Psalm Meditation 515
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 2, 2010
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)
It seems as if the city and God are one and the same in this psalm, just as the king and God are one and the same in other psalms. It may be odd to us but wouldn’t it be great to be so identified with God that folks considered us one with God? It doesn’t make the king God, or the city God so much as it is a way of saying that God is so much a part of this person or place that it is impossible to think about without also considering God. There are still folks like that who are who they are because of their relationship with God. It doesn’t mean they are perfect or in any way super human it simply means they have a relationship with God that gives their lives particular definition.
It may take someone who knows God to be aware of the presence of God in the person or the place, however most can see that there is something out of the ordinary going on in this life or place. For those unaware of the presence of God in their own lives this identification with God can seem syrupy and overly sweet; to those who know, there is a recognition of a particular presence of God in the life and presence of these people and places.
The steadfast love of God takes up residence in these folks and flows out of them in a persistent way. One may never know if the person is disappointed or angry because one feels loved in their presence no matter what else may be going on in a conversation or interaction. This is not a person who will be walked over or who will give you whatever you want; this is a person who carries the loving presence of God as both a protection and a gift at all times.
God’s presence is part of who they are in a way that lets folks know that love of God in and through them drives who they are and what they do. God wants this kind of relationship with each one of us and these folks will be there with us as we journey toward God.
© April 26, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Psalm Meditation 514
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 25, 2010
Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
(NRSV)
It is always tempting to believe that because this psalm is brief we know what it says without having to read it every time. While we may know the words it is likely that the meaning and depth of those words changes with each time we read them. The psalm seems to include a number of ways we relate to God. As our mood changes, as we grow closer to or move father away from God we find new meaning in these brief verses.
God provides for us, leads us, restores us, protects us, walks with us, comforts us. Much of what we have come to expect from God is in these few verses. As we read it or call it to mind in a time of trial we will find that the word, phrase or concept that jumps out is the one that speaks to our need at the moment. God is with us and provides for us out of the rich store of gifts and resources available. More than anything God wants to be with us and wants us to desire the presence of God as a mutual gift between us.
I have both heard it and said it, the Bible is a mirror. We get out of it what we bring into it and God is there in each part of Scripture and our lives waiting to be discovered for the sake of a relationship.
© April 19, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 25, 2010
Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
(NRSV)
It is always tempting to believe that because this psalm is brief we know what it says without having to read it every time. While we may know the words it is likely that the meaning and depth of those words changes with each time we read them. The psalm seems to include a number of ways we relate to God. As our mood changes, as we grow closer to or move father away from God we find new meaning in these brief verses.
God provides for us, leads us, restores us, protects us, walks with us, comforts us. Much of what we have come to expect from God is in these few verses. As we read it or call it to mind in a time of trial we will find that the word, phrase or concept that jumps out is the one that speaks to our need at the moment. God is with us and provides for us out of the rich store of gifts and resources available. More than anything God wants to be with us and wants us to desire the presence of God as a mutual gift between us.
I have both heard it and said it, the Bible is a mirror. We get out of it what we bring into it and God is there in each part of Scripture and our lives waiting to be discovered for the sake of a relationship.
© April 19, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Psalm Meditation 513
Third Sunday of Easter
April 18, 2010
Psalm 147
1 Praise the LORD! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The LORD lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.
14 He grants peace within your borders; he fills you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down hail like crumbs-- who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
I was taught several years ago that we give praise for who God is and we give thanks for what God does. While that is a helpful distinction this psalm seems to remind us that it is very difficult to separate the two. God is what God does and God does what God is. We know who God is by what God does among us, for us, in spite of us. Whether we give God thanks, praise or a combination of the two we are aware of God’s presence in our lives and that is far better than making narrow distinctions about presence or action.
God takes pleasure in us. It is not about whether we do things right or do right things it is about whether we want to be in the presence of God as wholeheartedly as God wants to be with us. Every now and then I wonder if folks who have known celebrities since before they were famous are as awestruck by their famous friends as are the rest of us. I am convinced that God wants to be treated as one we have known forever rather than as one around whom we need to mind our manners. Relax and enjoy God’s company rather than being too intent on proper form. God takes pleasure in us because of who we really are rather than who we pretend to be in the presence of others.
Does God do great things for us only after we acknowledge the presence of God in our lives or do we notice what God has been doing for us and among us once we acknowledge God in our lives? I believe that God is always at work in our lives. God does not love us because of who we are so much as because of who God is. We have no choice or say in whether or not God loves us; God loves us no matter what. We choose whether or not we love God and what it means to us to do that.
