Psalm Meditation 824
Second Sunday of Easter
April 3, 2016
Psalm 74
1 O God, why do you cast us off forever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture?
2 Remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago, which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage. Remember Mount Zion, where you came to dwell.
3 Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins; the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary.
4 Your foes have roared within your holy place; they set up their emblems there.
5 At the upper entrance they hacked the wooden trellis with axes.
6 And then, with hatchets and hammers, they smashed all its carved work.
7 They set your sanctuary on fire; they desecrated the dwelling place of your name, bringing it to the ground.
8 They said to themselves, “We will utterly subdue them”; they burned all the meeting places of God in the land.
9 We do not see our emblems; there is no longer any prophet, and there is no one among us who knows how long.
10 How long, O God, is the foe to scoff? Is the enemy to revile your name forever?
11 Why do you hold back your hand; why do you keep your hand in your bosom?
12 Yet God my King is from of old, working salvation in the earth.
13 You divided the sea by your might; you broke the heads of the dragons in the waters.
14 You crushed the heads of Leviathan; you gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness.
15 You cut openings for springs and torrents; you dried up ever-flowing streams.
16 Yours is the day, yours also the night; you established the luminaries and the sun.
17 You have fixed all the bounds of the earth; you made summer and winter.
18 Remember this, O LORD, how the enemy scoffs, and an impious people reviles your name.
19 Do not deliver the soul of your dove to the wild animals; do not forget the life of your poor forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant, for the dark places of the land are full of the haunts of violence.
21 Do not let the downtrodden be put to shame; let the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, plead your cause; remember how the impious scoff at you all day long.
23 Do not forget the clamor of your foes, the uproar of your adversaries that goes up continually.
(NRSV)
In the midst of devastation and conquest, in which the psalmist describes the overthrow of the government and the destruction of the Temple, there rises the reminder that God has a long history with the people that cannot be discounted. Crying out for God to step in and fix this problem, the psalmist is brought up short with the reminder that this is not the first time the people has been in trouble, the first time a battle or war has not gone their way. The psalmist continues to hope that God will fix this situation and that hope is given credence by remembering God’s history with the people.
Certainly the God who created the earth and all that is in it, who subdued the wild creatures of the chaotic seas, can deliver this chosen people safe from a human enemy. ‘And in the event another incentive is needed, this human enemy is also making fun of you, God. If you won’t stop them for our sakes, do it for your own.’ It is a human tendency to believe that our God has the same temperament as we; that God would be offended by the scoffing and reviling of those who have conquered God’s people.
When we begin to feel defeated by all that rises against us we too can remember that we have a long history with the God of all creation. That long history is made up of God acting in God’s good time, rather than according to our time schedule. Problems arise for us when we are more intent on God’s timing than on God’s acting. While we get impatient for God to take some action, God is waiting for the opportune time in which to act. The important part to remember is that God is with us, has been for a long time and is likely to be for a long time yet.
March 28, 2016
LCM
Monday, March 28, 2016
Monday, March 21, 2016
Psalm Meditation 823
Easter
March 27, 2016
Psalm 124
1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side —let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
(NRSV)
This enemy of Israel is compared to the power of the sea; floods, torrents and raging waters. The psalmist describes Israel as a bird trapped in a snare. There is no contest between a trapped bird and a raging sea, except when the presence of God is factored in. When God is present the trap is broken open and Israel is able to escape the sure destruction awaiting them. The victory is not in defeating the enemy, it is in escaping the battle and surviving. Survival is something for which to give God thanks.
For most of us, our daily battles are not against armies in full combat gear marching against us. Our battles tend to be with our fears and doubts that rise up against us from the inside. These fears know our weaknesses and look for ways to exploit them in ways that make us feel weaker and less prepared than we need to given our skills and abilities. The fears trap us and threaten to overwhelm us like the trapped bird of the psalm.
The presence of God in our lives frees us from the traps set by fear and doubt. We may not be able to rise to full scope of our skills and abilities but we can escape the doubts and fears in a way that allows us to see ourselves as survivors in the face of all that might come our way. God is with us to use our doubts and fears to push us forward. God is with us to quiet our doubts and fears to allow us to move forward. God is with us despite our doubts and fears to move us forward. God is with us to allow us to escape our doubts and fears. “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
March 21, 2016
LCM
Easter
March 27, 2016
Psalm 124
1 If it had not been the LORD who was on our side —let Israel now say—
2 if it had not been the LORD who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us,
3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us;
4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us;
5 then over us would have gone the raging waters.
6 Blessed be the LORD, who has not given us as prey to their teeth.
7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped.
8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.
(NRSV)
This enemy of Israel is compared to the power of the sea; floods, torrents and raging waters. The psalmist describes Israel as a bird trapped in a snare. There is no contest between a trapped bird and a raging sea, except when the presence of God is factored in. When God is present the trap is broken open and Israel is able to escape the sure destruction awaiting them. The victory is not in defeating the enemy, it is in escaping the battle and surviving. Survival is something for which to give God thanks.
For most of us, our daily battles are not against armies in full combat gear marching against us. Our battles tend to be with our fears and doubts that rise up against us from the inside. These fears know our weaknesses and look for ways to exploit them in ways that make us feel weaker and less prepared than we need to given our skills and abilities. The fears trap us and threaten to overwhelm us like the trapped bird of the psalm.
