Psalm Meditation 1337 ¶Fourth Sunday After Epiphany ¶February 1, 2026 ¶Psalm 48 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2048&version=NRSVUE ¶Many of us have a place that, to us, is more sacred and holy than it is to most people. For some it is a Disney park, a camp ground that is full of memories, a family heritage site, a place that holds some personal significance of life changing import, for others it is a person or group that feels like home no matter where they may be. For the psalmist, that place is Mount Zion. God has been there through thick and thin, victory and defeat. In this instance, the presence of God has made a positive difference, as adversaries gathered, saw the glory of the city and went their separate ways. ¶Once the groups of adversaries scatter, the people gather in the temple to “ponder your steadfast love, O God“ They know they have been delivered by the strength of the hand of God, visible in the strength and beauty of the city. The people may have built the city, however it is God who blessed the place and the work that went in to it. The psalmist does not take the presence of God for granted, celebrating it in all the parts of the city, especially in the gathering of the people in the temple, a beacon of and memorial to, the presence of God. ¶While we may not hold our cities and towns in the same reverence as the psalmist, we can still be aware that the presence of God is very much a part of anywhere and everywhere we may find ourselves. That awareness can bring us to the same sense of gratitude with which the psalmist begins, “Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God.” ¶January 26, 2026 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1336 ¶Third Sunday After Epiphany ¶January 25, 2026 ¶Psalm 42 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2042&version=NRSVUE ¶People outside the Abrahamic faiths seem to think that if God, YHWH, comes to our aid it will be in a dramatic and readily visible way, with clouds and winds and giant chariots able to withstand even modern tanks and fighter jets. Their rhetoric is so convincing that some folks in Abrahamic faiths begin to believe that God will come in that way also. We have gotten used to the idea that anything from God has to be dramatic and awesome. Scripture, history, and experience tell a different story. ¶Events may seem dramatic to those who are in the midst of it, however they can almost always be pooh poohed away by those who want to doubt that God is active in our lives, let alone that God exists. For the most part God stays in the background, offering hope, and courage to those who need a prod in the direction of “positive peace, the presence of justice” MLKJ 1963. God stands at the front lines, the picket lines, the bread lines, etc. to be present with those who take a stand for grace, mercy, peace, and justice in the face of tyranny, oppression, might makes right authoritarianism, and other forms of injustice. ¶The psalmist is still ‘cast down’ however not without hope. Remembering all the ways that God has been active in the psalmist’s life and the struggles of the people and nation serves to lift spirits in the face of adversity. While the psalmist hopes that God will intervene in some direct and visible way, God tends to infuse hope, courage, and perseverance into those who live in the ways that lead to God, YHWH. ¶January 19, 2026 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1335 ¶Second Sunday After the Epiphany ¶January 18, 2026 ¶Psalm 59 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2059&version=NRSVUE ¶The most useful tool of those in power is fear. Fear can get us to watch for enemies before they enter our communities, and it can get us to see enemies in friends, relatives, acquaintances, and neighbors. If we are being threatened by an actual malicious enemy, the fear can be real and helpful. If we are being distracted from something important by fear-mongering, the fear is a manipulation of our self protective instincts. For whatever reason it is used fear is a very effective tool. ¶If the introduction to this psalm has been attached from the beginning, we can see that all Saul needed to do is make it appear that he is out to kill David for David to be extra vigilant. To David’s credit, he turns to God for deliverance from the threat with which Saul has weighed him down. David is being intimidated by sounds of strength and fury that are deeply upsetting. However, rather than being cowed by the threats David gives the whole situation over to God and lifts his own voice in singing as a sign of his assurance that God is in this situation. ¶The specter of intimidation and violence hangs over each of us at some time in our lives. It may or may not be at the same level as that experienced by David, however we have a great example from him as to how we face it. Rise or fall, live or die we can face all manner of hurts and harms when we rest secure in the presence of the living God. ¶January 12, 2026 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1334 ¶Baptism of the Lord ¶January 11, 2026 ¶Psalm 60 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2055&version=NRSVUE ¶Many of us assume that God is one who controls everything, causes our calamities and comforts, leaving us with little to do but go on as if we have a say in our lives. My theology professor asked us as class began, ‘How do you parents know when you have lost control of your children?’ No one answered since we had never lost control of our children. (Yeah, right) He answered his question with, ‘You have lost control when you have to reach out to restrain your child. God does not lose control.’ ¶If we bring ourselves to calamity, as in this psalm, God stands with us to support us as we recover from our ill fitting choices. We can say that God caused something to happen, which makes God an adversary, or we can recognize that we have made a foolish choice or two that put us where we are. In the latter case God’s presence is a source of comfort and strength to help us navigate the effects of our choices and get things back to a new normal. In the best of all worlds, that new normal includes a closer relationship with God. ¶There is some comfort in believing that everything that happens for good or ill is directly caused by God. We are not finally responsible for anything that goes on around us. I would rather see God as one who chooses to be present with us, sending us people who will teach us and lead us in ways that lead to a closer relationship with God. The presence of God acts as a comfort and blessing to us in every time and place rather than as a source of foreboding as we await the next punishment for our sin. ¶January 5, 2026 ¶LCM