Psalm Meditation 776
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 3, 2015
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)
There was a time in each of our lives that the only way we could make ourselves heard was through our voices. We cooed and cried and laughed and screamed to communicate our wants and needs to those around us. As our bodies developed we found new ways of communicating with those around us. We could smile and frown, walk and run, punch and pat to let folks know our needs and wants. At some point we learn to push the buttons of a keypad and we learn to write. At that point we have the ability to reach beyond the sound of our voice to touch folks in a variety of ways.
The psalmist uses the written word to reach through generations to touch us with this word of praise. All these years later we are invited to participate in the joy of being in the presence of God. Was this psalmist a person who could not express joy through singing and dancing or one who was skilled in a variety of means of communication? We will not know that any time soon. We know that this person was a psalmist who wanted to share the excitement and enthusiasm of having been blessed in a variety of ways by the ever present God.
Whether our words, actions and images go viral and spread across the world or are only heard and seen by the folks to whom we address them God hears and sees. Whether our words, actions and images are passed on through generations or are deleted, discarded and destroyed soon after they leave our presence God knows what we have done and said. God knows us and loves us no matter what. While the psalmist may have known that the steadfast love of God could be removed from us for some reason, I am convinced that the steadfast love of God is steadfast and lasts through all generations because it is the nature of God to love steadfastly. Praise God.
April 27, 2015
LCM
Monday, April 27, 2015
Monday, April 20, 2015
Psalm Meditation 775
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 26, 2015
Psalm 116
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, save my life!”
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.
6 The LORD protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my consternation, “Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
There are folks for whom faith is a quid pro quo (this for that) relationship with God. “As long as God gives me all that I need, want and ask for I will be faithful in return. I can even put up with an occasional miss on my wants but it can’t be a big one or I am out” These folks say and do all the right things to let us know that they are people of deep and abiding faith until something happens that is beyond their limit of acceptability. Once God has failed them in a big enough way they give no indication of ever having had any faith at all.
The psalmist, and countless others through the years, has been afflicted in a way that would make a person of quid pro quo faith dessert God. Folks like the psalmist remain faithful no matter what. They sense the abiding presence of God in the highest high and the lowest low of life and faith. Even when all is not well God is with us as a loving presence. Knowing that we are not alone in the best and worst of times makes things bearable. Knowing that God is with us in all times and places adds yet another dimension to our life in faith.
Those who look to God as a magical vending machine whose desire is to grant our every wish will soon find themselves disappointed by the activity of God in their lives. Those who see God as the one who loves us beyond measure and without condition will be in an ever deepening relationship with God. Along with the relationship with God, folks will find themselves in ever deepening relationships with folks who also look to God in love and awe. Those who see God as a source of loving presence will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
April 20, 2015
LCM
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 26, 2015
Psalm 116
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, save my life!”
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.
6 The LORD protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my consternation, “Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
There are folks for whom faith is a quid pro quo (this for that) relationship with God. “As long as God gives me all that I need, want and ask for I will be faithful in return. I can even put up with an occasional miss on my wants but it can’t be a big one or I am out” These folks say and do all the right things to let us know that they are people of deep and abiding faith until something happens that is beyond their limit of acceptability. Once God has failed them in a big enough way they give no indication of ever having had any faith at all.
The psalmist, and countless others through the years, has been afflicted in a way that would make a person of quid pro quo faith dessert God. Folks like the psalmist remain faithful no matter what. They sense the abiding presence of God in the highest high and the lowest low of life and faith. Even when all is not well God is with us as a loving presence. Knowing that we are not alone in the best and worst of times makes things bearable. Knowing that God is with us in all times and places adds yet another dimension to our life in faith.
Those who look to God as a magical vending machine whose desire is to grant our every wish will soon find themselves disappointed by the activity of God in their lives. Those who see God as the one who loves us beyond measure and without condition will be in an ever deepening relationship with God. Along with the relationship with God, folks will find themselves in ever deepening relationships with folks who also look to God in love and awe. Those who see God as a source of loving presence will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD.
April 20, 2015
LCM
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Psalm Meditation 774
Third Sunday of Easter
April 19, 2015
Psalm 35
1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to help me!
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life. Let them be turned back and confounded who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7 For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8 Let ruin come on them unawares. And let the net that they hid ensnare them; let them fall in it—to their ruin.
9 Then my soul shall rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his deliverance.
10 All my bones shall say, “O LORD, who is like you? You deliver the weak from those too strong for them, the weak and needy from those who despoil them.”
