Psalm Meditation 1050
Proper 13
August 2, 2020
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)
We are used to being the star of our own story, so when we step into God’s story we naturally assume the role of protagonist. Of course we delight in the commandments of the Lord. Of course we are mighty in the land, upright, wealthy and righteous. We stand firm in the ways of God and we expect to come out on top in all disagreements, arguments, and disputes. We have every intention of being the very best at following in the footsteps God has mapped out for good folks like us.
What if this is not about us? Not that we are bad people, just that we leave out some of what God lays out for righteous folk. We not only leave it out, we flat out ignore it. We are okay with bringing up our children the way we were brought up, properly. It is the parts about helping others that we could do without. The part about distributing freely and giving to the poor rankles a bit. We worked hard to get what we have and none of those lazy poor people deserve any of what we worked so hard to get. Except for that pesky part about sharing with others is part of what it means to be righteous.
It is easy to deflect this critique, to make excuses for what we have and have not done for the sake of others. And God calls us to the hard work of taking off our rose colored glasses to look at ourselves in the clear light of day. Chances are pretty good that we are not as righteous and upright as we want to be. And we are just as guilty as the people we gossip and trash talk about. If we read the Psalms as if they are teaching us, disciplining us, moving us off of our normal track we will see that God loves to lead us toward what it means to be a conscious, aware, and active child of God.
July 27, 2020
LCM
Monday, July 27, 2020
Monday, July 20, 2020
Psalm Meditation 1049
Proper 12
July 26, 2020
Psalm 12
1 Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind.
2 They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own—who is our master?”
5 “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now rise up,” says the Lord; “I will place them in the safety for which they long.”
6 The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
7 You, O Lord, will protect us; you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among humankind.
(NRSV)
It is probably tempting in every age to believe that godly folks have disappeared from the earth. Those who are most vocal about their faith are the ones who have taken some aspect of faith, twisted it to fit their particular agenda, and announced it from the mountaintops that this is the way to live out the faith. Oh, and if anyone disagrees with their way of thinking, acting, and talking they are going to hell so there is no need to pay attention to them at all.
However, the folks who are faithful to God are working with the poor, the downtrodden and the oppressed. They have no desire to be applauded, their desire is to serve. And every age makes some progress in the care of the outcast as folks rise up to “place them in the safety for which they long“ for the glory of God. They are not making gobs of money telling people what they want to hear, they are making sacrifices and doing to hard work to make it possible for people to live in the world.
People will continue to see themselves as faithful as they splash the words of God in big, noisy, public places. They will miss that the words are taken out of context so that they lead to personal gain for themselves and some of their followers. Damage will be done to the reputation of God, but it will not last. Folks will eventually swing back to seeing the servants, whose lives are lived quietly and faithfully for the glory of God.
July 20, 2020
LCM
Proper 12
July 26, 2020
Psalm 12
1 Help, O Lord, for there is no longer anyone who is godly; the faithful have disappeared from humankind.
2 They utter lies to each other; with flattering lips and a double heart they speak.
3 May the Lord cut off all flattering lips, the tongue that makes great boasts,
4 those who say, “With our tongues we will prevail; our lips are our own—who is our master?”
5 “Because the poor are despoiled, because the needy groan, I will now rise up,” says the Lord; “I will place them in the safety for which they long.”
6 The promises of the Lord are promises that are pure, silver refined in a furnace on the ground, purified seven times.
7 You, O Lord, will protect us; you will guard us from this generation forever.
8 On every side the wicked prowl, as vileness is exalted among humankind.
(NRSV)
It is probably tempting in every age to believe that godly folks have disappeared from the earth. Those who are most vocal about their faith are the ones who have taken some aspect of faith, twisted it to fit their particular agenda, and announced it from the mountaintops that this is the way to live out the faith. Oh, and if anyone disagrees with their way of thinking, acting, and talking they are going to hell so there is no need to pay attention to them at all.
However, the folks who are faithful to God are working with the poor, the downtrodden and the oppressed. They have no desire to be applauded, their desire is to serve. And every age makes some progress in the care of the outcast as folks rise up to “place them in the safety for which they long“ for the glory of God. They are not making gobs of money telling people what they want to hear, they are making sacrifices and doing to hard work to make it possible for people to live in the world.
People will continue to see themselves as faithful as they splash the words of God in big, noisy, public places. They will miss that the words are taken out of context so that they lead to personal gain for themselves and some of their followers. Damage will be done to the reputation of God, but it will not last. Folks will eventually swing back to seeing the servants, whose lives are lived quietly and faithfully for the glory of God.
July 20, 2020
LCM
Monday, July 13, 2020
Psalm Meditation 1048
Proper 11
July 19, 2020
Psalm 87
1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah
4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia—“This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in it”; for the Most High himself will establish it.
6 The Lord records, as he registers the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah
7 Singers and dancers alike say, “All my springs are in you.”
(NRSV)
There are cities that people imagine as wonderful places to be born and grow up. Some people get to experience growing up in those cities for themselves. Rome, Paris, London, New York, Chicago are some of the cities that come quickly to mind for me. You have your own list of dream cities in which to be born and grow up that are wonderful and exciting places. There are people who have excellent experiences of growing up in their home town. The psalmist extols the virtues of the city of Zion, Jerusalem.
