Psalm Meditation 1003
Proper 18
September 8, 2019

Psalm 29
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name; worship the Lord in holy splendor.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars; the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf, and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl, and strips the forest bare; and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people! May the Lord bless his people with peace!
(NRSV)

Some voices command attention. It has very little to do with the volume of the voice, it is a quality of the sound that makes us want to listen. The person behind the voice has a way of using it that is both compelling and soothing. God has one of those voices. There is enough power in the voice of God to break a cedar tree, there is a gentleness in God’s voice that brings peace and encouragement to those who hear it. While the voice of God can bring about scary events, That same voice can bring us calm in the midst of storms and trials.

There are those whose attempts at imitating the voice of God include volume and frightening words. If they can get us to tremble and react with fear they feel as if they have copied the voice of God. They bring no comfort because their interest is in power and control. To them, the voice of God is the voice power, the voice that grabs people at their more fearful, their most vulnerable and tells them that their fears are justified. If only they will listen and follow, we will destroy our enemies. Sadly, once one enemy is destroyed, we are told that there is a new enemy who is at least as great a threat as the previous.

There are others who imitate the voice of God with words and tone of comfort. In the face of evil threat it is their voice that offers words of calm so that we can face any enemy or adversary with the full use of our rationality and companion strengths. They draw us in to a world view of meeting challenges in a way that brings out our best. The psalmist sees God in this light. Within the power to break things with a word, the voice of God leads us to the peace of confidence in God. We are blessed in the glorious presence of God.

September 2, 2019
LCM