Psalm Meditation 939
Proper 6
June 17, 2018

Psalm 15
1 O LORD, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill?
2 Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart;
3 who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors;
4 in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honor those who fear the LORD; who stand by their oath even to their hurt;
5 who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved.
(NRSV)

In many of the congregations I have served there is a person who has a way of reminding me to keep this list of characteristics active in my life, and especially in my preaching. Some have been gentle while others have not. Most have kept true to the list themselves as they have moved me to closer attendance to these attributes. It is good to have people around us who want us to be the best we can be, who model good behavior even as they call us to do the same. We may benefit from those who call us to be faithful so that they don’t have to be, if we can take their word of scolding as encouragement. The best are the ones who point us in the direction of faithfulness as they follow it themselves.

It is easy to name names and lay blame when none of the people being scolded/slandered is present. When we talk about ‘those’ people we can get as catty and vicious as we like. That is until our sacred someone reminds us that speaking in the presence of God, preaching as an agent of God means that we have to be more careful with our words and phrases. We can pretend to know who is good and who is evil, who is right and who is wrong, however we are only pretending when we declare that a person or group is on God’s bad list. We cannot know the mind of God concerning the condemnation of people like and unlike us much as we say we can.

We do like to have enemies and adversaries. It gives us a focus, a center for our passion, belief, and action. In every discussion, argument, and fight there is someone on every side who can call down the wrath of God on those with whom they disagree. The psalmist reminds us, that God blesses and welcomes those, “who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbors.”

June 11, 2018
LCM