11 Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me about things I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,
14 as though I grieved for a friend or a brother; I went about as one who laments for a mother, bowed down and in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee, they gathered together against me; ruffians whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;
16 they impiously mocked more and more, gnashing at me with their teeth.
17 How long, O LORD, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my life from the lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.
19 Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me, or those who hate me without cause wink the eye.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they conceive deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it.”
22 You have seen, O LORD; do not be silent! O Lord, do not be far from me!
23 Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defense, for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say to themselves, “Aha, we have our heart’s desire.” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed you up.”
26 Let all those who rejoice at my calamity be put to shame and confusion;
let those who exalt themselves against me be clothed with shame and dishonor.
27 Let those who desire my vindication shout for joy and be glad, and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant.”
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long.
(NRSV)
There comes a time that we are so weary of doing battle against those who rise against us that we must turn to God to carry on the fight for us. We may face human adversaries who have reason to contend with us. Their reasons may not make any sense to us, which seems to be the case for the psalmist. The lack of understanding between us and them is often a key ingredient in a battle. We join a battle when we believe that our side is worth defending. We turn to God when we know that we need help from one who is mightier and has more stamina than we have left for the fight. We know that God will stand with us in steadfast love.
Besides the external battles we may face internal struggles. There are battles within as we face physical, psychological or spiritual adversities. We know what we want for ourselves even as we feel the tremendous pressure on body, mind and spirit to go the easy route. We find ourselves tempted to give in or give up in the face of any and all of the forces that pull us away from what we know is the right path. We turn to God for help and comfort in the battle for our lives against a variety of forces.
While God may rise up against our enemies from within or without, what we can count on is that God will be with us in every situation. To experience the presence of God renews our energy, reshapes our perspective and gives a peace we cannot get anywhere else. In God we find rest. The battles continue to rage around us and within us, somehow it seems a little less daunting, a little more hopeful when we are in the presence of God.
April 14, 2015
LCM
Third Sunday of Easter
April 19, 2015
Psalm 35
1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to help me!
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life. Let them be turned back and confounded who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7 For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8 Let ruin come on them unawares. And let the net that they hid ensnare them; let them fall in it—to their ruin.
9 Then my soul shall rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his deliverance.
10 All my bones shall say, “O LORD, who is like you? You deliver the weak from those too strong for them, the weak and needy from those who despoil them.”
11 Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me about things I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,
14 as though I grieved for a friend or a brother; I went about as one who laments for a mother, bowed down and in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee, they gathered together against me; ruffians whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;
16 they impiously mocked more and more, gnashing at me with their teeth.
17 How long, O LORD, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my life from the lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.
19 Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me, or those who hate me without cause wink the eye.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they conceive deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it.”
22 You have seen, O LORD; do not be silent! O Lord, do not be far from me!
23 Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defense, for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say to themselves, “Aha, we have our heart’s desire.” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed you up.”
26 Let all those who rejoice at my calamity be put to shame and confusion;
let those who exalt themselves against me be clothed with shame and dishonor.
27 Let those who desire my vindication shout for joy and be glad, and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant.”
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long.
(NRSV)
There comes a time that we are so weary of doing battle against those who rise against us that we must turn to God to carry on the fight for us. We may face human adversaries who have reason to contend with us. Their reasons may not make any sense to us, which seems to be the case for the psalmist. The lack of understanding between us and them is often a key ingredient in a battle. We join a battle when we believe that our side is worth defending. We turn to God when we know that we need help from one who is mightier and has more stamina than we have left for the fight. We know that God will stand with us in steadfast love.
Besides the external battles we may face internal struggles. There are battles within as we face physical, psychological or spiritual adversities. We know what we want for ourselves even as we feel the tremendous pressure on body, mind and spirit to go the easy route. We find ourselves tempted to give in or give up in the face of any and all of the forces that pull us away from what we know is the right path. We turn to God for help and comfort in the battle for our lives against a variety of forces.
While God may rise up against our enemies from within or without, what we can count on is that God will be with us in every situation. To experience the presence of God renews our energy, reshapes our perspective and gives a peace we cannot get anywhere else. In God we find rest. The battles continue to rage around us and within us, somehow it seems a little less daunting, a little more hopeful when we are in the presence of God.
