Psalm Meditation 777
Sixth Sunday of Easter
May 10, 2015

Psalm 135
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2 you that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the LORD is great; our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both human beings and animals;
9 he sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
14 For the LORD will vindicate his people, and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them and all who trust them shall become like them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20 O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You that fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who resides in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)

When I play solitaire, especially on the computer, I treat the cards as if they have personalities with their own likes and dislikes. I see them as taking it personally when I play one card instead of another. If I should play a card out of turn it will get belligerent and convince all the other cards to be against me. I am aware that I am the one leading both sides of the conversation, that in truth, I am the only one participating in the conversation. When our religious conversations become idolatrous I believe the same thing happens.

The idols of silver and gold, of green on white linen infused paper call to us with our own voices to carry out our selfish wishes in the name of whatever name we have given to our god. And there are those who hear their own voices and give that voice the name of YHWH. It is easier to hear our wants and wishes than to hear the voice of God since there are fewer demands placed on us and more good promises made to us when we hear what we want to hear.

The voice of God, YHWH, asks us to make sacrifices for the sake of others more often than promising to do wonderful things for us. It seems that the gifts of God are more often found in having done for others than in seeking our own best interest.

May 4, 2015
LCM