Psalm Meditation 772
Easter
April 5, 2015
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(NRSV)
Imagine what life would be if we never suffered, never went through trials, not even an injury or an argument. We wish for lives like that when we are in the midst of suffering, however to spend a whole life without a worry, care or injury seems to be a pretty boring way to get through our lives. I hope that when we ask God for protection it is not from every little hurt, slight or injury. Most of us learn more by the consequences or our actions then we do by the words of those around us. Not to suffer means no consequences and no growth.
Somewhere between no suffering and monumental trials is where most of us live out our lives. At every point along that bell curve there are those who turn to God and those who don’t. It seems that those who turn to God get through life with less stress and anxiety because we know we are not alone. As we build a relationship with God we find ourselves building relationships with other people who also look to God for help and hope.
Some folks see God as the one who delivers us from suffering while others see God as being with us, standing alongside us as we go through the suffering that seems to be a part of life. Either way we know that God is with us. We know that the people of God are with us. We know that whether we are delivered from suffering or are companioned through our suffering we are in the presence of God who is a source of rejoicing and rest.
March 30, 2015
LCM
Monday, March 30, 2015
Monday, March 23, 2015
Psalm Meditation 771
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 29, 2015
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
God created the universe and led the people out of exile because we deserved it, because we paid our own way out, because we were so faithful we earned God’s help. If you read the first half of each verse, it might be possible to see things this way. When no reason is given for something there is a part of us that wants to decide it is due to our own agency in the matter. Yes, we are willing to say that God did all this for us, and we are just as willing to declare that it is because we deserve it.
When we read the second half of the verse, God’s reasoning becomes more clear. It is not out of our deserving, it is out of God’s steadfast love for us. We tend to become desensitized to things we experience often. As we moved into a new town, I asked a lifelong resident how often the trains came through. He said he didn’t even notice anymore. Within a few months I too no longer noticed. It is possible to inoculate ourselves against what we regularly experience. “For his steadfast love endures forever” is as easy to skip over as it is to read and comprehend.
On the other hand, a psychology professor told us that we believe anything we have heard ten times or more. We have the choice; do we tune out the response that God loves us forever or do we hear it, claim it and let it change our lives? As tempting as it may be to skip over the second part of each of these verses, once we realize it is repetitive, it will serve us well to read that part aloud. It can’t hurt to know, “his steadfast love endures forever.”
March 23, 2015
LCM
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 29, 2015
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
God created the universe and led the people out of exile because we deserved it, because we paid our own way out, because we were so faithful we earned God’s help. If you read the first half of each verse, it might be possible to see things this way. When no reason is given for something there is a part of us that wants to decide it is due to our own agency in the matter. Yes, we are willing to say that God did all this for us, and we are just as willing to declare that it is because we deserve it.
When we read the second half of the verse, God’s reasoning becomes more clear. It is not out of our deserving, it is out of God’s steadfast love for us. We tend to become desensitized to things we experience often. As we moved into a new town, I asked a lifelong resident how often the trains came through. He said he didn’t even notice anymore. Within a few months I too no longer noticed. It is possible to inoculate ourselves against what we regularly experience. “For his steadfast love endures forever” is as easy to skip over as it is to read and comprehend.
On the other hand, a psychology professor told us that we believe anything we have heard ten times or more. We have the choice; do we tune out the response that God loves us forever or do we hear it, claim it and let it change our lives? As tempting as it may be to skip over the second part of each of these verses, once we realize it is repetitive, it will serve us well to read that part aloud. It can’t hurt to know, “his steadfast love endures forever.”
March 23, 2015
LCM
Monday, March 16, 2015
Psalm Meditation 770
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 22, 2015
Psalm 65
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
(NRSV)
Some folks like the image of God as the great and powerful creator of all that is, the one who is strong enough to form all the stars and planets and put them into their places in the universe. Other folks like the image of God as the gentle and careful gardener and caretaker of the earth and its inhabitants. While we may be content with one image over the other, the truth is that God is both of those, and so much more. God is so much bigger, and so much more intimate than we are able to understand. While we may pick one image over the other, it does not mean that God is confined to the role we prefer.
