Psalm Meditation 1124 ¶ Second Sunday of Christmas ¶January 2, 2022 ¶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) ¶This week, the word ‘humble’ caught my attention, since we don’t usually associated victory with humility. Humble folks are on the lower end of our social circles. We like humble folk, we enjoy their company, however we don’t see them as the kind of people who will win any great victory of any sort. Humble folk are just as likely to be the ones who do all the work so the more ambitious folk can take the credit. In most cases, the humble people are content to know that they did the hard work, and ‘Whew, someone else gets to give all the talks and speeches on the results. ‘ ¶According to the psalmist, all of the faithful exult in the glory of the victory God gives the humble. Everyone can be a part of the whooping and hollering of the victory celebration, including waving their two-edged swords in the air. They may have used those swords in battle, but for sure they get to wave them around as if they won the battle completely on their own. Once again, the chances are good that the humble did the hard work behind the scenes and are too exhausted to do much celebrating. ¶We are overjoyed to celebrate a victory. And we like to have a name and face that gives focus to our celebration. It is important to recognize that these victories are not the work of one person. John Glenn was the first person to orbit the earth in a space capsule, and we celebrated him and his historic accomplishment. He did not orbit the earth on his own. There were scientists, mathematicians, engineers, maintenance people, and others contributing their knowledge, skills, expertise, and luck to the project. While it is easy to celebrate one person’s victory, it is just as important to remember the folks who made that one moment possible. ¶December 30, 2021 ¶LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 1123 ¶First Sunday After Christmas ¶December 26, 2021 ¶Psalm 49 1 Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 2 both low and high, rich and poor together. 3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding. 4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp. 5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me, 6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches? 7 Truly, no ransom avails for one’s life, there is no price one can give to God for it. 8 For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice, 9 that one should live on forever and never see the grave. 10 When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others. 11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own. 12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish. 13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy, the end of those who are pleased with their lot. Selah 14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home. 15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. Selah 16 Do not be afraid when some become rich, when the wealth of their houses increases. 17 For when they die they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not go down after them. 18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy—for you are praised when you do well for yourself— 19 they will go to the company of their ancestors, who will never again see the light. 20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish. (NRSV) ¶When athletes make millions of dollars, there are folks who say that no one is worth that kind of money to play a game. When business people make billions of dollars running a company, there are folks who say that it is shameful to make that kind of money. Other folks believe that at least one of these types of wealth is justified. I find myself in the ’if someone is willing to pay that much, that is the justification for the pay scale. Are we envious of the skill that commands that kind of money, or do we echo Luke 26: 8-9, “Why this waste? For this ointment [salary] could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.” ¶Many of those who earn or win large amounts of money end up with even less than they had at the beginning within five years after their windfall comes to an end. In the event that one has the wherewithal to have money left to pass on the heirs, they will often use it as if it is an eternal fountain of cash without doing anything to replenish the funds and will be penniless soon. The psalmist joins in this chorus, reminding us that no matter how much money there is, it does no good after a person dies. They are neither rich nor powerful in death. If they were generous in life, we may remember them a little longer than those who were not, but not forever. ¶The psalmist lets us know that it is better to depend on God than on riches in this life so that we have a life far into the future in the presence of God. Money, influence and power are nice in this life, however they will not buy us a future of any consequence. Better to practice kindness, work for justice, and build a relationship with God. “God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.” ¶December 20, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1122 ¶Fourth Sunday of Advent ¶December 19, 2021 ¶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) ¶While this is battle imagery we don’t have to have experience in war to feel the relief of the psalmist at this escape from destruction. Some folks feel overwhelmed holidays. Some folks are overwhelmed by illness or disease, which can be compounded if there is any kind of stigma attached to the ailment. Still others feel overwhelmed by lack of social status compounded by poverty, injustice, and other oppressive systemic issues. The sense of being swallowed up, swept away, and overcome by raging flood waters is very real. ¶In these situations, it is possible to rise above the flood without a change in circumstance. We can do all the things that are a part of holiday preparation and celebration without allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by stress. We can talk freely about the illness in ways that offer others ways to support and understand what is going on in us. We can recognize that there are a lot of ways to calculate our worth that do not depend on our social standing. We can join with others in efforts to change systems in ways that benefit all. Here I must confess that these ideas come from a position of privilege, and may not work as well as I would like to believe. ¶I do join the psalmist in believing that looking to God offers us a more hopeful outlook than we have in ignoring the presence of God in our lives. God may protect us from harm, and God may sit with us as we suffer. Either way, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” ¶December 13, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1121 ¶Third Sunday of Advent ¶December 12, 2021 ¶Psalm 24 1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; 2 for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. 5 They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. 6 Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah (NRSV) ¶The last few American presidents have been rejected by people who did not vote for him and are angry that their person did not win. Signs saying, “Not my President” are seen from both parties. Does this mean that those dissenters don’t have a president, that they will only follow the person they believe should have won, or this is a way of expressing the extreme displeasure with the outcome of the election? For most of the dissenters it is probably a form of verbal protest that gives a feeling of satisfaction that they still have a voice in the outcome even if it did not turn their way. ¶There are a growing number of folks who claim there is no God. They reject the claims of religions that believe in a being or group of beings who have some say in the way the world, and all the creatures in it go about our lives. Some folks are content to believe as long as everything is going well for them. As soon as things go sour, they reject the existence of one who would let them suffer. Does this mean that no deity exists for them, they have no intention of following anyone outside of themselves, or is it a protest of the extremes to which religious people have gone to show that they are right and the rest of us are wrong? ¶The psalmist tells us that those who believe in and follow the ways of God, YHWH, will receive blessing and vindication, (a defense against criticism). It seems to me, that believers are not the only ones who are offered blessing and vindication, we are the ones who are looking toward God to receive the gifts that God offers to us. We are the ones listening for the cry to lift up the gates so that God may come in. We are the ones who have gifts to share with others, knowing that they are from God even if the recipients do not acknowledge the origin of those gifts. ¶December 6, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1120 ¶Second Sunday of Advent ¶December 5, 2021 ¶Psalm 99 1 The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is he! 4 Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Extol the Lord our God; worship at his footstool. Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the Lord, and he answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them. 8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy. (NRSV) ¶We like to think that people in previous generations were more faithful and pure than the current generation. We can certainly see that those young people, anyone younger than us, are not as faithful as we are. And our parents’ generation was, as a whole, more faithful than our generation ‘ever was or will be’, according to them. From the second generation on, the previous generation was more attuned to God than our generation. Some of the very early generations actually met God face to face without bursting into flames. ¶The psalmist reminds us that people have been walking away from God like toddlers wandering away from parents from the beginning. Yes, there have been some faithful folks in every generation, there had to be to call the rest of us back into the presence of God. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel led people in the way of God because none of us seem to be able to keep ourselves going in that direction on our own. Every generation needs a prophet to call us into the path and presence of God. ¶In all of this, the good thing is that God is way more forgiving than we are sinful. There may be consequences for our actions, however God is also deeply willing to forgive. God will even forgive, has even forgiven, that thing that you can’t let yourself let go of. Even though we can’t imagine that level of forgiveness, God forgives us anyway. The consequences play out without leaving a stain on our permanent record. “Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy.” ¶December 1, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1119 ¶First Sunday of Advent ¶November 28, 2021 ¶Psalm 73 1 Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek. 5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment. 7 Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. 