Psalm Meditation 904
Proper 23
October 15, 2017

Psalm 26
1 Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering.
2 Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and mind.
3 For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.
4 I do not sit with the worthless, nor do I consort with hypocrites;
5 I hate the company of evildoers, and will not sit with the wicked.
6 I wash my hands in innocence, and go around your altar, O LORD,
7 singing aloud a song of thanksgiving, and telling all your wondrous deeds.
8 O LORD, I love the house in which you dwell, and the place where your glory abides.
9 Do not sweep me away with sinners, nor my life with the bloodthirsty,
10 those in whose hands are evil devices, and whose right hands are full of bribes.
11 But as for me, I walk in my integrity; redeem me, and be gracious to me.
12 My foot stands on level ground; in the great congregation I will bless the LORD.
(NRSV)

One of the curses and blessings of the written word is that we cannot hear the attitude of the writer. It is a curse because as we provide our own inflection and tone of voice we may misread completely the intent of the original writer. I can read this psalm as a whiny complaint by one who is annoyed at the way life is going in this moment. I can read it as a brag by one who feels as if a privileged status is being threatened. I can read this as a petition to God for help and presence in the face of a disconcerting situation.

It is a blessing because we are able to provide our own inflection and tone of voice. If I am dealing with one of the situations above I can read this psalm in that voice and have it speak to me in some way. If I have a different set of concerns, and can hear this psalm in a voice that allows this psalm to speak to me and for me, I have the gift of this psalm available to me in my current state of heart and mind.

We get to bring ourselves into the reading whether that reflects the intent of the psalmist or not. It seems that the Bible is a mirror; it reflects the person who looks into it at a given day and time. A psalm that has been mere words in the past may be the one that touches a deep place in heart or mind at this reading. A psalm that has been deeply meaningful may not be as moving this time. Without the notes and annotations to let us into the mind of the original psalmist/writer, we cannot know the meaning and purpose of the psalm. We get to co-create with the author the meaning of any given psalm in the moment it is read and heard for the glory of God.


, 2017
LCM