Psalm Meditation 701
Reign of Christ Sunday
November 24, 2013

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)

In the midst of the cold war between the United States and the Soviet Union, I remember what a shock it was to hear that the Soviet Union was geographically larger than the US. How could the best country in the world not also be the biggest. Through the years I have discovered that the biggest is not always the best and mine is not always better than that of another. Sometimes that other is better, sometimes worse and sometimes simply different.

When it comes to God I have also had a change of heart and mind. The older I get the more radical becomes my monotheism. Rather than worrying about whether one or another religious faith worships the same God I worship, I am inclined to believe that there is only one God who is experienced and interpreted differently from person to person and faith to faith. So, for me, the worshippers of other gods have chosen to split attributes of God into multiple parts to make God more comprehensible.

I would like to think that our conception of God is the most complete and comprehensive. At the very least it is the one most meaningful to me. So whether there is a nation that is larger than my own, this is home for me. It is the one best suited to my current set of needs, wants and wishes. Whether there is one God or a panoply, the one God of the Bible, Yahweh, is the one in whom I will rejoice and the one to whom I will give thanks.

November 18, 2013

Psalm Meditation 700
Twenty sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
November 17, 2013

Psalm 4
1 Answer me when I call, O God of my right! You gave me room when I was in distress. Be gracious to me, and hear my prayer.
2 How long, you people, shall my honor suffer shame? How long will you love vain words, and seek after lies? Selah
3 But know that the LORD has set apart the faithful for himself; the LORD hears when I call to him.
4 When you are disturbed, do not sin; ponder it on your beds, and be silent. Selah
5 Offer right sacrifices, and put your trust in the LORD.
6 There are many who say, “O that we might see some good! Let the light of your face shine on us, O LORD!”
7 You have put gladness in my heart more than when their grain and wine abound.
8 I will both lie down and sleep in peace; for you alone, O LORD, make me lie down in safety.
(NRSV)

The psalmist believes that our actions have a direct effect on the way God treats us. If we turn away from proper practice of our faith God turns away from us and leaves us to the consequences of our sin. As long as we do the right thing, go through the proper rituals and have some personal investment in the process God will be good to us. As soon as we stop doing what God has asked of us we are left alone.

I too believe that our actions have an effect on the presence of God in our lives but in a different way. As we fail to live out of love, forgiveness and generosity we wander away from the way that leads to the presence of God. It is not that we are abandoned so much as we lose the ability or the willingness to see and experience the presence of God in our lives. Once we stop practicing the presence of God we begin to lose the ability to see God in all times and spaces.

Both viewpoints acknowledge that we are separated from God as a consequence of our actions. In one view God walks away from us, in the other we walk away from God. We have some responsibility either way, the difference is in the view of God. For the psalmist, God can be provoked into moving away from us. In the other view, we move away from God and are left to pay the consequences. God is always with us, always available to us, it is we who choose to ignore that God is with us. Even then, God seeks us out, invites us, calls us into a relationship that seeks out God’s abiding presence among us.

November 11, 2013

Psalm Meditation 699
Twenty fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
November 10, 2013

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)

There are folks who will say that God does not need our praise, that God really does not need anything from us. In one sense that is true. We have nothing that does not come from God, so if God wanted what we have it would simply be a matter of not giving it to us so that God would have it. On the other hand, as a believer in free will, I believe that God finds deep joy in anything we return freely. I imagine that God is particularly pleased when we offer praise and love of our own free will.

When we offer something to our children, especially young children, and do not let go completely until they say those magic words, ‘thank you.’ it is not because we are unfulfilled without their thanks. Our intent is to teach them the words that will one day be attached to the sentiment of thankfulness. While God does not have an ego that needs to be stroked by our constant words of praise, it may be that God enjoys our praise in the same way our hearts are gladdened when our children don’t have to be coached into saying, ‘thank you.’

The definitions of thanks and praise that I was given years ago is that thanks are given for what is done while praise is given for who one is. We thank God for all the gifts we receive on some regular basis. The psalmist reminds, invites and encourages us to offer our praise for who God is among us.

November 3, 2013

Psalm Meditation 698
All Saints Sunday
November 3, 2013

Psalm 53
1 Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they commit abominable acts; there is no one who does good.
2 God looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.
3 They have all fallen away, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one.
4 Have they no knowledge, those evildoers, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God?
5 There they shall be in great terror, in terror such as has not been. For God will scatter the bones of the ungodly; they will be put to shame, for God has rejected them.
6 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When God restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.
(NRSV)

I know some very intelligent people who do not believe in God. They are convinced that if something cannot be proved by scientific method, it is not true. Ever since the Enlightenment folks have gone through the mental, philosophical, theological, scientific gymnastics to either prove or disprove the existence of God. The arguments have given us some interesting ‘proofs’ as to why and how God either does or does not exist. It was in response to the Enlightenment that folks came up with bibilical literalism; if the Bible is not 100% true and error free, then it is completely false. Sadly, this argument came from folks defending the existence of God.