8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. 9 They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth. 10 Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them. 11 And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12 Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. 13 All in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all day long I have been plagued, and am punished every morning. 15 If I had said, “I will talk on in this way,” I would have been untrue to the circle of your children. 16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. 18 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! 20 They are like a dream when one awakes; on awaking you despise their phantoms. 21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was stupid and ignorant; I was like a brute beast toward you. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me with honor. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you. 28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works. (NRSV) ¶Most of us have looked with envy on rich people at some point in our lives. We are convinced that if we just had that much money we would have no problems in life. Being rich seems to be a life with no problems, no difficulties, no worries. It isn’t even about buying our way out of trouble, it is not having any trouble to speak of to begin with. Rich people seem to be better than folks who are not on that financial level. As a child I told my dad I wanted a million dollars, and he responded with a short list of worries that wealthy people have. The one I remember is, ‘who will take care of all that money for you, and can they be trusted?’ ¶In the biblical era it was thought that there was only so much wealth available in the world. That meant that the only way someone could have enough resources to be considered rich was to take the resources of another. A comfortable amount of assets was due to God’s blessing; too many assets was due to sinful greed and inattention to the needs of others. We have discovered that the limits of wealth and resources are not as limited as once thought, it is still true that to become noticeably wealthy takes the time and energy of countless others. Most of those others are not rewarded at the level of their contribution. ¶The psalmist leads us through the process of realizing that material resources are not as desirable and durable as a relationship with God. For the psalmist, it is better to be surrounded by those who will willingly share of their resources in a time of need, than to have gobs of resources that we have to guard to keep other people from taking them for themselves. The wealth that is relationships is worth so much more and is more long lasting than any amount of money. Material resources are good until they get in the way of relationships. “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works.” ¶November 22, 2021 ¶LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 1118 ¶Reign of Christ ¶November 21, 2021 ¶Psalm 148 1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! 4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. 6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! 10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and women alike, old and young together! 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord! (NRSV) ¶I was taught that the difference between thanks and praise is the difference between doing and being. Thanks is what we offer for all the things God does. The act of creation, the gifts that we receive, and the answers to prayer are a few of the reasons we thank God. Praise is for who God is. For being a loving God who enjoys being present among us, we offer our praise. In day to day usage praise is giving someone positive feedback for using skill and energy in an extra special way. ¶We praise our pets for learning and following a new command. Sometimes the praise is because we love how they love us; for being the goodest girl or the bestest boy. We praise our children for being on their best behavior in a stressful situation, for getting good grades for the full grading period, or for giving it their all no matter the outcome. We each other for making something difficult seem easy. The folks who use their gifts and skills in such a way that we think we could do what they just did, only to discover how hard it really is are offered high praise for their skill. ¶The psalmist runs through a list of objects and creatures who do well to offer praise to God. The psalmist does not confine the list to ‘nice’ and ‘pretty’ things. The psalmist calls on chaotic things like monsters and deeps to praise God, potentially destructive things like fire, hail, snow, frost, and wind, and crawly things that can give us the creeps. Everything that is gets the call to give praise to God, for no other reason than that God is. ¶November 17, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1117 ¶ Proper 28 ¶November 14, 2021 ¶Psalm 48 1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain, 2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King. 3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense. 4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together. 5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight; 6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor, 7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish. 8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah 9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple. 10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory. 11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments. 12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers, 13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation 14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever. (NRSV) ¶I tend to see my friends in the best possible light, and my enemies and adversaries in the worst possible light. All this without having any idea what is going on in the heads and hearts of either. When I talk to my friends I discover that they do not see themselves as having led the charmed and abundantly blessed lives that I see looking in from the outside. And when enemies have become friends and I am able to talk to them about the past, I discover that their motives were often not as evil as I believed them to be. ¶When I read the verses about the warlike approach of enemy rulers, it makes me wonder if they ran away in fear of the city of Zion or if they left for other reasons. If these enemies had no fear of God, however foolish that may be, they may have looked on the city of Zion as one not worth the time and energy to conquer. It is also possible that this group of rulers was on the way to a war council to which Zion was not invited and the group was passing by with no notice of Jerusalem at all. Since we don’t know anything about them, we are left to wonder if these rulers were afraid, unconcerned, or unimpressed. The view of the psalmist is all the information we have. ¶When we are quick to assume what is going on in the hearts and minds of those around us it will be good to take a moment to wonder how we could possibly know why a person acted the way they did. We do well to content ourselves with knowing our own thoughts and motives, our own likes and dislikes, our own definition of wins and losses. We can join the psalmist in the walk about of Zion, by whatever name we know our city, in order to find our own reasons to love and treasure the place we hold dear. ¶November 10, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1116 ¶Proper 27 ¶November 7, 2021 ¶Psalm 123 1To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens! 2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the Lord our God, until he has mercy upon us. 3 Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt. 4 Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud. (NRSV) ¶It has become normal to look down on those who are not like us. All of ‘those’ people are stupid and need to start walking in the same light in which we walk. Our contempt for ‘otherness’ seems to know no bounds or limits, except face to face contact. While we may think a group of people who believe differently than us are stupid and worthless, we may have friends who fit into that set. We grant them an exemption because we were friends before we knew they were among those ‘wrong-headed’ folk. ¶There are folks who stir the pot of our disagreements so that as we fight and argue they can continue to plunder the resources around them, including the human ones. We are encouraged to blame ‘those’ people for the state of the world, having been encouraged to a game of ‘Let’s you and them fight.’ While we are busy blaming each other for the state of the world, the power brokers are busy amassing more and more at our expense. ¶The psalmist encourages us to turn to God’s mercy as a way to step back and see that we are being treated with contempt, not by those we see as other, but by those who pointed us toward those others for their own gain. When someone points us to an enemy we had not previously noticed, we do well to look to what they have to gain if we turn toward this new enemy. Eventually, we will grow weary of the animosity toward each other and turn it in the direction it needs to go, “Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.” ¶November 2, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1115 ¶ Proper 26 ¶October 31, 2021 ¶Psalm 23 1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; 3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. (NRSV) ¶When under attack by enemies, we are not likely to focus on who else is around. We get this tunnel vision that zooms in on the recognized threat and ignores all other input. We miss any hidden threats as well as any allies who were not present at the beginning of this particular event. We feel lost, abandoned, and isolated. ¶The psalmist assures us that God is with us. A figurative table of comfort foods is set before us as a reminder that this enemy threat is not the last word. Win or lose, God is with us providing a comforting, non-anxious presence as an alternative to our fear and anxiety in the presence of our enemies. ¶Making the time to feel and relish the presence of God gives us an awareness that we are not alone, that we are loved and cared for in this and every situation of our lives. Win or lose, stand or fall, we are open to the comfort and restoration of God’s abiding presence in our lives. “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” ¶October 25, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1114 ¶ Proper 25 ¶October 24, 2021 ¶Psalm 98 1 O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. 2 The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. 4 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. 