Psalm Meditation 693
Nineteenth Sunday of Ordinary Time
September 29, 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)

It is my understanding that Israel was very good at defending itself as a military power but was not large or powerful enough to pose a threat to any of the surrounding nations. But if we were, here is what we would do. We would rush in and take our vengeance on all those who have risen against us. We would punish them and drag their kings and nobles into our royal halls and parade them as symbols of our mighty power. And we would do all this to the glory of God.

It is likely that each of us has a dream of success and victory in a chosen field. We get the promotion that puts us where we believe we belong, we score the victory in the sport of our choosing and get congratulated by the folks who are heroes to us now. We make an impression on that person or group that will shoot us into the stratosphere of popularity. And the psalmist reminds us that it is not all about us. The psalmist reminds us to praise the LORD in the midst of our victory.

Whether we really are the most talented person in the field, strive to be that person, or content ourselves with fantasies of success we do well to remember to give credit to God. God has given us gifts, skills and the drive to use them. God has given us dreams that will drive us to be successful one day. God has given us a sense of contentment in the midst of a culture of success at all costs. No matter where we are in and around the culture in which we find ourselves we do well to know that God is with us.

September 23, 2013