Psalm Meditation 1250 ¶Proper 4 ¶June 2, 2024 ¶Psalm 128 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+128&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶This may be one of the scriptures from which people took the idea that to be a person of God is all sweetness, and light, rainbows, and unicorns. If we walk in the ways of God, we will have all sorts of good things that will lead to a good life and a lasting legacy through all the wonderful children we will have. All we have to do is fear, be awed by, God, and follow the rules that God has given to us. Our friends and neighbors will see us, and will want to imitate us so that they too can have all of these good things. ¶This works best in a place in which all of our neighbors are just like us. The first person who questions or opposes our way of life will be a thorn in our flesh. If that person happens to have more power and influence than we do, we are in for a world of problems. The nation of the psalmist was pretty monolithic, with everyone agreeing to living the same way. The better we are at living by the rules, the better our neighbors think of us. There are places in the world in which our neighbors are similar to each other, however, many of us don’t live in places like that. ¶Still, though, for those who walk in the ways of God life does end up being better. We have a sense of hope, an appreciation of the gifts and grace of others, and we are more willing to share our resources with those around us, near and far. That kind of generosity can be seen as stupid, even dangerous, as folks take advantage of us. While we act for the sake of others, our primary motivation is to walk in the ways of God. As we offer ourselves to others, we find a more lasting prosperity than money can provide or buy. ¶May 27, 2024 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1249 ¶Trinity Sunday ¶May 26, 2024 ¶Psalm 121 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+121&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶“It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” It might be more accurate to say, ‘it’s who knows you.’ The people who know us, and care about us, those who have our backs can make a real difference in our lives. They can protect us from at least some of the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune, can give advice on how to avoid others, and help us get back up when we have been knocked down by the people and circumstances of our lives. These folks who have our backs may be powerful and important, and can just as easily be people who love us in ways that no one else can imagine. ¶The psalmist knows that God, YHWH, is one of those who has our backs, who loves us in ways and to a degree that we can’t comprehend, and willingly sacrifices for our sakes. In matters of eternity, God will keep us firmly planted, will keep constant watch over us, and will protect us from the ordinary and extraordinary dangers around us. In day to day events, God will be with us, to give us comfort and companionship in the trials and triumphs that flesh is heir to. ¶God is not one to flick obstacles out of our way to keep us from tripping, to melt the ice ahead of us to keep us from slipping and falling. When those things do happen, God will be with us to nurse our bodies and pride back to health and wholeness. When we are riddled with doubt, overcome with imposter syndrome, left questioning everything we thought we believed, God will be with us. When our world feels as if it is collapsing in on us, God is there to keep us from being crushed under the weight of it all. “The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” ¶May 20, 2024 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1248 ¶Pentecost ¶May 19, 2024 ¶Psalm 114 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+114&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶The Exodus from Egypt was a watershed event for the people of God. They went from captive, enslaved people to a people with a common purpose. The new purpose was to worship and serve YHWH, who had led them out of captivity to freedom and a new home. They crossed a body of water on dry land at the beginning, and the end of their journey. It may have been a pretty scary couple of events, especially for any of the group who can’t imagine crossing without that wall of water collapsing in on them as they reached the middle of the crossing. ¶They did manage to cross with dry feet. And they were able to celebrate the power and presence of God in their new relationship with YHWH. They were grateful for the activity of God in their lives. They were also able to notice the celebration and rejoicing of the world around them. The waters had rolled back, the mountains and hills skipped with joy, and the whole earth trembled in celebration at the presence of God in and around them. ¶Our physical reactions that we name excitement and fear are the same, trembling, accelerated heart and breathing, sweaty palms just to name a few. When the psalmist calls the earth to tremble at the presence of YHWH, we can respond the same way. If we name our trembling response fear, we will see God as a frightening visage. If we name that same trembling excitement, we will rejoice in the presence, power, and steadfast love that God shows to us in so many ways. ¶May 13, 2024 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1247 ¶Seventh Sunday of Easter ¶May 12, 2024 ¶Psalm 107 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+107&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶When it is most needed, prayer can seem to be pointless. Things are so bad, how could saying them out loud make them better. I am convinced that prayer does not really get God to act in our situation so much as it opens our eyes to the ways that God is already active in our lives. Prayer does not always change things around me as it changes what is going on inside me. As I am attentive to the presence of God, I become open to the options that lie before me in a given situation. ¶When I know that I am not alone because God is with me, I can relax at least a little. Feeling a little more calm, with the assurance of God’s presence, I can see more options from which to choose. I can find the way to other people, I can find light in darkness, freedom in captivity, healing in the midst of illness, quiet in the midst of storms, and sustenance in times of drought. ¶Using the definition of a miracle as something that makes us aware of God’s presence, God often uses ordinary means to produce those miracles. When our hearts and minds are open to the presence of God, we can see all the miraculous ways in which God is present in and among us. “Let those who are wise pay attention to these things and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.” ¶May 5, 2024 ¶LCM