Psalm Meditation 1083 Fifth Sunday in Lent March 21, 2021 Psalm 67 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. 7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him. (NRSV) When we are asked to make a list of blessings we start with the out of the ordinary ones. Especially as we consider the blessings of God, we want our list to be made up of special things. We may list animals that we have seen in zoos or on documentaries on television, rare metals and gems we have received as gifts or as new joints, things that we may have taken for granted until we no longer had them. The earth yields wonderful crops of edible fruits and vegetables as well as things of beauty that are dangerous to us in some way. The earth also provides air to breathe, a place to stand, water to drink, minerals and chemicals that make our lives what they are either directly or indirectly. It seems that the more we have, the less we notice any of it. The psalmist reminds us to thank God for the blessings we notice, as well as for the things that are so much a part of our lives that we no longer notice. Sometimes it is important to thank God for all of our blessings, especially the ones we no longer notice. The psalmist makes it a point to list the blessings God offers to us as gifts: presence, saving power, fair judgment, and guidance. “May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.” March 15, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1082 Fourth Sunday in Lent March 14, 2021 Psalm 142 1 With my voice I cry to the Lord; with my voice I make supplication to the Lord. 2 I pour out my complaint before him; I tell my trouble before him. 3 When my spirit is faint, you know my way. In the path where I walk they have hidden a trap for me. 4 Look on my right hand and see—there is no one who takes notice of me; no refuge remains to me; no one cares for me. 5 I cry to you, O Lord; I say, “You are my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.” 6 Give heed to my cry, for I am brought very low. Save me from my persecutors, for they are too strong for me. 7 Bring me out of prison, so that I may give thanks to your name. The righteous will surround me, for you will deal bountifully with me. (NRSV) When we are deeply troubled we get the feeling that we are the only ones who feel this way, that no one notices the pain we are experiencing, that no one sees us. We may even include God among those who has forgotten we exist. While we may think we have hidden our pain, it is more likely that we have turned so far inward that we have cut ourselves off from those who would love to help us. The psalmist is aware that the presence of God is a safe place in times of trial. At the same time, the psalmist is unable to find where God is. It is akin to the times in which we are searching so frantically for something that we look right past it multiple times before actually finding it. The psalmist is so focused on the isolation of this particular experience that finding God becomes as impossible as finding that object this is right in front of us. Knowing that God is our refuge is one thing, being able to find God in times of trouble is quite another. What seems to work best in times like these is to stop, wait, and allow ourselves to become open to being found. God is not off somewhere searching for us or someone else, God is waiting for us to discover that we are already within the comforting refuge of God’s abiding presence. March 8, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1081 Third Sunday in Lent March 7, 2021 Psalm 42 1 As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. 2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me continually, “Where is your God?” 4 These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I went with the throng, and led them in procession to the house of God, with glad shouts and songs of thanksgiving, a multitude keeping festival. 5 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help 6 and my God. My soul is cast down within me; therefore I remember you from the land of Jordan and of Hermon, from Mount Mizar. 7 Deep calls to deep at the thunder of your cataracts; all your waves and your billows have gone over me. 8 By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. 9 I say to God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?” 10 As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, “Where is your God?” 11 Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God. (NRSV) For some, God is the direct cause of everything that happens to us and for us in our lives. If you are sad, it is due to something God did to you. If you are happy, it is because of God. If you are really depressed, it is because God abandoned you for the time. It is a convenient way of thinking because it gives all the power for our lives into the hands of God. We may bear some responsibility for our actions, however the final cause is God. The psalmist leans that way, asking why God has walked away leaving the psalmist to the whims of an oppressive enemy. There is a thirst for the presence of God that can only be satisfied if God moves toward us. We have no ability or responsibility to move toward God. We can’t possibly have any power to move closer to God. In the courts of absolute rulers, people risked death if they entered the royal presence without permission. The only exception was the royal children. As children of God we are always allowed to enter the presence of God. We don’t need permission. If we are ‘cast down’ and ‘disquieted’ we can walk in and climb up into the lap of God where we can be lifted up and quieted by a firm, gentle hand. People and circumstances will continue to taunt us with the question, “Where is your God?” There may even be an attempt to block our way. We are children of God and our access is unlimited and unrestricted. “Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my help and my God.” March 1, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1080 Second Sunday in Lent February 28, 2021 Psalm 117 1 Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! 2 For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever. Praise the Lord! (NRSV) To praise is to express strong approval of someone or something. To extol is to praise in a very enthusiastic way. The psalmist is calling on everyone to express our strong approval of God in a very enthusiastic way. Enthusiasm is to be filled with God (en theos.) We are to express all these things because God loves us and stands with us steadfastly (having a strong belief in someone), forever and always. The truth is, all these definitions can only point to what a moving experience it is to experience what it means to be loved by God. We can give God’s love all the intellectual assent we can muster and still not have any idea what the psalmist is talking about. It is only when we can move through all the barriers we erect against our emotions that we can know how the steadfast love and faithfulness of God feels. Many of us spend a lot of time and energy living up to the expectations God has for us, working to earn the love that we know God has for us. What if God loves us and that’s it. Anything we do from there is an act of gratitude. We don’t have to earn it, we don’t have to return it, we don’t even have to accept it. God loves us steadfastly, faithfully, and forever. Praise the Lord! February 22, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1079 First Sunday in Lent February 21, 2021 Psalm 17 1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit. 2 From you let my vindication come; let your eyes see the right. 