Give God thanks and praise. If the categories get confusing and we lose track of whether we do well to thank God or praise God for something feel free to enjoy the company of God as one who is deeply loved by God.
© April 12, 2010
Third Sunday of Easter
April 18, 2010
Psalm 147
1 Praise the LORD! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The LORD lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.
14 He grants peace within your borders; he fills you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down hail like crumbs-- who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
I was taught several years ago that we give praise for who God is and we give thanks for what God does. While that is a helpful distinction this psalm seems to remind us that it is very difficult to separate the two. God is what God does and God does what God is. We know who God is by what God does among us, for us, in spite of us. Whether we give God thanks, praise or a combination of the two we are aware of God’s presence in our lives and that is far better than making narrow distinctions about presence or action.
God takes pleasure in us. It is not about whether we do things right or do right things it is about whether we want to be in the presence of God as wholeheartedly as God wants to be with us. Every now and then I wonder if folks who have known celebrities since before they were famous are as awestruck by their famous friends as are the rest of us. I am convinced that God wants to be treated as one we have known forever rather than as one around whom we need to mind our manners. Relax and enjoy God’s company rather than being too intent on proper form. God takes pleasure in us because of who we really are rather than who we pretend to be in the presence of others.
Does God do great things for us only after we acknowledge the presence of God in our lives or do we notice what God has been doing for us and among us once we acknowledge God in our lives? I believe that God is always at work in our lives. God does not love us because of who we are so much as because of who God is. We have no choice or say in whether or not God loves us; God loves us no matter what. We choose whether or not we love God and what it means to us to do that.
Give God thanks and praise. If the categories get confusing and we lose track of whether we do well to thank God or praise God for something feel free to enjoy the company of God as one who is deeply loved by God.
© April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Psalm Meditation 512
Second Sunday of Easter
April 11, 2010
Psalm 122
1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem--built as a city that is bound firmly together.
4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers."
8 For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
(NRSV)
In these days of contentious politics it seems odd to pray for peace in any capitol city be it Jerusalem, Washington or any other national or state capitol. One of the quickest ways to dismiss the contribution of friend or foe is to place them in a political party other than the one followed by the majority of the rest of the group. We seem not to want peace so much as we want total domination by our political party. “There will be peace when everyone finally sees that I have been right all along.”
Peace is being able to get along in the midst of disagreements. As we are able to get along together we begin to love and trust each other and find a sense of security as we realize that even, or is it especially, those with whom we disagree will come to our aid and defense in any time of need. We begin to love and trust one another with more and deeper parts of our hearts and lives knowing that we are safe in the presence of the folks we dare to love and who dare to love us with agreements and disagreements intact.
God calls us to lives of love; of seeking the best for those around us. Yes, there are cases in which to seek the best for each other means to have little or no contact even as we continue to hope for the best life possible for the other. God continues to call us deeper into relationships with folks like us and into relationships with folks who are very different from us. It seems that the wider our relationships span the more we discover that we share wants and needs even as we go about fulfilling them in differing ways.
© April 5, 2010
Second Sunday of Easter
April 11, 2010
Psalm 122
1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem--built as a city that is bound firmly together.
4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers."
8 For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
(NRSV)
In these days of contentious politics it seems odd to pray for peace in any capitol city be it Jerusalem, Washington or any other national or state capitol. One of the quickest ways to dismiss the contribution of friend or foe is to place them in a political party other than the one followed by the majority of the rest of the group. We seem not to want peace so much as we want total domination by our political party. “There will be peace when everyone finally sees that I have been right all along.”
Peace is being able to get along in the midst of disagreements. As we are able to get along together we begin to love and trust each other and find a sense of security as we realize that even, or is it especially, those with whom we disagree will come to our aid and defense in any time of need. We begin to love and trust one another with more and deeper parts of our hearts and lives knowing that we are safe in the presence of the folks we dare to love and who dare to love us with agreements and disagreements intact.
God calls us to lives of love; of seeking the best for those around us. Yes, there are cases in which to seek the best for each other means to have little or no contact even as we continue to hope for the best life possible for the other. God continues to call us deeper into relationships with folks like us and into relationships with folks who are very different from us. It seems that the wider our relationships span the more we discover that we share wants and needs even as we go about fulfilling them in differing ways.
© April 5, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)