5 Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. 6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord. 7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. 8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy 9 at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity. (NRSV) ¶It is not that God has ever forgotten the steadfast love in which we are held, it is that in this instance we too are reminded that God loves us and is faithful to us. In those moments in which we feel especially loved and cared for, we think of the love we receive as being remembered in a special way. The psalmist also uses this instance as a way of stressing to any doubters that we are held firmly and steadfastly in the heart of God. Seen through the eyes of love, things that appear coincidental are now seen as acts of love. ¶Remember when we thought our parents conspired to make our lives boring, by not letting us do any of the fun, adventurous things that all the other people our age were doing? Through an adult lens, we can see that it was their love for us that drove them to the decisions they made wanting ‘what’s best for you.’ Even if we continue to believe they were wrong, we may see that the decision was made out of love rather than a desire to ruin our lives. ¶God loves us, is faithful to us, and wants what is best for us, even if we don’t see it as the best option at the moment. God does not have the fear and self-preservation responses that lead some of us adults to err on the side of caution. So, when we listen to God, we know that what we are hearing really is in our best interest. When we attend to the word of God as we perceive it, we can join the whole of Creation in making a joyful noise with all the resources we have available to us. ¶October 19, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1113 ¶Proper 24 ¶October 17, 2021 ¶Psalm 72 1 Give the king your justice, O God, and your righteousness to a king’s son. 2 May he judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice. 3 May the mountains yield prosperity for the people, and the hills, in righteousness. 4 May he defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the needy, and crush the oppressor. 5 May he live while the sun endures, and as long as the moon, throughout all generations. 6 May he be like rain that falls on the mown grass, like showers that water the earth. 7 In his days may righteousness flourish and peace abound, until the moon is no more. 8 May he have dominion from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. 9 May his foes bow down before him, and his enemies lick the dust. 10 May the kings of Tarshish and of the isles render him tribute, may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts. 11 May all kings fall down before him, all nations give him service. 12 For he delivers the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no helper. 13 He has pity on the weak and the needy, and saves the lives of the needy. 14 From oppression and violence he redeems their life; and precious is their blood in his sight. 15 Long may he live! May gold of Sheba be given to him. May prayer be made for him continually, and blessings invoked for him all day long. 16 May there be abundance of grain in the land; may it wave on the tops of the mountains; may its fruit be like Lebanon; and may people blossom in the cities like the grass of the field. 17 May his name endure forever, his fame continue as long as the sun. May all nations be blessed in him; may they pronounce him happy. 18 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. 19 Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen. 20 The prayers of David son of Jesse are ended. (NRSV) ¶Many of us want what the psalmist wants here; to be governed by people who look out for all of the people they have been entrusted with governing. We want to know that someone is concerned with justice for all, with leading the nation into prosperity, and keeping greedy folks from crushing those who are unable to defend themselves. We have a variety of thoughts on what all of this means, however we do want those who govern us to do so with the interests of all the people in their heart and mind. ¶No matter where we are we want to know that the nation in which we live is the best in a variety of ways. And while we can’t each live in the best place on earth we find ways to make it the place we like the best. We want to believe that our nation is the most biggest and most powerful no matter how much evidence there might be to the contrary. Israel of the psalmist’s day was neither a political nor military powerhouse in the area, despite the psalms that state otherwise. ¶At our best, we will continue to depend on God to point us to and provide those who will lead us in the best of directions. We will pray that our leaders follow the direction they receive from God, even when we do not see the hand of God at work in their lives. We will pray for those who agree with us, as well as for those with whom we disagree, enemies included. “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, who alone does wondrous things. Blessed be his glorious name forever; may his glory fill the whole earth. Amen and Amen.” ¶October 11, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1112 ¶Proper 23 ¶October 10, 2021 ¶Psalm 147 1 Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. 2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds. 4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. 5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. 6 The Lord lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground. 7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre. 8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills. 9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry. 10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner; 11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love. 12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! 13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you. 14 He grants peace within your borders; he fills you with the finest of wheat. 15 He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. 16 He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes. 17 He hurls down hail like crumbs—who can stand before his cold? 18 He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow. 19 He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel. 20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the Lord! ¶(NRSV) ¶‘Eleven o’clock on Sunday morning is the most segregated hour in the country.’ This has been said for as long as I can remember to scold us for being less than the body of Christ, as far as including others, when we gather for worship. We do tend to gravitate to people with whom we share common traits and concerns. While each congregation has some outliers, folks who almost-but-not-quite fit the general make up of the congregation, we gather with ‘our people’ for worship. It is not that we don’t welcome others, or that we actively discourage people from attending with us, our style of worship does not speak to them as it does to us. ¶One of my colleagues describes a gathered congregation as, ‘a unity of shared suffering.’ Those of us who are dealing with a particular set of issues will gather for support and comfort into the presence of God. Most of the time we don’t realize our particular set of concerns and needs, let alone being aware that our list is not shared by every other congregation. We are convinced that everyone and anyone would be totally comfortable in our worship service and wonder why other congregations do things so differently. ¶The psalmist says it this way, “The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.” Any congregation is going to be a gathering of outcasts of a particular type. We may or may not know what type of outcasts make up our own congregation even though we can probably pick out some reason that another congregation gathers the type of people they do. We gather to worship where we feel we belong. That sets us apart in that God has gathered us, it doesn’t mean we are the only ones God has gathered. We can find and make ways to work together in the world so that those who don’t have a place can sense where God is leading them to gather. ¶October 4, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1111 Proper 22 October 3, 2021 Psalm 47 1 Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy. 2 For the Lord, the Most High, is awesome, a great king over all the earth. 3 He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. 4 He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah 5 God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. 6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the king of all the earth; sing praises with a psalm. 8 God is king over the nations; God sits on his holy throne. 9 The princes of the peoples gather as the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; he is highly exalted. (NRSV) ¶Something about singing engages more of the body and mind than speech can. Multiple regions of the brain are stimulated when we sing. Even those among who are not able to match the notes being sung by those around them, are still singing. There are any number of ways to sing that do not match the standard definition of singing. The psalmist does not say we have to be the best, only that we sing. ¶With the call to sing praises to God, there is no insistence on quality, only that we sing. Most singing groups, including choirs, are made up of a few voices that are top quality and the rest of us blend with those voices in a way that sounds wonderful to those who are listening to the blended voices. Even a top quality voice can sound out of place when it does not blend with all the others. ¶So, sing. Sing in the shower, sing in the most private space available, sing in a choir, sing for an audience of one or thousands. Any singing in which we tune our hearts and voices to God is going to be praise. When we sing any song as an offering to God, it is a song of praise. If we are among those who can clap, dance, and sing at the same time, we are joining the psalmist in an act of praise. Even if the clapping and dancing doesn’t match the music, we can praise God. “Clap your hands, all you peoples; shout to God with loud songs of joy.” ¶September 27, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1110 Proper 21 September 26, 2021 Psalm 122 1 I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” 2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem. 3 Jerusalem—built as a city that is bound firmly together. 4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. 5 For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David. 6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May they prosper who love you. 7 Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.” 