Psalm Meditation 1306 ¶Proper 8 ¶June 29, 2025 ¶Psalm 26 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2026&version=NRSVUE ¶There is a line between those who can say something wonderful about themselves without it sounding as if they are bragging. It was said of one of my colleagues, “He can brag in such a way that you are proud to know him.” It seems to be a rare gift to know who you are, to acknowledge the gifts and abilities you posses, at the same time being aware of any shortcomings that require help from one whose skills lie in that area. The rest of us say good things about ourselves in a way that turns people against us. It is obvious to everyone that we are bragging, asking for the pats on the back that we believe we deserve. ¶It seems that the psalmist is one of those who speaks well of themselves in a way that we are proud to read about. Yes, there is a need for vindication for something in the life of the psalmist, however, a good bit of the psalm is about the good things that God does for each of us at various times. The psalmist is asking that God, ‘redeem me and be gracious to me.’ from the situation at hand. It is not due to deserving God’s redeeming grace, it is because it is the nature of God to be gracious. ¶God offers the gift of redeeming grace to each of us, without forcing it on us. It can hardly be considered a gift if we are forced to accept it like it or not. So, whether we can brag in a way that folks are glad to know us, or we brag in a way that makes people roll their eyes even when what we say it true, God loves us. God loves us and wants us to accept it as the gift it is meant to be. We don’t earn it, don’t deserve it, it is a gift that God gives because it is the nature of God to love. ¶June 26, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1305 ¶Proper 7 ¶June 22, 2025 ¶Psalm 10 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2010&version=NRSVUE ¶Oh for the days in which the wicked said, “There is no God.” These days it seems there are a number of folks who have replaced the God of the Bible with a divinity of their own making. They have exchanged many of the biblical attributes of God with their opposites. While the Bible tells us that God is love, there are many who emphasize the vindictive anger of God and call that a primary characteristic of their divinity. And mass media grab hold of this being because he is easier to grasp, and communicate to the masses because this divinity is like us. ¶Since this is the divinity we hear about the most it is the one we accept. When people live out the faith of the biblical God they are called empathetic as if that were a bad thing. Empathy, ‘the ability to understand others' feelings’ is seen as bad and weak. In this modern religion, understanding others is not necessary because they need to become like us, believe like us, act like us, as long as they don’t start asking for a part of the good things we have amassed by our own hard work, and probably some significant help from others. ¶The psalmist is faithful in reminding us of God’s empathy, “But you do see! Indeed, you note trouble and grief, that you may take it into your hands; the helpless commit themselves to you; you have been the helper of the orphan.” (10:14) The divinity touted so often by those in power is not the God of the Bible but the god of greedy, power hungry folks. This God only cares about the rich and powerful, those who have scraped and clawed their way to places of power for their own benefit rather than to serve those who are to be in their care. “O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed, “ ¶June 16, 2025 ¶LCM lcmanifold@gmail.com http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 1304 ¶Trinity Sunday ¶June 15, 2025 ¶Psalm 14 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2014&version=NRSVUE ¶I am sure that not everyone who does not believe in God is foolish. In some cases, the God in whom they do not believe has been forced on them to the point of trauma. Others have been gaslit to believe that God could not possibly love anyone like them. Still others have determined that in their scientific mindset there is no need for a divinity beyond the scientific models to which they cling. Are they wrong? Well, yes and no. The God they reject is a caricature of the God of the Psalms and the rest of the Bible. ¶God does look at each of us, especially any of us who believe we know all the ways of heaven and earth. Much like parents or mentors look on their charges and smile at how much they think they know about everything. Those of us who believe we are ‘practically perfect in every way’ are as perverse as those who believe that God is an imaginary friend of a group of very weird people. Any of us who know we have all the answers run the risk of being counted among the evildoers who draw or drive people away from God. ¶The psalmist wants each of us to be among those who do our best to do the right thing, and confess and atone when we mess things up. God is on the side of the poor, the oppressed, the ignored, and invites us to join in looking out for, looking after the folks who are not able to care for themselves in the current moment. ¶June 9, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1303 ¶Pentecost ¶June 8, 2025 ¶Psalm 19 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2030&version=NRSVUE ¶When a maker displays a piece of art or craft of any kind, the skill level involved is on display. The piece itself speaks volumes of the skills and care taken by the maker. There is no need to ask about the quality of the piece, because the piece itself proclaims the handiwork of the maker. Something mass produced from lesser quality materials can be adequate for our needs, however a carefully handcrafted piece can be more than adequate, as well as a thing of beauty. A soulful