April 14, 2015
LCM
Monday, April 6, 2015
Psalm Meditation 773
Second Sunday of Easter
April 12, 2015
Psalm 85
1 LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.
4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
(NRSV)
We want to know that God is in charge in such a way that both good things and bad things are in the hands of God. At the same time we want to know that our behavior influences how God acts toward us. If we are good we get good things from God, if we are bad God turns from us and either leaves us unprotected or sends punishment our way. We want to know that God behaves by the same rules that we follow. We want to know that a set of actions leads to the same reaction in every case. If things are going well God is with us and if things are going poorly God is angry with us.
The psalmist follows this thought process. Things used to go well for us so God must have been with us in a good way. Now that we are going through a rough patch we must have done something to anger God. If we promise to be good then God will be good to us again and all will be well between us. Things will be going so well that we will notice the change immediately.
What if God loves us no matter what? When good things are happening God loves us beyond measure and stands with us in these good times. When bad things are happening God loves us beyond measure and stands with us in these bad times. No matter what God loves us. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more and nothing will make God loves us less. We can change the distance between us in our relationship with God, however we cannot change the love God has for us.
April 6, 2015
LCM
Second Sunday of Easter
April 12, 2015
Psalm 85
1 LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.
4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
(NRSV)
We want to know that God is in charge in such a way that both good things and bad things are in the hands of God. At the same time we want to know that our behavior influences how God acts toward us. If we are good we get good things from God, if we are bad God turns from us and either leaves us unprotected or sends punishment our way. We want to know that God behaves by the same rules that we follow. We want to know that a set of actions leads to the same reaction in every case. If things are going well God is with us and if things are going poorly God is angry with us.
The psalmist follows this thought process. Things used to go well for us so God must have been with us in a good way. Now that we are going through a rough patch we must have done something to anger God. If we promise to be good then God will be good to us again and all will be well between us. Things will be going so well that we will notice the change immediately.
What if God loves us no matter what? When good things are happening God loves us beyond measure and stands with us in these good times. When bad things are happening God loves us beyond measure and stands with us in these bad times. No matter what God loves us. There is nothing we can do to make God love us more and nothing will make God loves us less. We can change the distance between us in our relationship with God, however we cannot change the love God has for us.
April 6, 2015
LCM
Monday, March 30, 2015
Psalm Meditation 772
Easter
April 5, 2015
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(NRSV)
Imagine what life would be if we never suffered, never went through trials, not even an injury or an argument. We wish for lives like that when we are in the midst of suffering, however to spend a whole life without a worry, care or injury seems to be a pretty boring way to get through our lives. I hope that when we ask God for protection it is not from every little hurt, slight or injury. Most of us learn more by the consequences or our actions then we do by the words of those around us. Not to suffer means no consequences and no growth.
Somewhere between no suffering and monumental trials is where most of us live out our lives. At every point along that bell curve there are those who turn to God and those who don’t. It seems that those who turn to God get through life with less stress and anxiety because we know we are not alone. As we build a relationship with God we find ourselves building relationships with other people who also look to God for help and hope.
Some folks see God as the one who delivers us from suffering while others see God as being with us, standing alongside us as we go through the suffering that seems to be a part of life. Either way we know that God is with us. We know that the people of God are with us. We know that whether we are delivered from suffering or are companioned through our suffering we are in the presence of God who is a source of rejoicing and rest.
March 30, 2015
LCM
Easter
April 5, 2015
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(NRSV)
Imagine what life would be if we never suffered, never went through trials, not even an injury or an argument. We wish for lives like that when we are in the midst of suffering, however to spend a whole life without a worry, care or injury seems to be a pretty boring way to get through our lives. I hope that when we ask God for protection it is not from every little hurt, slight or injury. Most of us learn more by the consequences or our actions then we do by the words of those around us. Not to suffer means no consequences and no growth.
Somewhere between no suffering and monumental trials is where most of us live out our lives. At every point along that bell curve there are those who turn to God and those who don’t. It seems that those who turn to God get through life with less stress and anxiety because we know we are not alone. As we build a relationship with God we find ourselves building relationships with other people who also look to God for help and hope.
Some folks see God as the one who delivers us from suffering while others see God as being with us, standing alongside us as we go through the suffering that seems to be a part of life. Either way we know that God is with us. We know that the people of God are with us. We know that whether we are delivered from suffering or are companioned through our suffering we are in the presence of God who is a source of rejoicing and rest.
