Psalm Meditation 868
Fifth Sunday After Epiphany
February 5, 2017
Psalm 14
1 Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.
3 They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the LORD?
5 There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the company of the righteous.
6 You would confound the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.
7 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When the LORD restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
(NRSV)
It is tempting to paint as godless everyone who does not believe the same things I believe. That makes for a very broad brush. I have been painted with that brush by those with whom I disagree. At times I wear that label proudly as a reminder that I am not one of those folks. This psalm is not really about beliefs, it is about putting our beliefs into action. Especially, it is about caring for the poor, all of whom have a special place in God’s heart.
It is tempting to blame poverty on those who live in it. If only they acted as I do and made the choices I make they would be in my same situation. In India, the answer to this thinking has been codified into the caste system. If you are born into a particular caste you are unable to rise above your birth and it is difficult to fall into the level below. While American culture does not have a strict caste system, we do have a habit of telling people by words and actions that they need to learn their place and stay in it. At the same time we tell stories of folks who have broken the barriers and risen above their station.
God and the psalmists do not tell us that we only need to care for those who are in poverty due to some unforeseen circumstance. We are to care for the poor because they are our brothers and sisters in the family of God. There is no word of blame for the poor. Blame is cast especially on those who take advantage of the poor in any way. There is also blame on those of us who do nothing to help. My friends and colleagues who work among those in poverty say that offering handouts is a temporary solution at best. While they help the individuals and families who come to them with daily bread, they also do what they can to change attitudes and systems that keep folks enmeshed in poverty.
January 30, 2017
LCM
Monday, January 30, 2017
Monday, January 23, 2017
Psalm Meditation 867
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
January 29, 2017
Psalm 39
1 I said, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will keep a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was silent and still; I held my peace to no avail; my distress grew worse,
3 my heart became hot within me. While I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight. Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Selah
6 Surely everyone goes about like a shadow. Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; they heap up, and do not know who will gather.
7 “And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool.
9 I am silent; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it.
10 Remove your stroke from me; I am worn down by the blows of your hand.
11 “You chastise mortals in punishment for sin, consuming like a moth what is dear to them; surely everyone is a mere breath. Selah
12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; do not hold your peace at my tears. For I am your passing guest, an alien, like all my forebears.
13 Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more.”
(NRSV)
A friend of mine asked his grandpa if drinking is a bad thing, and his grandpa responded that it is not so much the drinking as the people you drink with. It seems that the psalmist has been surrounded by a less than savory crowd so it becomes important not to become like them. Despite efforts to the contrary, the psalmist comes to a point at which a decision must be made. Is participation in this group sustainable or is it time to move on? The realization also dawns that there will be a price to pay for life in this group of wicked folks; and it is a steep price.
The psalmist decides to trust God for both punishment and deliverance from God’s wrath. The psalmist’s belief system holds that this punishment will be both fatal and eternal, thus the request for a moment of peace before the final disappearance. Good people were remembered by their loved ones and by God while wicked people were forgotten by all.
The groups in which we participate, the people with whom we spend time will change us, for better or worse. We may think that we are only on the fringes and so immune from the groups influence, however we are touched and changed by every group with which we spend any amount of time and effort. Each group will be changed by our contribution as well. The psalmist counsels us to choose with care and with an eye toward God.
January 23, 2017
LCM
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
January 29, 2017
Psalm 39
1 I said, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will keep a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.”
2 I was silent and still; I held my peace to no avail; my distress grew worse,
3 my heart became hot within me. While I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue:
4 “LORD, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight. Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Selah
6 Surely everyone goes about like a shadow. Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; they heap up, and do not know who will gather.
7 “And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you.
8 Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool.
9 I am silent; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it.
10 Remove your stroke from me; I am worn down by the blows of your hand.
11 “You chastise mortals in punishment for sin, consuming like a moth what is dear to them; surely everyone is a mere breath. Selah
12 “Hear my prayer, O LORD, and give ear to my cry; do not hold your peace at my tears. For I am your passing guest, an alien, like all my forebears.