3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress. 4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. 6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words. 7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8 Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me. 10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground. 12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush. 13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them! By your sword deliver my life from the wicked, 14 from mortals—by your hand, O Lord—from mortals whose portion in life is in this world. May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their little ones. 15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness. (NRSV) One of the great things about talking to God in any form is that it opens us to conversation with God. Even the times we say we are not sure that God exists we leave ourselves open to dialogue by addressing our doubts directly to the one we currently doubt. When are secure in the presence of God we open ourselves to be confirmed and corrected in our thoughts and actions. When we are sure about what another is going through, thinking, and feeling God can remind us that we can’t know all of that. When we ‘know for a fact’ that someone is out to destroy us, God has a way of showing us that they do not even know who we are. When we see ourselves as innocent victims God demonstrates that they are moving us in a more faithful direction. While the psalmist asks to be protected and delivered from the wicked, the first request is for God to show steadfast love to those who seek refuge ‘at your right hand.’ As we participate in a conversation with God we will discover that ‘those people’ may have a point or two for us to ponder, a way of looking at a situation or the world at large that feels more fulfilling and faithful than our current path. We may find that we are not adversaries, we are allies, people moving in different directions to achieve that same goal. We may also discover that one, maybe both, of us needs to reevaluate our thoughts and actions. The goal is a deeper and richer conversation with God for the sake of our relationship with God. February 15, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1078 Transfiguration Sunday February 14, 2021 Psalm 92 1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, 3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. 4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 5 How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep! 6 The dullard cannot know, the stupid cannot understand this: 7 though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever, 8 but you, O Lord, are on high forever. 9 For your enemies, O Lord, for your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. 10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. 11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. 12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. 14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, 15 showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (NRSV) One of the important things that happens when we say, ‘thank you,’ to others is it reminds us to be grateful. Gratitude breeds gratitude as we remember to feel and express thanks for all that others do with and for us. We may have gotten annoyed as the adults around us reminded us to thank those around us who do special, even ordinary things for us. At best the words and the gratitude become a habit of word and attitude. We have internalized thankfulness and gratitude. One of the concerns we have for each other these days is the sense of entitlement that so many people carry with them. It is so easy to see in others and just as easy to miss in ourselves. When someone else comes across as entitled we can see how little they deserve the things they claim as entitlements. When we feel entitled we miss all that cues that we don’t deserve what we are demanding. It is important to look to our own behaviors before we judge others for theirs. The psalmist begins with gratitude to God. The psalmist also sees righteous folks as expressing gratitude, thus being better able to see what God is doing in the lives of all around them. As we express thanks we find ourselves better able to see the good in the world, in others, and in ourselves. Thankfulness leads to a sense of joy and happiness in the world around us. A sense of happiness leads us to a fresh outlook on life that allows us, “In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap.” February 8, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1077 Fifth Sunday After Epiphany February 7, 2021 Psalm 66 1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; 2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. 3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. 4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” Selah 5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. 6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him, 7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations—let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah 8 Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard, 9 who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip. 10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried. 11 You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs; 12 you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water; yet you have brought us out to a spacious place. 13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows, 14 those that my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah 16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me. 17 I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue. 18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 19 But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me. (NRSV) Have you ever found yourself in a situation and prayed that God would get you out of it? You made a bargain with God in which you promise to do something for a long time, maybe even the rest of your life, if God will get you out of this. The deeper in trouble you get the more obligations you add to your promise. When you finally get out you hope that God has forgotten most of what you said because you have promised more than you can deliver in a single lifetime. The psalmist has promised sacrifices that would be a strain on most people of that day. Any one of the offerings the psalmist has promised would be beyond the means of most people, yet the psalmist has promised rams, bulls, and goats to God. Is God really impressed by all of our promises and offerings? I doubt it. God is not impressed by how much stuff we own even if we make a big show of offering it all to God in some way. God has access to all the stuff anyone could possibly want or need. God wants to know that our love and devotion are genuine, heartfelt, and sincere. When we make a sacrifice of any kind, God wants to know that it is out of love rather than obligation. The one thing that God desires from us is our love and affection. Not even God can force or demand that out of us without doing damage to our relationship. God hears and responds to our prayers and pleas for help in time of trouble, not because of the promises we have made, because of the great love God has for us. The psalmist rejoices that God “has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.” The steadfast love of God is exactly that—steadfast. It does not depend on our promises or actions. God loves us by choice rather than in exchange for our promises, offerings, and sacrifices. February 1, 2021 LCM