8 For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, “Peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good. (NRSV) ¶A place is made sacred by the ones who have an experience of God at that place. One of my favorite holy places is a room made of hand stacked stones housing an altar and a simple bench. Another is not a building but a place with woods, lakeshore, marsh, and developed housing among other things. For some people the room is a small, dark, claustrophobic place housing a meaningless stone box surrounded by symbols that mean nothing to them. The outdoor space is a place of swarms of mosquitos, sweaty teenagers, and noise. The places they hold sacred may, in turn, mean very little to me. ¶Because we find holiness in different places, due to differing needs and experiences, it is a good idea to treat every space as sacred. The psalmist reminds pilgrims to pray for the peace of Jerusalem as they enter the city. The hope and prayer is that each person will feel some sense of the presence of God within its walls. As we experience God, we feel God’s peace rest within and among us. To be at peace in the presence of God makes the space in which we find ourselves sacred space. It may last for the moment, and it may be a feeling we carry in our hearts for the rest of our lives. ¶We may have experienced the annoyance of someone treating our sacred space as if it is simply space. We may have experienced the annoyance of someone having a holy experience in a way that does not seem holy to us. Which one of us is wrong? Of course it is the ‘other.’ In reality, it is the expectation that everyone’s experience is a perfect match to my own. If I enter a space expecting quiet reverence, and you are active and noisy, I know that you are ruining my experience. If I enter with expressive exuberance and you expect me to be quiet, you have sucked the joy out of the space for me. When we treat each place as if it were sacred to someone, when we recognize that we experience God with different expressions, we will find we can share space in our differences. “For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good.” ¶September 21, 2021 LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 1109 Proper 20 September 19, 2021 Psalm 22 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer; and by night, but find no rest. 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In you our ancestors trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried, and were saved; in you they trusted, and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm, and not human; scorned by others, and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock at me; they make mouths at me, they shake their heads; 8 “Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—let him rescue the one in whom he delights!” 9 Yet it was you who took me from the womb; you kept me safe on my mother’s breast. 10 On you I was cast from my birth, and since my mother bore me you have been my God. 11 Do not be far from me, for trouble is near and there is no one to help. 12 Many bulls encircle me, strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs are all around me; a company of evildoers encircles me. My hands and feet have shriveled; 17 I can count all my bones. They stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my clothes among themselves, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But you, O Lord, do not be far away! O my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! From the horns of the wild oxen you have rescued me. 22 I will tell of your name to my brothers and sisters; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you: 23 You who fear the Lord, praise him! All you offspring of Jacob, glorify him; stand in awe of him, all you offspring of Israel! 24 For he did not despise or abhor the affliction of the afflicted; he did not hide his face from me, but heard when I cried to him. 25 From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him. 26 The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord. May your hearts live forever! 27 All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. 28 For dominion belongs to the Lord, and he rules over the nations. 29 To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him. 30 Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, 31 and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it. (NRSV) ¶An old joke that resurfaces from time to time: a couple gets an evacuation order for potential flooding and says they trust God to watch over them and do nothing. As the flooding begins a police car comes by and offers to take them out, again they say that God will watch over them and do nothing. As the waters rise a rescue boat comes and offers them a ride out. ‘Thanks, God will watch over us.’ They stay in the house though they have moved to the upper floor. When the water has forced them on to the roof a helicopter comes to rescue them and they refuse that route as well. They drown. As they stand before God they complain that they trusted God and they were not saved. God responds, “I sent you an evacuation order, a car, a boat, and a helicopter, what more did you want?” ¶All of that to remind us that it may not be that the psalmist is being forsaken by God as the psalmist is ignoring the normal and natural ways that God works in our lives. There are times we feel as if we are drowning only to discover that the water comes up to our waist or knees. People do drown in very shallow water so I do not cast any blame on them in the panic state in which they find themselves. I do know that things are not always as they seem, and if we can keep our wits about us, God is at work in our lives in ways that will not seem miraculous as we tell the story to future generations. ¶The trajectory of this psalm begins with feeling forsaken, goes back and forth from praise to a new trouble and ends in a word of praise. The fact that the psalmist addresses God offers a word of hope from the beginning. The psalmist then stays in touch with God as new calamities pile on, trusting the presence of God to make in difference in the lives of the psalmist and the people of the congregation. What begins as a complaint moves to a word and sense of hope. The ending redefines the beginning as a request for assurance rather than as a complaint against God’s abandonment of the psalmist and us. “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the Lord; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him.” ¶September 13, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1108 Proper 19 September 12, 2021 Psalm 97 1 The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! 2 Clouds and thick darkness are all around him; righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 Fire goes before him, and consumes his adversaries on every side. 4 His lightnings light up the world; the earth sees and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax before the Lord, before the Lord of all the earth. 6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory. 7 All worshipers of images are put to shame, those who make their boast in worthless idols; all gods bow down before him. 8 Zion hears and is glad, and the towns of Judah rejoice, because of your judgments, O God. 9 For you, O Lord, are most high over all the earth; you are exalted far above all gods. 10 The Lord loves those who hate evil; he guards the lives of his faithful; he rescues them from the hand of the wicked. 11 Light dawns for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart. 12 Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous, and give thanks to his holy name! (NRSV) ¶Verse 10 has an alternate translation in the notes, “You who love the Lord hate evil.” It is the two sides of one coin. God’s love is showered on those who hate evil, and those who love God also hate evil. God’s love comes first. It is our whole reason for being. We are born out of God’s love to give it a focus and object. The loneliness of God from the creation story in Genesis rises out of the desire of God to have a focus for all of the love that God has to offer. ¶The alternate reading puts some responsibility on each of us. We can hold opposing views, even loves, in our lives, though we do have to choose a priority that will shift and change from time to time. When we find ourselves loving God, we find that we are opposed to evil. When we turn to evil we either have to redefine God in our image or turn away all together. With either reading the psalmist points us to the love of God as more lasting than the love of and participation in evil. ¶‘The Lord loves those who hate evil,’ can be seen as a limit to God’s love. I believe that God loves each and all of us, so this statement is not a limit on God as much as a limit on our ability/willingness to experience God’s love in our lives. When our hearts turn to evil, God gets crowded out and ignored rather than hated. No matter what, God loves us. “The heavens proclaim his righteousness; and all the peoples behold his glory.” September 6, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1107 Proper 18 September 5, 2021 Psalm 71 1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. 2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me. 3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress. 4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel. 5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth. 6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you. 7 I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge. 8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long. 9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent. 10 For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together. 11 They say, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver.” 12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! 13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace. 14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more. 15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge. 16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone. 17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. 18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power 19 and your righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you? 20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again. 21 You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again. 22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel. 23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued. 24 All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help, for those who tried to do me harm have been put to shame, and disgraced. (NRSV) ¶A portent is a warning about the future, a sign of something about to happen, usually something bad. For the psalmist to be a portent means that folks have pointed and said, ‘See that person? You don’t want to be like that or you will end up in the same spot.’ Or, folks use this terrible looking person to emphasize an unrelated lesson, ‘See that? I bet that person never ate vegetables as a child, and look what happened.’ A portent may or may not be an accurate description of a person; still, no one wants to be one. ¶The psalmist continues that through all the hardships that have led to this place, God has been present as a source of comfort in every time and place. The psalmist replies, ‘Yes, I may look as if I wear the consequences of bad choices on my body, however, I believe that my life would have been a lot worse if it had not been for the presence of God. I believe that you, O God, will lift me up to a place of honor and comfort in the end.’ ¶Some of us are born with silver spoons in our mouths while others are born into hardship and trial. While it can be tempting to believe that it is the rich and influential who have God’s favor, the Scriptures tell us repeatedly that the heart of God has an honored place for the poor and needy. The psalm ends with the reminder, the portent, that those who make light of the poor and needy will themselves be put to shame and disgraced. August 30, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1106 Proper 17 August 29, 2021 Psalm 146 1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! 2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long. 3 Do not put your trust in princes, in mortals, in whom there is no help. 4 When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. 5 Happy are those whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord their God, 6 who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; 7 who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets the prisoners free; 8 the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. 9 The Lord watches over the strangers; he upholds the orphan and the widow, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin. 10 The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Praise the Lord! (NRSV) Most of us don’t know who drew our dividing lines, however we are sure which side we have chosen as our own. We will put our trust in the prince/princess who keeps our toes on our chosen line and rallies us against everyone else. Those who have made any other choice are not simply different, they are wrong. If our prince/princess wavers even slightly from the prescribed line they run the risk of being pushed aside in favor of the next one who will give us what we want to hear. There are times in which our lines are drawn in the sand, they are flexible, changeable, able to give and take with some fluidity. Other times our lines are set in stone and they do not give at all. We would rather lose friends and former compatriots than see our crisply drawn line change even slightly. We will take our disagreement to a dangerous and deadly conclusion rather than change our minds or our behavior. The psalmist invites us to put our trust in God rather than in a set of arguments that have no flex or give. The way of God leads to hope, faith, justice, freedom, and vision for all just to name a few. All of these are for each person and are not confined to our group alone. The way of God offers a place for each and all, a place of honor and respect. Even those whose plans and paths are ruined will find shelter in the love of God. August 23, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1105 Proper 16 August 22, 2021 Psalm 46 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns. 6 The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.” 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah (NRSV) There are situations in which it is impossible to be still. There are times of great joy that need to be shouted from the rooftops, there are times of sadness that need to be wailed from the depths of our souls, there are times of rage that need to be raged wherever we are. These are but a few of the triumphs and traumas that are not meant to be held in or suffered in silence. These are not the times, places, situations in which we are to “Be still, and know that I am God!” After we have expressed our joy, sadness, or rage, when we are sitting exhausted from the height and depth of our emotion, we can experience the presence of God in the stillness. When we sense that God is with us in the stillness, we can trace that presence back into our emotional experience as well. We can see, we can know that God is no stranger to heights and depth of emotion, that God is with us no matter what. From the stillness we learn that YHWH, the Lord, is with us in every time and place as a refuge. God as our refuge is not a hiding place, tempting as it can be to hide from the world in God. God is a refuge who calls us into the world secure in the knowledge that we are not alone, that we are never abandoned, that we have gifts to give to and receive from the world in which we live. Even as nations are in an uproar and realms totter, God is with us, inviting us to “Be still, and know that I am God!” August 16, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1104 Proper 15 August 15, 2021 Psalm 121 1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? 2 My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. 3 He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. 4 He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. 5 The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. 6 The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. 8 The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore. (NRSV) In the midst of a difficult trial we may find ourselves wondering how we will ever get out of this one. We fret, worry, and forget about all the resources that are at our disposal. We stare off into space, lost in the worry, consumed by the stresses and strains of our current situation. Once we have stewed over it for a while, we begin to seek solutions to our difficulty. At some point we realize that this is going to take more energy than we can muster alone. We may consider the resources our friends have available and wonder if they would be willing to help out. This is where we join the psalmist in the realization that whatever help we may receive, it comes from God. We have the gifts of friends, family, and in some cases strangers who will offer the resources at their disposal to help us out of the situation in which we find ourselves. God is an always available source of help. Depending on the need, we might receive the help directly from God. Most of the time the help comes in the form of people who are open to God’s leading, and who have probably been in a desperate situation or two themselves. Whether the situation works out the way we want it to or not, we can live in the assurance that we have received the help of God. August 10, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1103 Tenth Sunday of Ordinary Time August 8, 2021 Psalm 21 1 In your strength the king rejoices, O Lord, and in your help how greatly he exults! 2 You have given him his heart’s desire, and have not withheld the request of his lips. Selah 3 For you meet him with rich blessings; you set a crown of fine gold on his head. 4 He asked you for life; you gave it to him—length of days forever and ever. 5 His glory is great through your help; splendor and majesty you bestow on him. 6 You bestow on him blessings forever; you make him glad with the joy of your presence. 7 For the king trusts in the Lord, and through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved. 8 Your hand will find out all your enemies; your right hand will find out those who hate you. 9 You will make them like a fiery furnace when you appear. The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath, and fire will consume them. 10 You will destroy their offspring from the earth, and their children from among humankind. 11 If they plan evil against you, if they devise mischief, they will not succeed. 12 For you will put them to flight; you will aim at their faces with your bows. 13 Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength! We will sing and praise your power. (NRSV) We would like to have God at our beck and call, to give us our heart’s desire, give us cool stuff, and set fire to all of our enemies and their children. The psalmist tells us that this is how God treats the king of Israel. It is in the Bible, we have to believe that it is true, right? You can if you like, however chances are that the psalmist is celebrating a one time victory and taking it as a sign that God will continue to do these great things for the king, probably David. Having God on our instant contacts sounds pretty cool until we think what it would be like to have God able to contact us instantly and directly. Every time we gave even the slightest thought to turning from God we would get a text reminding us how much you are loved and what a bad idea our considered course of action would be. It is great to think about but probably not much fun in reality. It is no fun to realize that for many of us our daily lives are out of sync with God. It is good to know that God is interested and involved in our lives, that God loves us and wants what it best for us. It can be annoying to realize that what is best for us may not be what we would wish or hope for. We do well to live our lives as best we can, know that we are not always in accord with the ways of God, and be grateful for the forgiveness that God offers to us because we are both flawed and loved; all in the same package. August 2, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1102 Tenth Sunday of Ordinary Time August 1, 2021 Psalm 96 1 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth. 2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. 3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples. 4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth. 10 Say among the nations, “The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.” 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; 12 let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy 13 before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. (NRSV) Most people don’t like new things unless they have some say in it, some power over initiating it, some sense of choice in whether or not they participate in it. So, we can be all gung-ho on reading this psalm with its call to newness, until someone tells us we are going to do something new that you have no say in. It doesn’t even have to be a big thing. Something as simple as singing an unfamiliar hymn in worship can ruin a person’s whole day, week, longer than that even. We like the comfortable and familiar. Every now and then something happens in our lives that requires a new song, a new way of expressing our experience of God. When our faith is challenged and we come out with a deeper, stronger faith, we need a new way to express that faith. When we find that what was once comfortable and fulfilling is now confining and narrow, we need a new expression of our now broader view of God and the world. We need a new song. Our new song may express a deeper sadness, while making room for a more expansive joy. As we expand our experience of God, we will discover that we are open to new ways of expressing the height and depth of the presence of God in our lives and the lives of those who are not like us. It may be an experience akin to watching what is thought of as a children’s show only to discover that there is are layers to the characters and story that escaped us in previous viewings. As we grow and mature in faith, we may discover that an old song takes on a new meaning, that it becomes a new song. “O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.” July 26, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1101 Ninth Sunday of Ordinary Time July 25, 2021 Psalm 70 1 Be pleased, O God, to deliver me. O Lord, make haste to help me! 2 Let those be put to shame and confusion who seek my life. Let those be turned back and brought to dishonor who desire to hurt me. 3 Let those who say, “Aha, Aha!” turn back because of their shame. 