Psalm Meditation 833
Proper 5
June 5, 2016
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)
Imagine your child, grandchild or your best friend sitting stone faced and still in your presence, afraid to move or speak or make any noise at all for fear of offending or even angering you. And now imagine your reaction to this behavior from your loved one. It is painful to know that there is some wall or wedge between you, even when you know what it is. If you know that your relative or friend has become afraid of you, especially when they are afraid because they have been told by someone they trust that you are scary and will fly off the handle for the smallest reason.
Now think of your behavior when you are aware that you are in the presence of God. In a time of worship or formal prayer time you feel yourself being judged and found wanting, and you know that it is God whose ire you feel. You know this because someone you trust let you know that God is not one to be trifled with, God does not appreciate your enthusiasm or your reckless abandon as you enter this sacred time and place. What if that person you trust is simply passing on the fear of judgment they received from one they trusted. I think we are so afraid of offending God in our worship that we end up sucking the fun out of it and placing the blame on God.
Look again at verse 4, “For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.” God actually enjoys our company. God likes to see us enjoying ourselves and the people around us. Yes, there is a time for decorum, for our best behavior and sometimes that is during worship. There are other times in which it is important to let our joy out, to remind ourselves how enjoyable it is to be with the one who loves us deeper, higher and wider than anyone else loves us and beyond our ability to comprehend. Yes, I grew up with lots of people who told me that being with God is deathly serious. I am reminded every now and then that my whole life is spent in the presence of God. God is with me as I tell stories good and bad, God is with me when I go places that are safe and dangerous, and God is with me when I am aware and when I am not. And no matter what God loves me and you and all those other people we know and love and all those people who drive us to distraction.
May 30, 2016
LCM
Monday, May 30, 2016
Monday, May 23, 2016
Psalm Meditation 832
Proper 4
May 29, 2016
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling
12 kiss his feet, or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Happy are all who take refuge in him.
(NRSV)
I suppose we would not hear of a nation whose collective consciousness said, ‘We are a small, frail nation with no hope of ever being anything but small and frail, we better sit quietly and hope no one notices us.’ We are more likely to believe, ‘We are the best on earth, a force to be reckoned with so don’t turn your back on us unless you are willing to face the consequences.’ According to at least one biblical scholar, the nation of Israel was small and inconsequential as far as military/political powers go. At the same time they were in a great position, geographically and strategically, to defend themselves against most of their foes most of the time.
At the same time, they were a people of great faith who trusted that the God of Abraham and Sarah was watching out for them. If they were defeated it was the fault of the people and not of God. YHWH would keep them safe from all enemies and adversaries as long as they toed the line of covenant faithfulness. Once a rule was broken God turned away from the people and left them to suffer for a time as punishment for their sin of covenant breaking.
As our concept of leadership moved from that of absolute leader with absolute power to a broader distribution of power and influence we saw God in a new light as well. While there are those who see God as an absolute ruler waiting for us to make mistakes so that we can be punished, there are others who see God as one who loves us no matter what. God continues to be saddened, disappointed and angry with us over our actions, however the overarching trait of God is to love us. In this view God is more likely to entice us into faithfulness than to punish our lapses. God claims us each as a child who is loved and cared for as a unique and precious individual.
May 23, 2016
LCM
Proper 4
May 29, 2016
Psalm 2
1 Why do the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?
2 The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD and his anointed, saying,
3 “Let us burst their bonds asunder, and cast their cords from us.”
4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the LORD has them in derision.
5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying,
6 “I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill.”
7 I will tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.
9 You shall break them with a rod of iron, and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”
10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.
11 Serve the LORD with fear, with trembling
12 kiss his feet, or he will be angry, and you will perish in the way; for his wrath is quickly kindled. Happy are all who take refuge in him.
(NRSV)
I suppose we would not hear of a nation whose collective consciousness said, ‘We are a small, frail nation with no hope of ever being anything but small and frail, we better sit quietly and hope no one notices us.’ We are more likely to believe, ‘We are the best on earth, a force to be reckoned with so don’t turn your back on us unless you are willing to face the consequences.’ According to at least one biblical scholar, the nation of Israel was small and inconsequential as far as military/political powers go. At the same time they were in a great position, geographically and strategically, to defend themselves against most of their foes most of the time.
At the same time, they were a people of great faith who trusted that the God of Abraham and Sarah was watching out for them. If they were defeated it was the fault of the people and not of God. YHWH would keep them safe from all enemies and adversaries as long as they toed the line of covenant faithfulness. Once a rule was broken God turned away from the people and left them to suffer for a time as punishment for their sin of covenant breaking.
