Psalm Meditation 1322 ¶Proper 24 ¶October 19, 2025 ¶Psalm 51 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2051&version=NRSVUE ¶The mystics call it a ‘dark night of the soul,’ a time in which we feel broken, and abandoned, when we don’t feel like doing anything that we usually enjoy doing. We may even feel gross, as if we are not and will never feel clean again, and are not all that concerned about it. We also have times in which we pray for God to release us from all this weight we find ourselves under. We feel as if we must have done something that has brought us to this point, and ask God to forgive us and release us from this burden we are experiencing in this time. ¶The psalmist is willing to shoulder the full blame and responsibility for this current condition. ‘It is my fault, O God, and you are the only one who can set me free from this burden of sin. And while I am asking for release from sin, may I also dare to ask for joy and gladness in my life.’ It is as if God takes some delight in watching us suffer when we are made aware of our sinfulness. We feel as if we have to be punished for all the sins that we commit so that God will begin to love us once again. ¶One of my mentors through the years said, ‘we are not punished for our sin, so much as we are punished by our sin.’ God is not out to get us, God already loves us and does not wish us any harm in body or spirit. When we are in any kind of pain God is present with us waiting to offer us the cleansing we need so that we can experience the joy that God has set our hearts and souls to long for. As we journey toward joy and fulfillment our lives serve as examples of what God offers to everyone. ¶October 13, 2025 ¶LCM