4 Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, “God is great!” 5 But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay! (NRSV) Even though this psalm may not resonate with you doesn’t mean it doesn’t matter to you. If you are lucky enough not to be poor and needy, this psalm by one who is can teach us what at least one poor and needy person thinks and feels. They long for help from God and hope that any of us who may be guilty of doing the picking on and harassing will come to ruin with the help of God. We all feel picked on from time to time. Many of us have resources to help us get through those times. We have parents, spouses, children, friends, or combinations of these to give us support and comfort when others are miking our lives miserable. Direct intervention by God would be helpful, though much of the work of God will be done through family and friends. Instead of assuming that we are picked on as badly as the psalmist and those in the same boat, perhaps we can be an agent of God (an angel), by offering help and support that people like the psalmist do not have access to otherwise. We have each justified our lack of action by knowing that it is not our concern, that this other somehow deserves what is happening to them, leaving it to others closer to this other to support them, or worse yet, participating in the bullying oppression. For those who have no support network, we can look for ways to live out the presence of God for them, if even for a moment. “Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you.” July 20, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1100 Eighth Sunday of Ordinary Time July 18, 2021 Psalm 145 1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. 2 Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever. 3 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. 4 One generation shall laud your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. 5 On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. 6 The might of your awesome deeds shall be proclaimed, and I will declare your greatness. 7 They shall celebrate the fame of your abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of your righteousness. 8 The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. 10 All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you. 11 They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power, 12 to make known to all people your mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. 13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations. The Lord is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds. 14 The Lord upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down. 15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. 16 You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. 17 The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. 18 The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. 19 He fulfills the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them. 20 The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. 21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever. (NRSV) Giving thanks to God is an interesting consideration. We would think that it is easiest to give thanks when things are going well for us. However, in many cases when things are going very well for us we have a tendency to believe that it is because we have done something to deserve this good fortune. Either God has decided to reward us for our faithfulness, or we forget about God and believe that we have done this with our own hard work and good looks. When things turn sour, we ask God what we have done to deserve such bad treatment. As people in God’s favor, we deserve all the good stuff and we question and complain when things turn bad. The folks who seem to have little for which to be thankful, are the ones who will give God thanks most readily. There is gratitude for the smallest consideration all the way up to the greatest gift they might receive. It is not about earning or deserving so much as receiving all that comes their way. As a part of thankfulness they will bless God for all that comes their way. Both paragraphs above are painted with a broad brush since there are always exceptions: well to do folks who know it is all from God, and those without who blame everyone for everything that goes wrong with them, including God. The psalmist still tells us, “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your faithful shall bless you.” July 12, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1099 Seventh Sunday of Ordinary Time July 11, 2021 Psalm 45 1 My heart overflows with a goodly theme; I address my verses to the king; my tongue is like the pen of a ready scribe. 2 You are the most handsome of men; grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever. 3 Gird your sword on your thigh, O mighty one, in your glory and majesty. 4 In your majesty ride on victoriously for the cause of truth and to defend the right; let your right hand teach you dread deeds. 5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the king’s enemies; the peoples fall under you. 6 Your throne, O God, endures forever and ever. Your royal scepter is a scepter of equity; 7 you love righteousness and hate wickedness. Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions; 8 your robes are all fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia. From ivory palaces stringed instruments make you glad; 9 daughters of kings are among your ladies of honor; at your right hand stands the queen in gold of Ophir. 10 Hear, O daughter, consider and incline your ear; forget your people and your father’s house, 11 and the king will desire your beauty. Since he is your lord, bow to him; 12 the people of Tyre will seek your favor with gifts, the richest of the people 13 with all kinds of wealth. The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes; 14 in many-colored robes she is led to the king; behind her the virgins, her companions, follow. 15 With joy and gladness they are led along as they enter the palace of the king. 16 In the place of ancestors you, O king, shall have sons; you will make them princes in all the earth. 17 I will cause your name to be celebrated in all generations; therefore the peoples will praise you forever and ever. (NRSV) This may be a totally random thought sparked by verse 13 of this marriage psalm. I hope it is helpful despite or because of its focus. In early preaching, the habit was to read a verse of Scripture, expound on it, move to the next verse and repeat the process. I believe that the chapters and verses of the Bible are divisions for preaching. The chapters are a text for a given week and the verses are the places to stop in order to expound on that bit of Scripture. To add to the possibility of confusion, early Hebrew was written without punctuation or even spaces between words. Dividing a text as has been done with verse 13 raises an interesting question. In the NRSV there is not even a comma to separate verse 12 from 13; the verse picks up in the middle of a sentence. Chances are, that at one time people read the sentence as if the princess were decked with all kinds of wealth, and now it makes more sense for the people of Tyre to be the ones with all kinds of wealth as wedding gifts for the king. The punctuation has changed but not the versification. Either way, the reading does not have any effect on our salvation—this time. So, all of this to remind us that it is important to be careful how we read and comprehend Scripture. Am I correct about how Scripture was divided into chapters and verses? I have never seen any explanation of any kind; so maybe yes, maybe no. Have I seen and heard people take the same verse of Scripture to prove opposing points of view by putting emphasis on the part that proves their point? Yep, I have. As we read Scripture, especially if we are reading to prove ourselves right about something, and ‘those people’ wrong, we do well to keep an eye to God instead of proving our own point of view with Scripture. July 5, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1098 Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time July 4, 2021 Psalm 120 1 In my distress I cry to the Lord, that he may answer me: 2 “Deliver me, O Lord, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.” 3 What shall be given to you? And what more shall be done to you, you deceitful tongue? 4 A warrior’s sharp arrows, with glowing coals of the broom tree! 5 Woe is me, that I am an alien in Meshech, that I must live among the tents of Kedar. 6 Too long have I had my dwelling among those who hate peace. 7 I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war. (NRSV) The feeling of being a fish out of water is familiar to some of us. It may be that we are the only one who holds a particular opinion in our circle of friends, the one who has had an experience that sets us apart from the gang, or the one who has a characteristic that is obviously different from the rest of the group. In some cases we are accepted anyway and in others we are kept on the fringes of the group for fear that whatever is different about us may be contagious in some form. It is possible that the psalmist is distressed by words or silence that leads the group to believe that the psalmist is just like all the rest of the folks. The prayer is that the psalmist will be set free from the deceit that has drained so much energy in the struggle to keep silent. ‘O God, burn the lies from my lips and tongue so that I may speak my truth even to those who disagree with me.’ Some groups tolerate differences of opinion and others do not. Our hope is to find a community in which we can get along, through agreement or tolerance of disagreement. If we find ourselves thrown into a group in which we do not fit, we can hope to keep our integrity intact in some way, to find a small group of comfort within the larger group, to pray that we will continue to experience the love of God despite feeling no love from the group in which we find ourselves. June 28, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1097 Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time June 27, 2021 Psalm 20 1 The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you! 2 May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion. 3 May he remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. Selah 4 May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfill all your plans. 