Psalm Meditation 1294 ¶Fifth Sunday in Lent ¶April 6, 2025 ¶Psalm 23 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2023&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶As a child, I remember asking my dad why I would not want God as my shepherd. I interpreted the first verse of this psalm as meaning that I did not want God as my shepherd. My dad assured me that I had misinterpreted the meaning. Some newer translations have the second part of the verse as, nothing do I lack. Once I understood, I could get on board with the meaning of the psalm. With God as my shepherd, mentor, kahu, I have everything I need. ¶Just as important to me, is the assurance that God has a place for me at the heavenly banquet. It may be at a table with people I don’t know, or with people I have never liked, however it will be my place. One of the interesting things about being put in a situation with people I don’t particularly like, is that I may discover that we have some things in common that will make our time together tolerable if not downright pleasant. It could be seen as a test, it is much more likely to be an invitation to expand my horizons, interests, and circle of friends. ¶Recently, I read that how full the host had one’s cup filled was a mark of the esteem in which a person was held. I have no idea if it is true or not, however, it is a fine description of the love God has for each of us. Our cups are not simply filled to the rim, they are filled to overflowing as a reminder that God’s love fills us beyond our ability to contain it. ¶March 31, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1293 ¶Fourth Sunday in Lent ¶March 30, 2025 ¶Psalm 3 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%203&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶For some of us, a single critical comment can be all the evidence we need of persecution against us, at the other extreme is those who can be inundated with criticism without noticing, and the rest of us fall somewhere in between. Also, depending on who it is offering the criticism, makes a difference in how we accept it and deal with it. I imagine that many of us would feel oppressed if we heard and believed that, “There is no help for you in God.” It is one thing to be criticized, and quite another to believe that even God stands against us. ¶The psalmist has heard folks say, “There is no help for you in God.” without letting in burrow deeply enough to be convincing. The psalmist is aware that God is a protective presence acting as a shield against actual persecution. The presence of God sustains the psalmist in every time and place, no matter how many stand in opposition. There is always hope for deliverance from foes when God is involved. ¶God delivers us from our foes in any number of ways. The psalmist is willing to stand back and watch God wreak havoc on the faces of all the ‘baddies’ out to get us. It is also possible that God will work within each of us to bring us to some agreement as we move into a future together. And, God can take us fully into the divine presence if our foes really do want us to be wiped out by death. In some form God does deliver us from the evils and challenges that beset us behind and before. ¶March 24, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1292 ¶Third Sunday in Lent ¶March 23, 2025 ¶Psalm 5 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%205&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶We are perfectly content to know that the steadfast love of God is what will get us into the eternal presence of God. Yes, we have done silly, stupid, maybe even illegal things however God loves us because we do our best to follow, most of the time. We take refuge in God. Sometimes that means we know that God has us wrapped up in a divine embrace to keep us as close as we want to be. It can also mean that we run to God every time we feel threatened or bullied by other folks. God’s steadfast love will protect us from all the people we don’t like ¶All of the people we don’t like are purposely belligerent, and anti-God all of the time. If they join us in worship we see that they are ‘just going through the motions and don’t really mean any of it. They are only making a show and sham of religion to look good to the gullible folks around them who think they are wonderful and righteous.’ We know that they can’t be included in God’s steadfast love because we don’t like them or trust them. God’s love can’t possibly extend beyond the limits that we set for our love and concern. ¶I believe that God’s love is not dependent on my actions. God’s love is steadfast, firmly loyal or constant. It is not swayed or influenced by anything I do or say, for good or ill. I also believe that those who consciously move toward God on a regular basis are more likely to experience God’s love than those who don’t. That does not mean that those of us who feel God’s love are more loved than those who don’t, only that we are aware of how much God loves each one of us. It also means that God can be frustrated, disappointed, and annoyed with us, all while loving us more than we can know. ¶March 17, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1291 ¶Second Sunday in Lent ¶March 16, 2025 ¶Psalm 8 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%208&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” is a statement that can be used as a compliment, or an insult. Much as we sometimes wish it were not true, it does seem to be the case. Having friends and colleagues with more wisdom or information than we can be helpful when we get stuck in a project, especially those who are willing to share with us. Knowing someone who can put in a good word for us at an opportune moment is a great help. Knowing that God is standing with us in every time and place is a great source of comfort. ¶The psalmist is appropriately humbled by the knowledge that God is with us. God’s presence and advocacy is not something to be taken lightly or to be taken advantage of. God is not likely to come down and flick our enemies in the head, or to magically/miraculously lift us out of a situation unscathed. God is going to stand with us, reminding us that we are loved and treasured beyond measure. God is mindful of us, knows who we are and what we need, and opens us to see beyond our own resources to those who are willing and able to help us in