March 30, 2015
LCM
Monday, March 23, 2015
Psalm Meditation 771
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 29, 2015
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
God created the universe and led the people out of exile because we deserved it, because we paid our own way out, because we were so faithful we earned God’s help. If you read the first half of each verse, it might be possible to see things this way. When no reason is given for something there is a part of us that wants to decide it is due to our own agency in the matter. Yes, we are willing to say that God did all this for us, and we are just as willing to declare that it is because we deserve it.
When we read the second half of the verse, God’s reasoning becomes more clear. It is not out of our deserving, it is out of God’s steadfast love for us. We tend to become desensitized to things we experience often. As we moved into a new town, I asked a lifelong resident how often the trains came through. He said he didn’t even notice anymore. Within a few months I too no longer noticed. It is possible to inoculate ourselves against what we regularly experience. “For his steadfast love endures forever” is as easy to skip over as it is to read and comprehend.
On the other hand, a psychology professor told us that we believe anything we have heard ten times or more. We have the choice; do we tune out the response that God loves us forever or do we hear it, claim it and let it change our lives? As tempting as it may be to skip over the second part of each of these verses, once we realize it is repetitive, it will serve us well to read that part aloud. It can’t hurt to know, “his steadfast love endures forever.”
March 23, 2015
LCM
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 29, 2015
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
God created the universe and led the people out of exile because we deserved it, because we paid our own way out, because we were so faithful we earned God’s help. If you read the first half of each verse, it might be possible to see things this way. When no reason is given for something there is a part of us that wants to decide it is due to our own agency in the matter. Yes, we are willing to say that God did all this for us, and we are just as willing to declare that it is because we deserve it.
When we read the second half of the verse, God’s reasoning becomes more clear. It is not out of our deserving, it is out of God’s steadfast love for us. We tend to become desensitized to things we experience often. As we moved into a new town, I asked a lifelong resident how often the trains came through. He said he didn’t even notice anymore. Within a few months I too no longer noticed. It is possible to inoculate ourselves against what we regularly experience. “For his steadfast love endures forever” is as easy to skip over as it is to read and comprehend.
On the other hand, a psychology professor told us that we believe anything we have heard ten times or more. We have the choice; do we tune out the response that God loves us forever or do we hear it, claim it and let it change our lives? As tempting as it may be to skip over the second part of each of these verses, once we realize it is repetitive, it will serve us well to read that part aloud. It can’t hurt to know, “his steadfast love endures forever.”
March 23, 2015
LCM
Monday, March 16, 2015
Psalm Meditation 770
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 22, 2015
Psalm 65
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
(NRSV)
Some folks like the image of God as the great and powerful creator of all that is, the one who is strong enough to form all the stars and planets and put them into their places in the universe. Other folks like the image of God as the gentle and careful gardener and caretaker of the earth and its inhabitants. While we may be content with one image over the other, the truth is that God is both of those, and so much more. God is so much bigger, and so much more intimate than we are able to understand. While we may pick one image over the other, it does not mean that God is confined to the role we prefer.
God is present and active in the big things and the little things of our lives, and beyond. When we become aware of the presence of God, we can join in the celebration of God’s activity among us. We can rejoice in all the ways we experience God in our lives. God is not limited to what we notice and celebrate. God is active in a variety of ways beyond the limits of our senses. God is active whether we notice or not.
Erasmus, renaissance scholar, wrote, "Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit" meaning "Bidden or not bidden, God is present." Whether we see it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, God is with us as an active and loving presence in our lives and in the midst of all that is.
March 16, 2015
LCM
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 22, 2015
Psalm 65
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
(NRSV)
Some folks like the image of God as the great and powerful creator of all that is, the one who is strong enough to form all the stars and planets and put them into their places in the universe. Other folks like the image of God as the gentle and careful gardener and caretaker of the earth and its inhabitants. While we may be content with one image over the other, the truth is that God is both of those, and so much more. God is so much bigger, and so much more intimate than we are able to understand. While we may pick one image over the other, it does not mean that God is confined to the role we prefer.
God is present and active in the big things and the little things of our lives, and beyond. When we become aware of the presence of God, we can join in the celebration of God’s activity among us. We can rejoice in all the ways we experience God in our lives. God is not limited to what we notice and celebrate. God is active in a variety of ways beyond the limits of our senses. God is active whether we notice or not.
Erasmus, renaissance scholar, wrote, "Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit" meaning "Bidden or not bidden, God is present." Whether we see it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, God is with us as an active and loving presence in our lives and in the midst of all that is.
March 16, 2015
LCM
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