5 May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions. 6 Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand. 7 Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God. 8 They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright. 9 Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call (NRSV) In ancient cultures, the well being of folks had a lot to do with the success of the ruler in diplomacy and battle. Even the poorest of the poor could suffer if the land was over run and burned and destroyed by the conquering army. A prayer for victory was an important part of any engagement between two rulers. As the ruler was faithful in religious practice, the belief was that God would return that faithfulness by engineering the outcome of the engagement in our favor. While we may not be as directly affected by every encounter between the rulers of two nations, we continue to be dependent on our rulers to forge the partnerships that will benefit our nation and citizens. Various factions within a nation want different particulars, even as we each and all want what we see as best for us as a whole. I am sure there will always be those who want what is best for themselves alone, however, most of us want what is best for most of us. In every time and place, it is good to lift up the leaders and rulers of the nations of the world to God. At our best, we know that God loves us without concern for where we live or under what system of government we find ourselves. The psalmist gives us the example of praying for our own rulers. We can expand that to include all those who have authority over others so that as human beings we can rise and stand upright together. June 21, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1096 Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time June 20, 2021 Psalm 95 1 O come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! 2 Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise! 3 For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. 4 In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also. 5 The sea is his, for he made it, and the dry land, which his hands have formed. 6 O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! 7 For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! 8 Do not harden your hearts, as at Meribah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness, 9 when your ancestors tested me, and put me to the proof, though they had seen my work. 10 For forty years I loathed that generation and said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray, and they do not regard my ways.” 11 Therefore in my anger I swore, “They shall not enter my rest.” (NRSV) When was the last time you asked to speak to a manager so that you could compliment an employee who did good work for you? We are very quick to complain, sometimes through the proper channels, and sometimes to neighbors and friends who can’t really do anything about it. They may agree that that place is the worst and no one ever gets good service there. They may tell you that they have had nothing but good experiences with that place. None of that conversation changes the way the establishment works, but it does make the bad experience a shared experience. The psalmist invites us to join in thanksgiving to God. There are so many reasons to join the song and celebration of God’s activity with us. God has created all that we experience around us, the good, the bad, the safe, the dangerous, and everything in between. With all that in mind, this would be a great time to thank God for all the wonders we see. And in case we aren’t feeling up to being grateful, remember our ancestors’ experience at Meribah and Massah, when they got water out of a rock and still found reason to complain about God not doing enough for them. Be thankful, if for no other reason than to keep God from getting peeved. Even if this is not the best day in a series, take a moment to give thanks to God for all the good things that are going on. The list will be different for each of us, and that is good. In case any of us needs a nudge in the direction of thankfulness, the psalmist offers us some big ticket items for our list: God made the valleys, the mountains, the sea, the dry land. Oh, and on top of all that God takes care of us, watching over us as a shepherd watches over sheep, letting us wander and keeping as much danger as possible at bay. June 14, 2021 LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 1095 Third Sunday of Ordinary Time June 13, 2021 Psalm 69 1 Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. 2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold; I have come into deep waters, and the flood sweeps over me. 3 I am weary with my crying; my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God. 4 More in number than the hairs of my head are those who hate me without cause; many are those who would destroy me, my enemies who accuse me falsely. What I did not steal must I now restore? 5 O God, you know my folly; the wrongs I have done are not hidden from you. 6 Do not let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me, O Lord God of hosts; do not let those who seek you be dishonored because of me, O God of Israel. 7 It is for your sake that I have borne reproach, that shame has covered my face. 8 I have become a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother’s children. 9 It is zeal for your house that has consumed me; the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me. 10 When I humbled my soul with fasting, they insulted me for doing so. 11 When I made sackcloth my clothing, I became a byword to them. 12 I am the subject of gossip for those who sit in the gate, and the drunkards make songs about me. 13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. With your faithful help 14 rescue me from sinking in the mire; let me be delivered from my enemies and from the deep waters. 15 Do not let the flood sweep over me, or the deep swallow me up, or the Pit close its mouth over me. 16 Answer me, O Lord, for your steadfast love is good; according to your abundant mercy, turn to me. 17 Do not hide your face from your servant, for I am in distress—make haste to answer me. 18 Draw near to me, redeem me, set me free because of my enemies. 19 You know the insults I receive, and my shame and dishonor; my foes are all known to you. 20 Insults have broken my heart, so that I am in despair. I looked for pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. 21 They gave me poison for food, and for my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink. 22 Let their table be a trap for them, a snare for their allies. 23 Let their eyes be darkened so that they cannot see, and make their loins tremble continually. 24 Pour out your indignation upon them, and let your burning anger overtake them. 25 May their camp be a desolation; let no one live in their tents. 26 For they persecute those whom you have struck down, and those whom you have wounded, they attack still more. 27 Add guilt to their guilt; may they have no acquittal from you. 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of the living; let them not be enrolled among the righteous. 29 But I am lowly and in pain; let your salvation, O God, protect me. 30 I will praise the name of God with a song; I will magnify him with thanksgiving. 31 This will please the Lord more than an ox or a bull with horns and hoofs. 32 Let the oppressed see it and be glad; you who seek God, let your hearts revive. 33 For the Lord hears the needy, and does not despise his own that are in bonds. 34 Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. 35 For God will save Zion and rebuild the cities of Judah; and his servants shall live there and possess it; 36 the children of his servants shall inherit it, and those who love his name shall live in it. (NRSV) How many of us have known that we are in the right until we get a flash of insight that lets us know that we have been wrong all this time. We are quick to see ourselves as victims as long as we remain unaware of how badly treated the genuine victims are. Suddenly we are forced to see ourselves as unwitting perpetrators, or seemingly uninvolved bystanders, who make things worse for the victims by supporting the perpetrators by our silence and inaction. When we read this psalm as if we are the ones being victimized by all those around us we may instead be perpetrators whose actions are being called out by legitimate victims. Yep, I just lost some of you who can’t believe that you are not a victim. No matter what, it is a good idea to turn to God. If we are being victimized, God will give us the comfort of divine presence. It is entirely possible that nothing will change in our circumstance, except that we will know that we are in the presence of God who has a special place for those who are oppressed and bound by the wiles of those who stand against us. We have the assurance that God is standing with us. If we are even inadvertent victimizers, we turn to God and find new direction and renewal through repentance In those times in which I am the victim, the presence of God redeems me from the harm and bondage of my oppressors. If I am an oppressor, God will destroy my bent to oppressive action and my inaction that allows others to heap indignities on those they see as beneath them. God brings us to new hope, new life, new ways of being in community with all people. June 7, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1094 Second Sunday of Ordinary Time June 6, 2021 Psalm 144 1 Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle; 2 my rock and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my shield, in whom I take refuge, who subdues the peoples under me. 3 O Lord, what are human beings that you regard them, or mortals that you think of them? 4 They are like a breath; their days are like a passing shadow. 5 Bow your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains so that they smoke. 6 Make the lightning flash and scatter them; send out your arrows and rout them. 7 Stretch out your hand from on high; set me free and rescue me from the mighty waters, from the hand of aliens, 8 whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are false. 9 I will sing a new song to you, O God; upon a ten-stringed harp I will play to you, 10 the one who gives victory to kings, who rescues his servant David. 11 Rescue me from the cruel sword, and deliver me from the hand of aliens, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hands are false. 12 May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars, cut for the building of a palace. 13 May our barns be filled, with produce of every kind; may our sheep increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields, 14 and may our cattle be heavy with young. May there be no breach in the walls, no exile, and no cry of distress in our streets. 