13 Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more.”
(NRSV)
A friend of mine asked his grandpa if drinking is a bad thing, and his grandpa responded that it is not so much the drinking as the people you drink with. It seems that the psalmist has been surrounded by a less than savory crowd so it becomes important not to become like them. Despite efforts to the contrary, the psalmist comes to a point at which a decision must be made. Is participation in this group sustainable or is it time to move on? The realization also dawns that there will be a price to pay for life in this group of wicked folks; and it is a steep price.
The psalmist decides to trust God for both punishment and deliverance from God’s wrath. The psalmist’s belief system holds that this punishment will be both fatal and eternal, thus the request for a moment of peace before the final disappearance. Good people were remembered by their loved ones and by God while wicked people were forgotten by all.
The groups in which we participate, the people with whom we spend time will change us, for better or worse. We may think that we are only on the fringes and so immune from the groups influence, however we are touched and changed by every group with which we spend any amount of time and effort. Each group will be changed by our contribution as well. The psalmist counsels us to choose with care and with an eye toward God.
January 23, 2017
LCM
Monday, January 16, 2017
Psalm Meditation 866
Third Sunday After Epiphany
January 22, 2017
Psalm 112
1 Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.
2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
4 They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.
7 They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the LORD.
8 Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked see it and are angry; they gnash their teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.
(NRSV)
In US culture it has gotten to the point that everyone with whom we disagree is an enemy to be squelched, beaten, and destroyed. Politics, religion, and sports are no longer about different loyalties and schools of thought in a back and forth contest over strengths and weaknesses. Each of these is a war for victory for us and total defeat for you. Battle lines are drawn and there is only right and wrong with no subtleties or nuances on either side. The smallest disagreement becomes a battleground with life and death on the line. As enemies we are not to cross the battle lines, to consort with those people.
There is much to fear these days. It becomes easier to find points of disagreement than to look for the many things on which we do agree. Especially when we are on a social media platform we become the idea we are currently espousing rather than the whole picture of who we are. Some of the people by whom I am angered and hurt online are wonderful, companionable people in real life. The fear is real. That everyone with whom we disagree is an enemy is not real.
My hope is that when the psalmist writes, “For the righteous will never be moved,” it is in reference to righteousness rather than that the righteous will never change their minds or their ways of living on the earth. God is constantly moving, and creating while remaining steadfast in love, justice and righteousness. As we stand firm in God we allow ourselves to see that fear and wickedness do not have the final word on any side.
January 16, 2017
LCM
Third Sunday After Epiphany
January 22, 2017
Psalm 112
1 Praise the LORD! Happy are those who fear the LORD, who greatly delight in his commandments.
2 Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures forever.
4 They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous.
5 It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 For the righteous will never be moved; they will be remembered forever.
7 They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the LORD.
8 Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.
9 They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures forever; their horn is exalted in honor.
10 The wicked see it and are angry; they gnash their teeth and melt away; the desire of the wicked comes to nothing.
(NRSV)
In US culture it has gotten to the point that everyone with whom we disagree is an enemy to be squelched, beaten, and destroyed. Politics, religion, and sports are no longer about different loyalties and schools of thought in a back and forth contest over strengths and weaknesses. Each of these is a war for victory for us and total defeat for you. Battle lines are drawn and there is only right and wrong with no subtleties or nuances on either side. The smallest disagreement becomes a battleground with life and death on the line. As enemies we are not to cross the battle lines, to consort with those people.
There is much to fear these days. It becomes easier to find points of disagreement than to look for the many things on which we do agree. Especially when we are on a social media platform we become the idea we are currently espousing rather than the whole picture of who we are. Some of the people by whom I am angered and hurt online are wonderful, companionable people in real life. The fear is real. That everyone with whom we disagree is an enemy is not real.