time of need. ¶We humans are pretty special in the eyes of God. Not in a privileged, elitist way, more in a having the skills and sense to look out for those around us, human, flora, and fauna. Some believe that their privilege gives them the freedom to treat others as disposable, interchangeable things. I believe, that having a divine privilege is for the sake of all those around us We are to serve and lift up those around us so that they become more deeply aware that they are children of God. ¶March 16, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1290 ¶First Sunday in Lent ¶March 9, 2025 ¶Psalm 12 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2012&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶It is a lot easier to fall into despair than it is to make our way to hope. Despair is feeling beat down and giving up on ourselves and everyone else, past, present, and future. We block all the entrances to our souls and psyches, and wonder why no one comes to buoy us up and give us the hope we so desperately want and need. It must be because there are no good people left, our lives have been overtaken by the fear mongers, the haters, and all the other folks who can ruin the day, and beyond for us. ¶Hope, though, takes work. We have to claw our way through the gruesome parts of life in the world, in order to see that it is the folks who live in the depths and refuse to despair who are the real source of hope. The unicorns and rainbows crowd are not the source of hope, they often don’t have space in their lives for people who suffer and ache. For them, those who suffer deserve it. The rainbows and unicorns are reserved only for those, like them, who have been served up life on a platter of deliciousness and ease. ¶Those who live in hope have had their dreams broken to pieces, fallen into despair and climbed back out with the help of God and God’s people. They know that even if we never achieve our dreams, we are in the presence of God, who is the source of the good things that restore us in ways that all the ‘stuff’ of life simply cannot. People of God probably won’t be rich in the materialistic sense, however they will have a wealth of memories, of friends, families, and deep, abiding relationships that last beyond all the ‘stuff’ the world has to offer. ¶March 3, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1289 ¶Transfiguration Sunday ¶March 2, 2025 ¶Psalm 17 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2017&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶It is so much easier to see ourselves as victims than as oppressors. As victims we get to identify with the psalmist and all the others who have reason to depend on God for refuge, safety, and the strength to stand firm in the face of those more powerful than we. Yes, victims suffer all sorts of ills at the hands of the oppressors, however they do not have a lot of responsibility for the ills that befall them. “None of this is your fault.” is a statement that offers a victim release from responsibility for their suffering even if it does not relieve it. ¶Beginning in verse 8, the psalmist asks to be delivered from those who rain down evil onto those who take refuge in God. The folks who bring this evil close their hearts to pity, speak arrogantly, surround their victims to cast them down to the ground. These are the folks who find ways to make adversaries feel less than human. If they are not human we can treat them as the animals we perceive them to be. I know I have lists of ‘those people’ who are ‘other’ than me and mine. These are the people who turn us from victims into victimizers, those who have the need to turn from our evil ways to the shadow of God’s wings. ¶Once we have reveled in our victimhood, as the ‘good guys’ in a psalm, we do well to look at ourselves through the eyes of those we may have victimized, intentionally or inadvertently. It will be a difficult process since we will have already depersonalized and dehumanized some of those people. That means we do well to look at ourselves, our victims, and victimizers through the eyes of God, who sees each of through eyes of steadfast love and concern. God calls each of us to be free of both victimhood and victimization, to be whole persons in a whole world. ¶February 24, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1288 ¶Seventh Sunday After Epiphany ¶February 23, 2025 ¶Psalm 22 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2022&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶The feeling of being abandoned by God is a part of our growth toward God. As a parent, and pastor it is necessary to step back sometimes so that someone can make progress toward maturity and responsibility. My mother used to lay out all my clothes for me so all I had to do was put everything on. One morning my younger brother went downstairs to let mom know that she had forgotten to put out socks for us. She responded that it was time for us to do more about dressing ourselves and she would start with letting us pick our own socks. We felt as if mom had forgotten, when in fact she was trusting us. ¶It seems fitting that God steps back from us sometimes in order to allow us to make progress toward maturity and responsibility. It will feel as if we are hanging from a fraying thread because we are not used to having this much responsibility for ourselves. In reality, God is standing back allowing us, forcing us to make our own way. God is much more patient and trusting of us than humans are, so it may seem that God has walked away from us. In reality, God is beaming with pride over our willingness to exercise a bit more agency in moving toward the way of God in our lives. ¶As a disciple, a learner and follower, our teachers will first show us a process, then ask or allow us to do it alone while the teacher observes. Eventually, the teacher will leave us to do it on our own. They may be right outside the door, ready to rush in at first, however, there comes a time when they will leave us to do it alone. These folks are the best teachers, instructors, and mentors, rather than the ones who continually step in to help even when we don’t need it. These folks are known as helicopter or even lawn mower parents, and in the work place they are micromanagers. God trusts us and wants us to pass on the loving trust we have received to others. ¶February 17, 2025 ¶LCM