Psalm Meditation 676
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 2, 2013

Psalm 149
1 Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.
3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre.
4 For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory.
5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches.
6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands,
7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples,
8 to bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron,
9 to execute on them the judgment decreed. This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)

When I was growing up there was a lot more emphasis on the sovereignty and transcendence of God. We spent a lot more time talking about how distant God is from us and how much God appreciates it when we are well behaved and respectful in the presence of God. I don’t remember when that changed; I know that it did. We went from emphasizing the transcendence to focusing on the immanence, or close presence, of God. This psalm allows an emphasis either way. In several of the verses, God is high above us as a sovereign ruler. In verse 4 God enjoys being around us and celebrates with us rather than sitting back and being entertained by us.

Both are parts of the personality of God and it is a good idea to keep both in mind as we think of God. At any given time we are going to choose the one that fits the time, the place, the event, as well as our own sense of relationship with God. Not surprisingly, different people will make different choices in the same situation. Weekly worship services can give a great deal of comfort if the planners and leaders of the service share our choice on how God is present to us that day. It can be unnerving to the point of distraction if the service is planned with a different emphasis than the one we bring to worship that day.

I imagine that folks around whom we would be uncomfortable, due to their celebrity status in an area we follow, have friends who treat them as they have always treated them. While we go starry-eyed and tongue-tied in their presence, their friends are perfectly comfortable around them. The same is true of God. There are folks who know that God is to be treated with the respect due to one way above our place and station. There are others for whom God is first and foremost a friend and companion despite the differences in power, prestige and influence.

It is not wrong to treat God as an honored guest in our encounters and relationships with God. At the same time, it is not wrong to treat God as a trusted friend and companion in our relationship and encounters. It might do us good from time to time to put a bit more emphasis on the trait that we usually don’t emphasize. By doing so we broaden our concept and experience of the holy and living God who is among us as a friend and companion.

May 28, 2013