As our concept of leadership moved from that of absolute leader with absolute power to a broader distribution of power and influence we saw God in a new light as well. While there are those who see God as an absolute ruler waiting for us to make mistakes so that we can be punished, there are others who see God as one who loves us no matter what. God continues to be saddened, disappointed and angry with us over our actions, however the overarching trait of God is to love us. In this view God is more likely to entice us into faithfulness than to punish our lapses. God claims us each as a child who is loved and cared for as a unique and precious individual.
May 23, 2016
LCM
Monday, May 16, 2016
Psalm Meditation 831
Trinity Sunday
May 22, 2016
Psalm 126
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
(NRSV)
Every now and then it appears that we have been beaten down by the forces arrayed against us and the temptation is to give up, curl into the fetal position and wait to be overrun by those opposing forces. We know that we have no strength left with which to do battle, so we might as well admit defeat and walk away while we are still able to walk, hobble, get away. And then this psalm comes along to remind us that courage is not always in doing battle.
Through the entire conflict we have also been sowing seeds of one kind and another. Even in the face of defeat we have sown seeds as if we will be able to reap a harvest. And so we wait. We know that there is no way to rush the sprouting, blossoming and ripening of the crop we have planted. Impatience is nearly as overwhelming as the relentlessness of the opponent. In the midst of the impatience we notice the first small change and we begin to see a glimmer of hope.
The seeds we have planted give us hope. These are not victory gardens they are change gardens. The way it has always been slowly gives way to the way it can be bearing fruit into the future. No one really wins and no one really loses, the world simply changes as those seeds that seemed to be such a futile and pointless effort give rise to something new in our hearts and lives and in the hearts and lives of those around us, including those with whom we have been opposed. One crop will lead to another and the greatness of God will be revealed.
May 16, 2016
LCM
Trinity Sunday
May 22, 2016
Psalm 126
1 When the LORD restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream.
2 Then our mouth was filled with laughter, and our tongue with shouts of joy;
then it was said among the nations, “The LORD has done great things for them.”
3 The LORD has done great things for us, and we rejoiced.
4 Restore our fortunes, O LORD, like the watercourses in the Negeb.
5 May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy.
6 Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
(NRSV)
Every now and then it appears that we have been beaten down by the forces arrayed against us and the temptation is to give up, curl into the fetal position and wait to be overrun by those opposing forces. We know that we have no strength left with which to do battle, so we might as well admit defeat and walk away while we are still able to walk, hobble, get away. And then this psalm comes along to remind us that courage is not always in doing battle.
Through the entire conflict we have also been sowing seeds of one kind and another. Even in the face of defeat we have sown seeds as if we will be able to reap a harvest. And so we wait. We know that there is no way to rush the sprouting, blossoming and ripening of the crop we have planted. Impatience is nearly as overwhelming as the relentlessness of the opponent. In the midst of the impatience we notice the first small change and we begin to see a glimmer of hope.
The seeds we have planted give us hope. These are not victory gardens they are change gardens. The way it has always been slowly gives way to the way it can be bearing fruit into the future. No one really wins and no one really loses, the world simply changes as those seeds that seemed to be such a futile and pointless effort give rise to something new in our hearts and lives and in the hearts and lives of those around us, including those with whom we have been opposed. One crop will lead to another and the greatness of God will be revealed.
May 16, 2016
LCM
Monday, May 9, 2016
Psalm Meditation 830
Pentecost
May 15, 2016
Psalm 75
1 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks; your name is near. People tell of your wondrous deeds.
2 At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.
3 When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants, it is I who keep its pillars steady .Selah
4 I say to the boastful, “Do not boast,” and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with insolent neck.”
6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up;
7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed;
he will pour a draught from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.
9 But I will rejoice forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
(NRSV)
In some areas we judge ourselves much more harshly than we do those around us and in other areas we are more brutal with those around us than with ourselves. Whether we are easy on ourselves and ruthless with those around us or the other way around, it has to do with the information available to us. We know our own motivation and we hear the voices in our own heads in a way that we cannot know for those around us. Depending on motives vs. results is never going to give us a fair reading of how we stack up against those with whom we compare ourselves.
While we may see ourselves and those around us as sinners we may give ourselves the benefit of the doubt because our intentions were good in a particular situation. Everyone else is guilty of sin because we see their actions without knowing what they may have intended the outcome to be. On one side of the equation we know too much and on the other side we know too little. In the event that the categories are reversed, that we are more cruel to ourselves than to others, it is still a matter of knowing too much about ourselves and not enough about the others.
It is good that the psalmist reminds us that it is God who executes judgment. We will continue to judge each other as to our actions, motivations and results. We will continue to give too much credit to one side or the other due to faulty and incomplete information. The final word comes from God who sees the whole picture of action, motive and result for each one of us. Despite our best efforts, our judgments do not sway the heart of God. Fortunately for us, the judgment of God is swayed more by love than by our ideas of who is good and who is not.