God is present and active in the big things and the little things of our lives, and beyond. When we become aware of the presence of God, we can join in the celebration of God’s activity among us. We can rejoice in all the ways we experience God in our lives. God is not limited to what we notice and celebrate. God is active in a variety of ways beyond the limits of our senses. God is active whether we notice or not.
Erasmus, renaissance scholar, wrote, "Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit" meaning "Bidden or not bidden, God is present." Whether we see it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, God is with us as an active and loving presence in our lives and in the midst of all that is.
March 16, 2015
LCM
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 22, 2015
Psalm 65
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
(NRSV)
Some folks like the image of God as the great and powerful creator of all that is, the one who is strong enough to form all the stars and planets and put them into their places in the universe. Other folks like the image of God as the gentle and careful gardener and caretaker of the earth and its inhabitants. While we may be content with one image over the other, the truth is that God is both of those, and so much more. God is so much bigger, and so much more intimate than we are able to understand. While we may pick one image over the other, it does not mean that God is confined to the role we prefer.
God is present and active in the big things and the little things of our lives, and beyond. When we become aware of the presence of God, we can join in the celebration of God’s activity among us. We can rejoice in all the ways we experience God in our lives. God is not limited to what we notice and celebrate. God is active in a variety of ways beyond the limits of our senses. God is active whether we notice or not.
Erasmus, renaissance scholar, wrote, "Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit" meaning "Bidden or not bidden, God is present." Whether we see it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, God is with us as an active and loving presence in our lives and in the midst of all that is.
March 16, 2015
LCM
Monday, March 9, 2015
Psalm Meditation 769
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 15, 2015
Psalm 115
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.
2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throats.
8 Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
12 The LORD has been mindful of us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great.
14 May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to human beings.
17 The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the LORD from this time on and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
My guess is that as soon as anyone becomes aware that there is a religion besides their own, that other religion becomes a target of scorn and the followers of that religion are also discounted. We continue to spend lots of time and energy arguing the merits and demerits of ‘those’ people, so I won’t do that. It seems more important to concentrate on the other half of the psalm, the part that calls us to lives of trust.
There has been a time in which it seemed important for me to defend God from all the folks who had any question about God’s existence and presence. Then I became one of those folks who wondered if God exists. With help from lots of good people I found an assurance of God’s existence and presence. At about that same time I learned that it is more important to trust God than to try to defend God. Much like realizing that truth does not need to be defended, since it is true no matter what, I realized that I don’t really need to defend or prove the existence of God. I find myself trusting God.
The psalmist encourages us to trust God. As we are able to trust God we discover that God is our help and shield. That means that we don’t need to spend our energy defending God, we can use our energy trusting God. Some days it would be nice if we could trust God to pluck us out of the trouble spots in which we find ourselves. Most days it is good to trust that God is with us, no matter what hardships we may face.
March 9, 2015
LCM
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 15, 2015
Psalm 115
1 Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness.
2 Why should the nations say, “Where is their God?”
3 Our God is in the heavens; he does whatever he pleases.
4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see.
6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell.
7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; they make no sound in their throats.
8 Those who make them are like them; so are all who trust in them.
9 O Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.
12 The LORD has been mindful of us; he will bless us; he will bless the house of Israel; he will bless the house of Aaron;
13 he will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great.
14 May the LORD give you increase, both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
16 The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but the earth he has given to human beings.
17 The dead do not praise the LORD, nor do any that go down into silence.
18 But we will bless the LORD from this time on and forevermore.
Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
My guess is that as soon as anyone becomes aware that there is a religion besides their own, that other religion becomes a target of scorn and the followers of that religion are also discounted. We continue to spend lots of time and energy arguing the merits and demerits of ‘those’ people, so I won’t do that. It seems more important to concentrate on the other half of the psalm, the part that calls us to lives of trust.