The presence of God in our lives frees us from the traps set by fear and doubt. We may not be able to rise to full scope of our skills and abilities but we can escape the doubts and fears in a way that allows us to see ourselves as survivors in the face of all that might come our way. God is with us to use our doubts and fears to push us forward. God is with us to quiet our doubts and fears to allow us to move forward. God is with us despite our doubts and fears to move us forward. God is with us to allow us to escape our doubts and fears. “Our help is in the name of the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
March 21, 2016
LCM
Monday, March 14, 2016
Psalm Meditation 822
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 20, 2016
Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4 One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, LORD, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
10 If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
(NRSV)
One of the images that comes to mind here is of a child hiding behind a parent’s leg, taunting the person who has been previously the aggressor. A stuck out tongue, thumbs in ears saying, ‘come and get me now, bully.’ It works well until the parent catches the child in the taunting. Having removed the child from the immediate danger, the parent bends down and says, ‘Yes, you are protected; that does not give you free rein to pick back at the one who has been bullying you.’
In time of trouble we seek the presence of God where we have come to expect protection from our enemies and adversaries. Once we experience the reassuring presence of God we begin to want a life that follows the pattern and example we find in God’s presence. We want to learn the ways of God because of the comfort and assurance we have received. We want to be able to bring others into the presence of God so that they too can find comfort and joy for themselves.
As we have taken refuge in the presence of our parents and in the presence of God, some of us get the privilege of offering that sense of safety and strength to others. Some may take physical refuge in our presence, hiding behind our legs for protection, others will find in us an assurance of peace and acceptance from us. Hopefully, prayerfully, we can guide those folks into the presence of God where they can, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”
March 14, 2016
LCM
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 20, 2016
Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4 One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, LORD, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
10 If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
(NRSV)
One of the images that comes to mind here is of a child hiding behind a parent’s leg, taunting the person who has been previously the aggressor. A stuck out tongue, thumbs in ears saying, ‘come and get me now, bully.’ It works well until the parent catches the child in the taunting. Having removed the child from the immediate danger, the parent bends down and says, ‘Yes, you are protected; that does not give you free rein to pick back at the one who has been bullying you.’
In time of trouble we seek the presence of God where we have come to expect protection from our enemies and adversaries. Once we experience the reassuring presence of God we begin to want a life that follows the pattern and example we find in God’s presence. We want to learn the ways of God because of the comfort and assurance we have received. We want to be able to bring others into the presence of God so that they too can find comfort and joy for themselves.
As we have taken refuge in the presence of our parents and in the presence of God, some of us get the privilege of offering that sense of safety and strength to others. Some may take physical refuge in our presence, hiding behind our legs for protection, others will find in us an assurance of peace and acceptance from us. Hopefully, prayerfully, we can guide those folks into the presence of God where they can, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”
March 14, 2016
LCM
Tuesday, March 8, 2016
Psalm Meditation 821
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 13, 2016
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
We each have events in our lives that are life altering. Some of those are lessons learned and the actual events are forgotten as inconsequential even as the learning remains. Other life changing experiences are memorable as events as well as in lessons learned. The important part may not be the event or series of events themselves as much as the lessons we learn as we go through these trials. Is the psalmist going through things that will be remembered years from now or will the only memory be of the importance of calling to mind the deeds of the Lord?
Whether it is a first time to feel abandoned by God or something deeper that opens the psalmist to question God’s presence, there is a darkness to face. The psalm teaches us to face the question of God’s absence or presence by looking to all the ways God has been present in the past. With a slight change of perspective we can see that God is at work in a variety of ways no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves.
If God is not always directly involved in the resolution of events in my life, God has been at work in and around me. I may not be able to notice how God is active in my life without looking back on the events with a bit more wisdom and a more distant view of a particular experience. While we may not notice in the heat of the moment we know with the assurance of history and experience that God is with us.
March 8, 2016
LCM
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 13, 2016
Psalm 77
1 I cry aloud to God, aloud to God, that he may hear me.
2 In the day of my trouble I seek the Lord; in the night my hand is stretched out without wearying; my soul refuses to be comforted.
3 I think of God, and I moan; I meditate, and my spirit faints. Selah
4 You keep my eyelids from closing; I am so troubled that I cannot speak.
5 I consider the days of old, and remember the years of long ago.
6 I commune with my heart in the night; I meditate and search my spirit:
7 “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable?
8 Has his steadfast love ceased forever? Are his promises at an end for all time?
9 Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah
10 And I say, “It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.”
11 I will call to mind the deeds of the LORD; I will remember your wonders of old.
12 I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds.
13 Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God?
14 You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples.
15 With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. Selah
16 When the waters saw you, O God, when the waters saw you, they were afraid; the very deep trembled.
17 The clouds poured out water; the skies thundered; your arrows flashed on every side.
18 The crash of your thunder was in the whirlwind; your lightnings lit up the world; the earth trembled and shook.
19 Your way was through the sea, your path, through the mighty waters; yet your footprints were unseen.
20 You led your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.
(NRSV)
We each have events in our lives that are life altering. Some of those are lessons learned and the actual events are forgotten as inconsequential even as the learning remains. Other life changing experiences are memorable as events as well as in lessons learned. The important part may not be the event or series of events themselves as much as the lessons we learn as we go through these trials. Is the psalmist going through things that will be remembered years from now or will the only memory be of the importance of calling to mind the deeds of the Lord?
Whether it is a first time to feel abandoned by God or something deeper that opens the psalmist to question God’s presence, there is a darkness to face. The psalm teaches us to face the question of God’s absence or presence by looking to all the ways God has been present in the past. With a slight change of perspective we can see that God is at work in a variety of ways no matter the circumstances in which we find ourselves.
If God is not always directly involved in the resolution of events in my life, God has been at work in and around me. I may not be able to notice how God is active in my life without looking back on the events with a bit more wisdom and a more distant view of a particular experience. While we may not notice in the heat of the moment we know with the assurance of history and experience that God is with us.
March 8, 2016
LCM
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