For the psalmist, the city of Zion is a great place to be born because it is the city of God. The presence and blessing of God in the city makes it an exceptional place to live. It is one of those cities that holds a place in the hearts of anyone who grew up in it. The psalmist knows that Zion is a spring that wells up in the lives of citizens in a way that nourishes their souls throughout their lives.
There are celebrated cities that give the reputation of a person born there a boost. In many cases those boosts of reputation are justified. The psalmist has a more important criteria than the place of one’s birth; the presence of God. If God is a part of one’s upbringing there is a whole different spring in one’s step and lilt to one’s voice. To be born in the presence and under the influence of God helps set folks apart in a special way.
July 13, 2020
LCM
Proper 11
July 19, 2020
Psalm 87
1 On the holy mount stands the city he founded;
2 the Lord loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
3 Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God. Selah
4 Among those who know me I mention Rahab and Babylon; Philistia too, and Tyre, with Ethiopia—“This one was born there,” they say.
5 And of Zion it shall be said, “This one and that one were born in it”; for the Most High himself will establish it.
6 The Lord records, as he registers the peoples, “This one was born there.” Selah
7 Singers and dancers alike say, “All my springs are in you.”
(NRSV)
There are cities that people imagine as wonderful places to be born and grow up. Some people get to experience growing up in those cities for themselves. Rome, Paris, London, New York, Chicago are some of the cities that come quickly to mind for me. You have your own list of dream cities in which to be born and grow up that are wonderful and exciting places. There are people who have excellent experiences of growing up in their home town. The psalmist extols the virtues of the city of Zion, Jerusalem.
For the psalmist, the city of Zion is a great place to be born because it is the city of God. The presence and blessing of God in the city makes it an exceptional place to live. It is one of those cities that holds a place in the hearts of anyone who grew up in it. The psalmist knows that Zion is a spring that wells up in the lives of citizens in a way that nourishes their souls throughout their lives.
There are celebrated cities that give the reputation of a person born there a boost. In many cases those boosts of reputation are justified. The psalmist has a more important criteria than the place of one’s birth; the presence of God. If God is a part of one’s upbringing there is a whole different spring in one’s step and lilt to one’s voice. To be born in the presence and under the influence of God helps set folks apart in a special way.
July 13, 2020
LCM
Monday, July 6, 2020
Psalm Meditation 1047
Proper 10
July 12, 2020
Psalm 61
1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I;
3 for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me abide in your tent forever, find refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So I will always sing praises to your name, as I pay my vows day after day.
(NRSV)
Before we can make any vows or promises, God is our refuge. It takes us a while to figure that out so we spend a lot of time trying to earn God’s love, trying to deserve all the gifts that God showers on us. We beat ourselves up for not being able to do all the things that seem important to earn God’s love. We have been known to judge the quality of our actions even if we have done the right things. ‘God still doesn’t love me fully because I didn’t do that one thing as well as I could have. And that other thing was not perfect, so how can God possibly love me if I can’t even be perfect?’
First and foremost, God is our refuge. It is a refuge of steadfast love. It isn’t because we have earned a place in God’s strong tower, it is because God loves us. I have an image of a child wrapping arms around a parent’s leg or waist, knowing that there is safety in this kind of closeness. To complete the image a parental hand moves down with a comforting hand on top of the child’s head. For the child, that is the safest refuge, the strongest tower ever. When we change the image to place God in the parental role imagine how safe and comforting that place is when we melt into it.
Know that God already loves you and that you can’t earn or deserve that love. Relax into God’s love and allow it to seep in to all your cracked and broken places. There is no time limit. God is not going to move away from you or get impatient that you are not doing something right or quickly enough.
July 6, 2020
LCM
Proper 10
July 12, 2020
Psalm 61
1 Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer.
2 From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I;
3 for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy.
4 Let me abide in your tent forever, find refuge under the shelter of your wings. Selah
5 For you, O God, have heard my vows; you have given me the heritage of those who fear your name.
6 Prolong the life of the king; may his years endure to all generations!
7 May he be enthroned forever before God; appoint steadfast love and faithfulness to watch over him!
8 So I will always sing praises to your name, as I pay my vows day after day.
(NRSV)
Before we can make any vows or promises, God is our refuge. It takes us a while to figure that out so we spend a lot of time trying to earn God’s love, trying to deserve all the gifts that God showers on us. We beat ourselves up for not being able to do all the things that seem important to earn God’s love. We have been known to judge the quality of our actions even if we have done the right things. ‘God still doesn’t love me fully because I didn’t do that one thing as well as I could have. And that other thing was not perfect, so how can God possibly love me if I can’t even be perfect?’
First and foremost, God is our refuge. It is a refuge of steadfast love. It isn’t because we have earned a place in God’s strong tower, it is because God loves us. I have an image of a child wrapping arms around a parent’s leg or waist, knowing that there is safety in this kind of closeness. To complete the image a parental hand moves down with a comforting hand on top of the child’s head. For the child, that is the safest refuge, the strongest tower ever. When we change the image to place God in the parental role imagine how safe and comforting that place is when we melt into it.
Know that God already loves you and that you can’t earn or deserve that love. Relax into God’s love and allow it to seep in to all your cracked and broken places. There is no time limit. God is not going to move away from you or get impatient that you are not doing something right or quickly enough.
July 6, 2020
LCM
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