There has been a time in which it seemed important for me to defend God from all the folks who had any question about God’s existence and presence. Then I became one of those folks who wondered if God exists. With help from lots of good people I found an assurance of God’s existence and presence. At about that same time I learned that it is more important to trust God than to try to defend God. Much like realizing that truth does not need to be defended, since it is true no matter what, I realized that I don’t really need to defend or prove the existence of God. I find myself trusting God.
The psalmist encourages us to trust God. As we are able to trust God we discover that God is our help and shield. That means that we don’t need to spend our energy defending God, we can use our energy trusting God. Some days it would be nice if we could trust God to pluck us out of the trouble spots in which we find ourselves. Most days it is good to trust that God is with us, no matter what hardships we may face.
March 9, 2015
LCM
Monday, March 2, 2015
Psalm Meditation 768
Third Sunday in Lent
March 8, 2015
Psalm 36
1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; there is no fear of God before their eyes.
2 For they flatter themselves in their own eyes that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit; they have ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 They plot mischief while on their beds; they are set on a way that is not good; they do not reject evil.
5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
10 O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me, or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie prostrate; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
(NRSV)
To be a Pollyanna is to find the best in everyone and everything. In most circles it is to be dangerously naïve about the world and its ways. We are quick to assign negative motives, such as greed, anger or ignorance, to those with whom we disagree, while giving ourselves and our group the benefit of the doubt. At the same time we want and expect God to see the best in us and to agree with us on the motives of our adversaries and opponents.
One of my teachers taught us about faith development with this story. We begin with a “Jesus loves me, this I know…” simplistic faith. We go through the trials and valleys, getting to the bottom and rebuilding our faith until we get to a point of simple faith, “Jesus loves me, this I know…” This is the difference between a Pollyanna view and a God view. Pollyanna sees the best in folks because she doesn’t know any better. God sees the best in folks because God chooses to see each of us at our best.
We can see those with whom we disagree as broken and evil, or we can realize that each one of us is a bundle of both good and evil. We can be dangerously naïve as Pollyanna, we can be dangerously realistic as we often are or we can take the radical step of seeing each person as a treasured child of God. Each has both dangers and rewards. By example, God calls us to steadfast love and faithfulness.
March 2, 2015
LCM
Third Sunday in Lent
March 8, 2015
Psalm 36
1 Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; there is no fear of God before their eyes.
2 For they flatter themselves in their own eyes that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated.
3 The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit; they have ceased to act wisely and do good.
4 They plot mischief while on their beds; they are set on a way that is not good; they do not reject evil.
5 Your steadfast love, O LORD, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds.
6 Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgments are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O LORD.
7 How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings.
8 They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
10 O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart!
11 Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me, or the hand of the wicked drive me away.
12 There the evildoers lie prostrate; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
(NRSV)
To be a Pollyanna is to find the best in everyone and everything. In most circles it is to be dangerously naïve about the world and its ways. We are quick to assign negative motives, such as greed, anger or ignorance, to those with whom we disagree, while giving ourselves and our group the benefit of the doubt. At the same time we want and expect God to see the best in us and to agree with us on the motives of our adversaries and opponents.
One of my teachers taught us about faith development with this story. We begin with a “Jesus loves me, this I know…” simplistic faith. We go through the trials and valleys, getting to the bottom and rebuilding our faith until we get to a point of simple faith, “Jesus loves me, this I know…” This is the difference between a Pollyanna view and a God view. Pollyanna sees the best in folks because she doesn’t know any better. God sees the best in folks because God chooses to see each of us at our best.
We can see those with whom we disagree as broken and evil, or we can realize that each one of us is a bundle of both good and evil. We can be dangerously naïve as Pollyanna, we can be dangerously realistic as we often are or we can take the radical step of seeing each person as a treasured child of God. Each has both dangers and rewards. By example, God calls us to steadfast love and faithfulness.
March 2, 2015
LCM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)