My hope is that when the psalmist writes, “For the righteous will never be moved,” it is in reference to righteousness rather than that the righteous will never change their minds or their ways of living on the earth. God is constantly moving, and creating while remaining steadfast in love, justice and righteousness. As we stand firm in God we allow ourselves to see that fear and wickedness do not have the final word on any side.
January 16, 2017
LCM
Monday, January 9, 2017
Psalm Meditation 865
Second Sunday After Epiphany
January 15, 2017
Psalm 89 (selected verses)
1 I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
2 I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David:
4 ‘I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah
19 Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said: “I have set the crown on one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found my servant David; with my holy oil I have anointed him;
21 my hand shall always remain with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him.
23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him; and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!’
27 I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him, and my covenant with him will stand firm.
29 I will establish his line forever, and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances,
31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,
32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with scourges;
33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love, or be false to my faithfulness.
34 I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
35 Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.
36 His line shall continue forever, and his throne endure before me like the sun.
37 It shall be established forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the skies.” Selah
52 Blessed be the LORD forever. Amen and Amen.
(NRSV)
When we make promises to others, even to ourselves, it is our intention to keep those promises. Sometimes our most heartfelt promises get changed by unanticipated events people and events. A particular promise was the right one to make at the time and then we discover all manner of hidden parts and pieces to our now intertwined lives that make the promise difficult if not impossible to keep. A promise is made in the context of a relationship and when that changes, so does the meaning of the promise. We discover that making promises is a lot easier than keeping them.
Other times we keep the promises we have made even though the folks to whom we made the promise don’t see it that way. A promise to love and care for someone does not mean that we will accompany them on whatever nuthatch scheme they conceive, even when they claim it is all for us. God promises to love David and his children forever, no matter what. God also promises that if any of those children wander off the path of statutes and commandments there will be a price to pay. The price will be the consequence of the behavior. As a mentor taught me, “We are not punished for our sin so much as we are punished by our sin.” God keeps the promise to love us as including the part about not protecting us from the cause and effect parts of our actions.
The parts of this psalm that I edited out for this time are the ones in which the psalmist complains that God is punishing the people by ignoring them, by allowing them to be overrun by enemies and adversaries. God is keeping the promise of steadfast love, including the part about punishment, maybe even discipline, in the event of people having broken the rules.
January 9, 2016
LCM
Second Sunday After Epiphany
January 15, 2017
Psalm 89 (selected verses)
1 I will sing of your steadfast love, O LORD, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
2 I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David:
4 ‘I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah
19 Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said: “I have set the crown on one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people.
20 I have found my servant David; with my holy oil I have anointed him;
21 my hand shall always remain with him; my arm also shall strengthen him.
22 The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him.
23 I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him.
24 My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him; and in my name his horn shall be exalted.
25 I will set his hand on the sea and his right hand on the rivers.
26 He shall cry to me, ‘You are my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation!’
27 I will make him the firstborn, the highest of the kings of the earth.
28 Forever I will keep my steadfast love for him, and my covenant with him will stand firm.
29 I will establish his line forever, and his throne as long as the heavens endure.
30 If his children forsake my law and do not walk according to my ordinances,
31 if they violate my statutes and do not keep my commandments,
32 then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with scourges;
33 but I will not remove from him my steadfast love, or be false to my faithfulness.
34 I will not violate my covenant, or alter the word that went forth from my lips.
35 Once and for all I have sworn by my holiness; I will not lie to David.
36 His line shall continue forever, and his throne endure before me like the sun.
37 It shall be established forever like the moon, an enduring witness in the skies.” Selah
52 Blessed be the LORD forever. Amen and Amen.
(NRSV)
When we make promises to others, even to ourselves, it is our intention to keep those promises. Sometimes our most heartfelt promises get changed by unanticipated events people and events. A particular promise was the right one to make at the time and then we discover all manner of hidden parts and pieces to our now intertwined lives that make the promise difficult if not impossible to keep. A promise is made in the context of a relationship and when that changes, so does the meaning of the promise. We discover that making promises is a lot easier than keeping them.