15 Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the Lord. (NRSV) Most of us don’t face our enemies in armed combat in physical form since most of our enemies are the doubts and concerns that interfere with our ability to function on a daily basis. We may have gobs of skills and talents, or just enough to get by. At the same time we are assailed by doubts that keep us from doing the work of which we are capable. The doubts likely come from within us, even if we received them from a figure we loved and trusted at some point in our lives. Having internalized the doubts, we allow our doubts to overpower our awareness of our skills. The psalmist asks God for relief from the enemies who are in full attack mode against our author. Whether physical, spiritual, or psychological, the enemies aim is to destroy us in some form or another. No matter how the destruction comes, it is aided by lies and offers of help that will turn to dust in our hands. God is the ones who speaks the truth and whose offered hand is firm and supportive in the face of any calamity. God serves as giver of our skills and talents as well as our cheerleader to use our gifts to the best of our ability. When we feel as if we are drowning in doubt and questions, God is with us to give us what we need to face our doubts. It could be as simple as letting us walk away to regroup for a moment or the willingness to trust ourselves and give our all to the project, calamity, or trial at hand. “Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the Lord.” May 31, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1093 Trinity Sunday May 30, 2021 Psalm 44 1 We have heard with our ears, O God, our ancestors have told us, what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old: 2 you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but them you set free; 3 for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm give them victory; but your right hand, and your arm, and the light of your countenance, for you delighted in them. 4 You are my King and my God; you command victories for Jacob. 5 Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down our assailants. 6 For not in my bow do I trust, nor can my sword save me. 7 But you have saved us from our foes, and have put to confusion those who hate us. 8 In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah 9 Yet you have rejected us and abased us, and have not gone out with our armies. 10 You made us turn back from the foe, and our enemies have gotten spoil. 11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter, and have scattered us among the nations. 12 You have sold your people for a trifle, demanding no high price for them. 13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors, the derision and scorn of those around us. 14 You have made us a byword among the nations, a laughingstock among the peoples. 15 All day long my disgrace is before me, and shame has covered my face 16 at the words of the taunters and revilers, at the sight of the enemy and the avenger. 17 All this has come upon us, yet we have not forgotten you, or been false to your covenant. 18 Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from your way, 19 yet you have broken us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with deep darkness. 20 If we had forgotten the name of our God, or spread out our hands to a strange god, 21 would not God discover this? For he knows the secrets of the heart. 22 Because of you we are being killed all day long, and accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 23 Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not cast us off forever! 24 Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? 25 For we sink down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. 26 Rise up, come to our help. Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love. (NRSV) When things are going well, we have to remind ourselves that God has a lot to do with our success, having given us our skills and abilities to use and refine. The psalmist goes so far as to say that our success is due to the work of God for us. As long as God is fighting for us we don’t need to have skills and abilities of our own because God is the one doing all the work. It is no use to trust our weapons if we do not place our primary loyalty in God. The psalmist raises a lament due to the military losses the people have suffered. We must have done something to deserve being chased off of the battlefield by superior forces on the other side. The psalmist does not know of any way that our people have been unfaithful, so this loss must be the fault of God rather than us. Since absolute rulers of the day were inconsistent in their rules and enforcement this is the only example people had for divine action. God is not as wishy washy as the psalmist wants to believe. At the same time, God is not the direct cause of everything that happens to us. God has given each of us, friend and foe alike, the ability to make our own choices and to live with the consequences of our actions. As we get to live with the consequences of our choices, as do those around us, we live with the consequences of actions by those around us through no fault of our own. May 24, 2021 LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 1092 Pentecost May 23, 2021 Psalm 119:129-144 129 Your decrees are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them. 130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. 131 With open mouth I pant, because I long for your commandments. 132 Turn to me and be gracious to me, as is your custom toward those who love your name. 133 Keep my steps steady according to your promise, and never let iniquity have dominion over me. 134 Redeem me from human oppression, that I may keep your precepts. 135 Make your face shine upon your servant, and teach me your statutes. 136 My eyes shed streams of tears because your law is not kept. 137 You are righteous, O Lord, and your judgments are right. 138 You have appointed your decrees in righteousness and in all faithfulness. 139 My zeal consumes me because my foes forget your words. 140 Your promise is well tried, and your servant loves it. 141 I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts. 142 Your righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and your law is the truth. 143 Trouble and anguish have come upon me, but your commandments are my delight. 144 Your decrees are righteous forever; give me understanding that I may live. (NRSV) Write each letter of the alphabet eight times down a column. Using those letters as a guide, write a celebration of the law of God for each letter you have written. If you feel especially creative, write it as a poem. This is the outline of Psalm 119. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet which means there are 176 verses of the psalm. With the 26 letters of the English alphabet there would be 208 verses. Some groupings would be more difficult than others. The important part is celebrating God’s law. Many of us think that the law is for everyone else and that it is more a suggestion for us. We have extenuating circumstances that require us to push past any law from time to time in order to meet our need of the moment. Celebrating the law of God is a good exercise. It reminds us that law is not oppressive. At its best, as well as our best, the law of God is permission giving. ‘Here is the outside limit, other than that you are free to do what seems good to you.’ “Be on your best behavior; be home by midnight.” As long as we follow these simple rules we are free to have an enjoyable evening. If we find a way to justify skirting one of the rules there will be consequences. The consequence may be as simple as losing a privilege or as devastating as contributing to a lasting injury for ourselves or another. God is not an ogre, making rules for the sake of having rules. God loves us and wants us to be safe, to keep others safe, and to be able to enjoy our life together. “The unfolding of your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.” May 17, 2021 LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 1091 Seventh Sunday of Easter May 16, 2021 Psalm 19 1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. 2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge. 3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; 4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun, 5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy. 6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat. 7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; 8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; 9 the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward. 12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults. 13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression. 14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer (NRSV) When we think of laws, there are a couple of directions our thoughts wander. Laws are present to protect us from the kinds of people who have no respect for others and their property. Laws are to protect us from people who don’t follow rules. Another way we look at laws is the way they intrude on our lives in inconvenient ways. Things like speed limits and no parking signs are fine when we are following the laws, however, when we are in a hurry speed limits are for others, no parking signs are in order to reserve a spot for those brave enough to park there anyway. We have a love/hate relationship with laws and rules. The psalmist tells us that laws, especially the laws of God, are a source of pleasure for those who follow them. Our own tendency is to resist laws and rules that are phrased in the negative. In the case of God’s laws the negatives are there as boundaries. ‘Here is a limit it is not safe to pass.’ There is always someone who steps across the line just to make sure, who touches where it says ‘wet paint’ just to see if it has been there longer than necessary. ‘Since God and I are such good buddies, I am certainly exempt from this law and its consequences.’ Honestly, it is more fulfilling to stay in bounds in order to enjoy a relationship with God. We can probably name the laws and rules that other people break more easily than we can name those we break ourselves. When we break a rule, we can hear the justification for it ringing in our head or heart. Rather than zeroing in on the broken rule, we emphasize the justification. We don’t know why others break the rules, only that they do, so we can afford to be more harsh with them on their ‘crime.’ The psalmist reminds us that we have our hidden faults for which we can be forgiven, especially if we ask. One of those hidden faults is our double standard of excusing our own faults while hoping others get caught and punished for their own. To help keep us from the double standard the psalmist ends with the familiar phrase, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” May 10, 2021 LCM