piece of art, a item of handcrafted furniture, a hand-pieced quilt, and a masterfully grilled piece of brisket to name a few, are head and shoulders above a utilitarian project. ¶The psalmist rejoices in the glorious work of the hand of God in the various parts of Creation. The route of the sun throughout the day is a masterwork, worthy of our praise and thanks to God. In addition to the physical creation, God has given us the law. The law is more than rules to be followed blindly, it is the narrative of our relationship with God and each other at our best, worst, and everywhere in between. The law is instruction on how to treat ourselves, those we know and love, as well as those we would rather ignore. ¶As we look around today and beyond, the psalmist encourages us to see the beauty that is all around us; beauty that comes from skillful attention to detail. The beauty can be directly from God as we admire the beauty of the earth and environs, and it can be from the makers among us who strive for quality in their work. Some makers want their work to be noticed while others want to have their work so skillfully integrated into our routine that we do not notice the knowledge, skill, and creativity that makes their work disappear into the fabric of our lives. ¶June 2, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1302 ¶Seventh Sunday of Easter ¶June 1, 2025 ¶Psalm 30 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2030&version=NRSVUE ¶I know someone who describes serious illnesses with these words, “First, I was afraid I was going to die, and then I was afraid I wouldn’t.” It appears that this is the type of illness the psalmist was experiencing before writing this psalm. Having been healed, there is much rejoicing over the ability and willingness of God to offer the kind of help and healing that was needed in this discomforting illness, including the rescue from the pit of Sheol, a place of silence, inactivity, and separation from God. ¶The psalmist is very pleased to have been either kept out or pulled out of Sheol by the healing hand of God. Sheol is the place of death. It is neither a place of torment nor shame, it is simply where people go after death. In this era, eternal life is being remembered by those still alive, and Sheol is essentially nothingness, and separation from God. The psalmist is bold enough to ask, “What profit is there in my death, if I go down to the Pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness? Hear, O LORD, and be gracious to me! O LORD, be my helper!” ¶The healing power of God has a way of turning mourning into dancing, of reminding us that there is a time to mourn and a time for joy. Those times may intermingle so that we experience loss and joy, mourning and dancing in the same moment. In every moment, God is with us, “so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.” ¶May 28, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1301 ¶Sixth Sunday of Easter ¶May 25, 2025 ¶Psalm 27 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2027&version=NRSVUE ¶Fear can protect us or ruin us, depending on how we react in the face of fear. We can allow our fear to keep us from doing things, ‘because, what if…’ or we can allow our fear to raise our awareness of danger and still walk into a situation. If we don’t know what is going to happen to us, we can go in with a heightened sense of awareness. We might get hurt, or worse, however we might find that the experience is worth the risk, which is not as great as we feared. How many of us have taken a chance, only to discover that the pay off was more than worth the risk. ¶Secure in the presence of God the psalmist is willing to take greater risks than would be possible alone. Knowing that we are not alone makes it possible to take risks that we would not consider on our own. In some cases, simply knowing that we are not the first makes the risk less intimidating. The psalmist wants to know what it means to live the way that God wants us to follow in an ever deepening way. Not content to live on the fringes as a person of God, the psalmist wants to drink deeply from the well of God’s presence and way of life. ¶The psalm ends with a word of hope that each of us can take as our own, “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” We don’t have to wait for heaven to experience the abundant goodness of God, we can find it in the delights of the world around us. ¶May 19, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1300 ¶Fifth Sunday of Easter ¶May 18, 2025 ¶Psalm 24 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2024&version=NRSVUE ¶In fourth grade, I appointed myself bathroom monitor to make sure the boys in the bathroom with me washed their hands before they went back to class. Sometimes I ran after someone to drag them back to the sink to wash his hands. One day, the one male teacher in the school was walking in as I was grabbing for a boy who had not washed his hands. The teacher and I almost collided. He caught me by the arm and asked what I was doing. When I answered, he assured me that it was not my job to see that everyone left the room with clean hands. ¶The psalmist tells us that those who have clean hands and pure hearts will stand in the holy place on the hill of the LORD. Nowhere does this psalm tell us that we are responsible for the cleanliness of the hands or hearts of those around us. We are each responsible for our own hygiene of hand and heart. We don’t get extra points for dragging people into cleanliness. Our task is to set an example that one or more people may follow as we ascend the hill of the LORD. ¶The psalmist also does not tell us that we are free to ignore those around us. We do well to offer others the same encouragement that we received and continue to receive in our own ascent of the hill of the LORD. ¶May 12, 2025 ¶LCM