Other times we keep the promises we have made even though the folks to whom we made the promise don’t see it that way. A promise to love and care for someone does not mean that we will accompany them on whatever nuthatch scheme they conceive, even when they claim it is all for us. God promises to love David and his children forever, no matter what. God also promises that if any of those children wander off the path of statutes and commandments there will be a price to pay. The price will be the consequence of the behavior. As a mentor taught me, “We are not punished for our sin so much as we are punished by our sin.” God keeps the promise to love us as including the part about not protecting us from the cause and effect parts of our actions.
The parts of this psalm that I edited out for this time are the ones in which the psalmist complains that God is punishing the people by ignoring them, by allowing them to be overrun by enemies and adversaries. God is keeping the promise of steadfast love, including the part about punishment, maybe even discipline, in the event of people having broken the rules.
January 9, 2016
LCM
Monday, January 2, 2017
Psalm Meditation 864
Baptism of the Lord
January 8, 2016
Psalm 62
1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken
3 How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence. They take pleasure in falsehood; they bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah.
5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.
(NRSV)
As our lot in life improves there is a tendency to let our religious life lose some of its energy. As we can afford to meet our own needs we find a relationship with God less important than keeping our financial house intact and in order. There are people who can have money and a relationship with God at the same time, because they have made God a priority in their lives. Money and other resources are a means of supporting their relationship with God rather than a separate pursuit.
The psalmist knows that there are those who pursue wealth and prominence as ends in themselves. They will lie, cheat, and steal in order to achieve their goal of fame and fortune. Even though that kind of glory does not last and takes more energy than it ever returns, some people continue to chase the dream of having more than enough money and influence. And people discover that whatever they possess and control is not enough, there is always the desire for more.
The psalmist calls us to pursue a relationship with God rather than riches. We will discover that we are content in knowing God. As is the case with every relationship, a relationship with God takes focus and energy to sustain. At the same time we realize that we get at least as much out of it as we put into it. We find ourselves looking forward to the next steps together and we look for ways to doing what we can to help those who have a place in the heart of God.
January 2, 2016
LCM
Baptism of the Lord
January 8, 2016
Psalm 62
1 For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation.
2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall never be shaken
3 How long will you assail a person, will you batter your victim, all of you, as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
4 Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence. They take pleasure in falsehood; they bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. Selah.
5 For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him.
6 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
7 On God rests my deliverance and my honor; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
9 Those of low estate are but a breath, those of high estate are a delusion; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than a breath.
10 Put no confidence in extortion, and set no vain hopes on robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
11 Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God,
12 and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord. For you repay to all according to their work.
(NRSV)
As our lot in life improves there is a tendency to let our religious life lose some of its energy. As we can afford to meet our own needs we find a relationship with God less important than keeping our financial house intact and in order. There are people who can have money and a relationship with God at the same time, because they have made God a priority in their lives. Money and other resources are a means of supporting their relationship with God rather than a separate pursuit.
The psalmist knows that there are those who pursue wealth and prominence as ends in themselves. They will lie, cheat, and steal in order to achieve their goal of fame and fortune. Even though that kind of glory does not last and takes more energy than it ever returns, some people continue to chase the dream of having more than enough money and influence. And people discover that whatever they possess and control is not enough, there is always the desire for more.
The psalmist calls us to pursue a relationship with God rather than riches. We will discover that we are content in knowing God. As is the case with every relationship, a relationship with God takes focus and energy to sustain. At the same time we realize that we get at least as much out of it as we put into it. We find ourselves looking forward to the next steps together and we look for ways to doing what we can to help those who have a place in the heart of God.
January 2, 2016
LCM
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)