we watch for and sing the praises of God.
July 7, 2014
LCM
Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 13, 2014
Psalm 59
1 Deliver me from my enemies, O my God; protect me from those who rise up against me.
2 Deliver me from those who work evil; from the bloodthirsty save me.
3 Even now they lie in wait for my life; the mighty stir up strife against me. For no transgression or sin of mine, O LORD,
4 for no fault of mine, they run and make ready. Rouse yourself, come to my help and see!
5 You, LORD God of hosts, are God of Israel. Awake to punish all the nations;
spare none of those who treacherously plot evil. Selah
6 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
7 There they are, bellowing with their mouths, with sharp words on their lips—
for “Who,” they think, “will hear us?”
8 But you laugh at them, O LORD; you hold all the nations in derision.
9 O my strength, I will watch for you; for you, O God, are my fortress.
10 My God in his steadfast love will meet me; my God will let me look in triumph on my enemies.
11 Do not kill them, or my people may forget; make them totter by your power, and bring them down, O Lord, our shield.
12 For the sin of their mouths, the words of their lips, let them be trapped in their pride. For the cursing and lies that they utter,
13 consume them in wrath; consume them until they are no more. Then it will be known to the ends of the earth that God rules over Jacob. Selah
14 Each evening they come back, howling like dogs and prowling about the city.
15 They roam about for food, and growl if they do not get their fill.
16 But I will sing of your might; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been a fortress for me and a refuge in the day of my distress.
17 O my strength, I will sing praises to you, for you, O God, are my fortress,
the God who shows me steadfast love.
(NRSV)
Sometimes we make our enemies by our actions and attitudes and sometimes our enemies choose us for reasons of their own that may have nothing to do with who we are and what we have done. Either way, when the attacks come we find ourselves calling out for protection and deliverance. We may have established a pattern of abuses and our enemies finally weary of it and rise up to attack in retaliation. We may simply be at a certain place at an inopportune time and be chosen by someone as the enemy of the day. The attacks are devastating no matter what the provocation. We turn to God for protection from our enemies.
In some cases we pray for the total destruction and elimination of our enemies, in this case the psalmist asks that the enemy be left with no power to rise up and that they consume themselves in their pride, curses and lies. As that happens it falls to the people of God to acknowledge God’s activity in our lives, rather than suddenly claim the victory as our own, forgetting about all the ways God has been at work in us. If we allow ourselves to become proud in the face of victory we run the risk of being consumed ourselves in our pride, curses and lies.
To be the people of God is to see God as active in our lives and in the lives of those around us. In some instances God will be building us up, in others God will be judging us, in all instances God will be loving us steadfastly and wholeheartedly. As people of God we look for the activity of God in our lives so that we can participate with God to the best of our ability. Where we are being built up, we exercise that gifts God is giving us, where we are being judged we are moved to repent, in all things we watch for and sing the praises of God.
July 7, 2014
LCM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)