I know this is not the kind of fool to whom the psalmist refers. The psalmist means the folks who act as if there is no God, no one to call them to account for their actions within the community. They act against both God and the community standards of behavior. For the psalmist there is no distinction between the standards of God and the standards of the community. The fools of the psalm are those who flaunt their bad behavior because they have the resources to ignore their upbringing in the community.

I do agree with the psalmist that those who do not believe in God are foolish. They refuse to see that there may actually be an entire broad sphere of existence that is beyond proof. They limit themselves to those things that can be proved and conjectured through scientific method and miss those things that are only available to those willing to take the leap of faith. The cool thing about faith is that it cannot be proved or independently tested in any way. People of faith offer the proof of their own lives and the difference their faith makes in how they face the events of a day.

October 28, 2013

Psalm Meditation 697
Twenty third Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 27, 2013

Psalm 103
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding,
    obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul.
(NRSV)

The first two verses of this psalm were my wake up call from time to time when dad had the task of waking my younger brother and me. He would stand at the door and recite them with gentleness and enthusiasm. It is possible that he used other verses of psalms, hymns or poems on other mornings but this is the one I remember hearing. It was a reminder, or has become one, to start the day with a sense of holiness, thanksgiving and gratitude for all that God is and does among us.

There are folks who respond to a ‘good morning’ with a ‘what’s good about it?’ How might folks react if we ran through even a partial list of the psalmist’s reasons to bless God. ‘What’s good about this morning? God is good as we are offered forgiveness, redemption, vindication, justice, mercy, grace and steadfast love at the hand of God.’ That might be a little intense for someone who is off to a cynical start to the day, however it might be good to click those off in our own heads before we respond, ‘I wish you a good morning.’

As a morning person, I am inclined to bless God then. For those who function best at other times of the day it is good to spend a moment at the high point of the day remembering that God is with us, blesses us, loves us beyond our ability to comprehend, and enjoys our company in the moments we pause to reflect on the presence and blessings of God in our lives and the lives of those around us. Bless the LORD.

October 21, 2013

Psalm Meditation 696
Twenty second Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 20, 2013

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)

Jerusalem was built in a wonderfully strategic place that made it difficult to attack and easy to defend. The psalmist could have celebrated the ingenuity of the folks who founded the city on such a great spot. The psalm could have praised the folks who formulated the military strategies that went with the excellent positioning of the city. The psalmist chose instead to give the praise to God.

It was the inspiration and direction of God that led folks to build the city in this place. It was the creative genius and power of God to make a place on which the city could be founded. It was the steadfast love of God that chose this people to live in this place over anyone else. It was God who had the first and final say in the choices that made Jerusalem an advantageous spot for a variety of activities.

In our emphasis on individuality we play up the skills of people and down play the contribution God has made to who we are and what we do. It is the gifts of God at work in the lives of individuals and groups that makes it possible for folks to do what they do. There is likely a happy median between taking all the credit for our skills and actions and giving the credit to God and keeping none for ourselves. God gives us gifts and we use them to the best of our willingness and ability. We do well to acknowledge our abilities and accomplishments even as we give thanks to God.

October 14, 2013

Psalm Meditation 695
Twenty first Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 13, 2013

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)

Sing a new song! It has such a great joyous ring to it, until we realize all that is involved in participating in that kind of newness. Someone has to write words and music that capture the joy of the moment. Folks have to learn both new words and new music at the same time. There is the frustration of all this newness at once. New may be good in some things, but having this kind of newness thrust on us can get unnerving. The excitement of the newness wears off fairly quickly when we are confronted with the full weight and meaning of that newness.

At the same time, when there is an event as momentous as a victory at the hand of God, something new seems appropriate and worth the struggle involved in bringing this new song of celebration to full life. At moments in the life of a community, something new is the only thing that will fit. We make that sacrifices needed to bring this new song of celebration to life as a project of the whole community as a way to praise, thank and honor God. It is worth all the effort and energy invested.

Somewhere between the frustration and the excitement that new things bring to us we find ourselves thinking of how frustrated and excited God must be as we make the choices that lead us sometimes closer to and sometimes farther from a relationship with God. In that moment the sacrifices we make to praise God seem pretty small. In that moment the praise we offer with all our hearts seems too little to match the magnitude and majesty of the works God does among us. And so we find ourselves refocused on the endeavor to sing a new song, a song of praise to God for this moment of marvelous joy.

October 7, 2013