May 9, 2016
LCM
Pentecost
May 15, 2016
Psalm 75
1 We give thanks to you, O God; we give thanks; your name is near. People tell of your wondrous deeds.
2 At the set time that I appoint I will judge with equity.
3 When the earth totters, with all its inhabitants, it is I who keep its pillars steady .Selah
4 I say to the boastful, “Do not boast,” and to the wicked, “Do not lift up your horn;
5 do not lift up your horn on high, or speak with insolent neck.”
6 For not from the east or from the west and not from the wilderness comes lifting up;
7 but it is God who executes judgment, putting down one and lifting up another.
8 For in the hand of the LORD there is a cup with foaming wine, well mixed;
he will pour a draught from it, and all the wicked of the earth shall drain it down to the dregs.
9 But I will rejoice forever; I will sing praises to the God of Jacob.
10 All the horns of the wicked I will cut off, but the horns of the righteous shall be exalted.
(NRSV)
In some areas we judge ourselves much more harshly than we do those around us and in other areas we are more brutal with those around us than with ourselves. Whether we are easy on ourselves and ruthless with those around us or the other way around, it has to do with the information available to us. We know our own motivation and we hear the voices in our own heads in a way that we cannot know for those around us. Depending on motives vs. results is never going to give us a fair reading of how we stack up against those with whom we compare ourselves.
While we may see ourselves and those around us as sinners we may give ourselves the benefit of the doubt because our intentions were good in a particular situation. Everyone else is guilty of sin because we see their actions without knowing what they may have intended the outcome to be. On one side of the equation we know too much and on the other side we know too little. In the event that the categories are reversed, that we are more cruel to ourselves than to others, it is still a matter of knowing too much about ourselves and not enough about the others.
It is good that the psalmist reminds us that it is God who executes judgment. We will continue to judge each other as to our actions, motivations and results. We will continue to give too much credit to one side or the other due to faulty and incomplete information. The final word comes from God who sees the whole picture of action, motive and result for each one of us. Despite our best efforts, our judgments do not sway the heart of God. Fortunately for us, the judgment of God is swayed more by love than by our ideas of who is good and who is not.
May 9, 2016
LCM
Monday, May 2, 2016
Psalm Meditation 829
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 8, 2016
Psalm 125
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers. Peace be upon Israel!
(NRSV)
We are not the first generation, and we are not likely to be the last that calls something faithfulness to God that is actually pretty far from the faith to which God calls us and we claim to respond. God has a soft spot for the downtrodden, the oppressed and the excluded so when someone claims that God supports the person/people in power it is likely not the voice of God that is being heard. When our God wants us to be rich, to have everything our little hearts desire, it is not the God of Abraham and Sarah.
We do our best to make it sound as if we are the downtrodden as folks begin to question and challenge our power position. Even then we are not the downtrodden and oppressed for whom God’s heart beats. When we look up at those in power and know that it is a matter of time before we trade places with them we are not in the forefront of God’s mind and heart. The word of God is not for those whose power is waxing or waning it is for those for whom power is a foreign concept.
The word, power and presence of God are for those whose voices are not heard in the halls of power. The chances are good that if you are reading this the word of God is not directed in your favor. There is a voice around you whispering a need. God hears it and invites us to quiet our power seeking, power challenging rhetoric long enough to hear the voices drowned out by our rancor. ‘Be still and know that I am God’ is also an invitation to be still in order to hear the voices of the people of God.
May 2, 2016
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 8, 2016
Psalm 125
1 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
2 As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people, from this time on and forevermore.
3 For the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous, so that the righteous might not stretch out their hands to do wrong.
4 Do good, O LORD, to those who are good, and to those who are upright in their hearts.
5 But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways the LORD will lead away with evildoers. Peace be upon Israel!
(NRSV)
We are not the first generation, and we are not likely to be the last that calls something faithfulness to God that is actually pretty far from the faith to which God calls us and we claim to respond. God has a soft spot for the downtrodden, the oppressed and the excluded so when someone claims that God supports the person/people in power it is likely not the voice of God that is being heard. When our God wants us to be rich, to have everything our little hearts desire, it is not the God of Abraham and Sarah.
We do our best to make it sound as if we are the downtrodden as folks begin to question and challenge our power position. Even then we are not the downtrodden and oppressed for whom God’s heart beats. When we look up at those in power and know that it is a matter of time before we trade places with them we are not in the forefront of God’s mind and heart. The word of God is not for those whose power is waxing or waning it is for those for whom power is a foreign concept.
The word, power and presence of God are for those whose voices are not heard in the halls of power. The chances are good that if you are reading this the word of God is not directed in your favor. There is a voice around you whispering a need. God hears it and invites us to quiet our power seeking, power challenging rhetoric long enough to hear the voices drowned out by our rancor. ‘Be still and know that I am God’ is also an invitation to be still in order to hear the voices of the people of God.
May 2, 2016
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/
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