Psalm Meditation 1270 ¶Proper 24 ¶October 15, 2024 ¶Psalm 124 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+124&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶Something about knowing we are not alone makes it easier to get through hard things. One who encourages us to face our fears and challenges reminds us that we have the support of at least one person. That person believes in us, encourages us, and stands with us through it all. That person does not usually appear suddenly in our time of need. It is hard to trust someone who appears out of nowhere to be our cheerleader. It does happen, however it is pretty rare. ¶That means, it is a good idea to have a relationship with at least one person who can be your sounding board, listening to, adding to, and advising about ideas, projects and prospects for the future. That cheerleader will be the one who stands next to you in some form or another in every troubling situation in which you find yourself. In a best case scenario, that person may depend on you for that same kind of support in their trials and troubles. It will be a different kind of support, even though the effect will be the same. ¶For the psalmist, one of those supportive people is God. All variety of good things come when God is present in times of need. At the same time that the psalmist offers thanks to God for being present in this most recent conflict, there is a companion invitation to each of us to become one who looks to God in times of trouble and need. God is broad enough and deep enough to give each of us the support we need in every time and place. “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. “ ¶October 15, 2024 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1269 ¶Proper 23 ¶October 13, 2024 ¶Psalm 147 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+147&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶Singing praises or simply speaking them is a good thing to do and a good habit to encourage in our lives. When we offer praise to God, we acknowledge that God is good to us, and that much of what we have comes from and is the result of the presence of God in and around us. A definition of praise that I learned several years ago is that praise is for who God is, while thanksgiving is for what God does. The psalmist does not seem to use that definition, seeing the being and doing of God as all being praiseworthy. ¶As we get into the habit of giving praise to God, we will, hopefully, find that we are seeing more and more that is praiseworthy in the people and things around us. While many of us find humor and camaraderie in insulting each other in a light hearted way, I wonder how different our lives and attitudes would be if we found and made ways to praise each other for the good things that we do well, even the attempts we make at doing quality work in our lives. Praising God and those around us makes a positive contribution to the world in which we are blessed to live. ¶As we sing or recite our hymns, songs, and psalms of praise to God we will discover that the world is a much less scary place to live. There will still be evil in all of its forms, and it will always want to overpower us with fear and hatred for everything we don’t fully understand. By tuning our hearts and lives to praise, we will see all of the positives Paul lists in Philippians 4:8, “ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” ¶October 7, 2024 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1268 ¶Proper 22 ¶October 6, 2024 ¶Psalm 143 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+143&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶A time of trial, even desperation, is a fitting time to contemplate our relationship with God. When our spirits are at the lowest point, we can take time to consider whether or not we trust, or even need, a higher power of some kind. Some will decide that there is no God, and if there is, that God has no concern for us in this trial or any other time. At the other extreme, some will discover that God is in charge, we have no place to question God’s activity, or anyone else’s in our lives since God has every part of our lives scripted to the smallest detail and we are simply along for the ride. In the middle is where most of us find ourselves. ¶In the middle we find that God has given each of us the gift of free will. That means we not only live with the consequences of our own actions, we also live with the consequences of the actions of others. In times of trial, we turn to God for answers, for relief, to pluck us out of our current trouble, and to be present with us. God has chosen to allow us to make our own choices, and to live with the results for good or ill. Through it all, God also chooses to be with us no matter what. ¶The psalmist looks to God in desperation, asking for relief and deliverance. More importantly, the psalmist is asking God for help, moving in the direction of God, and being willing to accept whatever relief, comfort, and deliverance to presence of God has to offer in this particular situation. As is the case with most of us, the psalmist has some definite ideas of what kind of help God might offer, however, there is also a willingness to accept all that God has to offer. “Let me hear of your steadfast love in the morning, for in you I put my trust.” ¶October 1, 2024 ¶LCM