Psalm Meditation 1324 ¶Proper 26 ¶November 2, 2025 ¶Psalm 34 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2034&version=NRSVUE ¶Thankfulness leads to richer, fuller, deeper thankfulness in the same way that cynicism and negativity are breeding grounds for deepening cynicism and negativity. In this psalm, the choice is for thankfulness. Does choosing thankfulness mean that we ignore evil in the world knowing that it will all be hunky dory in the end? No. Choosing to be thankful means that we focus on the good things that make the world around us more bearable. As Mr. Rogers’ mother told him, ‘look for the helpers in troubled times.’ There are always people who look for ways to help others in every time and space. ¶The psalmist says, “I sought the Lord, and he answered me and delivered me from all my fears.” I am convinced that God is ready and willing to answer any and all who ask, and it is those who seek the LORD who give credit to God. However we believe good things happen in our lives, we can be grateful that they do. Thankfulness is not confined to those of us in the Judeo-Christian tradition. Anyone can be thankful, and anyone can lead a life of thankfulness. God recognizes gratitude wherever it abides. ¶“Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all.” Do we get plucked out of our afflictions or do we see that we are not alone in them no matter what? I believe it is the second choice. God rarely removes us from trouble, and is more likely to invite us to take refuge in the shelter of God’s presence. Somehow, knowing that we are not alone makes any trouble or affliction more bearable. ¶October 28, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1323 ¶Proper 25 ¶October 26, 2025 ¶Psalm 57 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2057&version=NRSVUE ¶There are times in our lives in which we are in distress and we call out to God for help. When we are delivered through some miraculous series of events we suddenly forget that God is at work in our lives and we are relieved at how easy it was for us to get out of that all by ourselves. God would not have had a hand in something that was such a simple fix, however we will keep God in mind for a time when our difficulties seem insurmountable. Maybe the crisis was not miraculous, it was simply that the right person came along at the right time to offer us the help we need. ¶The psalmist is more than willing to give God the credit for the events that brought this crisis to a conclusion in the psalmist’s favor. This cascade of helpful events not only lead to playing and singing in the privacy of hearth and home, there will be a public proclamation of the goodness of God far and wide, to friends and enemies alike. The psalmist wants to model and encourage thankfulness around the goodness and faithfulness of God in good times and bad, especially for God’s presence in the face of evil. ¶The psalmist invites us and encourages us to give thanks to God for each and every deliverance we experience. In the rare event that God was not actively participating in our deliverance, I am sure that God appreciates our thankfulness in every time and place. As we offer our thanks to God on a regular basis we will find ourselves growing in thankfulness for all the people and events around us. In the late sixties and early seventies some folks around me used the phrase, “Well praise the Lord, anyway.” The psalmist encourages us to say, “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens. Let your glory be over all the earth.” ¶October 20, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1322 ¶Proper 24 ¶October 19, 2025 ¶Psalm 51 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2051&version=NRSVUE ¶The mystics call it a ‘dark night of the soul,’ a time in which we feel broken, and abandoned, when we don’t feel like doing anything that we usually enjoy doing. We may even feel gross, as if we are not and will never feel clean again, and are not all that concerned about it. We also have times in which we pray for God to release us from all this weight we find ourselves under. We feel as if we must have done something that has brought us to this point, and ask God to forgive us and release us from this burden we are experiencing in this time. ¶The psalmist is willing to shoulder the full blame and responsibility for this current condition. ‘It is my fault, O God, and you are the only one who can set me free from this burden of sin. And while I am asking for release from sin, may I also dare to ask for joy and gladness in my life.’ It is as if God takes some delight in watching us suffer when we are made aware of our sinfulness. We feel as if we have to be punished for all the sins that we commit so that God will begin to love us once again. ¶One of my mentors through the years said, ‘we are not punished for our sin, so much as we are punished by our sin.’ God is not out to get us, God already loves us and does not wish us any harm in body or spirit. When we are in any kind of pain God is present with us waiting to offer us the cleansing we need so that we can experience the joy that God has set our hearts and souls to long for. As we journey toward joy and fulfillment our lives serve as examples of what God offers to everyone. ¶October 13, 2025 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1321 ¶Proper 23 ¶September 12, 2025 ¶Psalm 45 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm45&version=NRSVUE ¶With the title ‘Ode for a Royal Wedding’ I have an image of a toast at a modern wedding reception. Not many people can say that a toast given to them was later put in the Scriptures of their faith. The psalmist praises the king and acknowledges some of the ways God has made David a great king, one that anyone would be happy to have as husband with all the great things that will come due to her new prestige as Queen along side David. The attitude may rankle modern temperaments while still being appropriate for the time. ¶The bride is instructed to forget about her father and her family so that she can pour all of her energy into making a family for the king and nation to take pride in. If she is properly subservient the king will be happy with her and she will get rich tribute from Tyre, one of the vassal states which serve David. Royal weddings were not about love, they were about alliances of power between nations. Love and affection were inconsequential. The important thing was consolidation of power and influence between nations. ¶I know that there continue to be marriages that are arranged for the benefit of someone other than the bride or groom. I prefer marriages that are base in love and care, one for the other. And, I believe that God encourages us to take advantage of the steadfast love offered to us in a variety of ways for the sake of a marriage. God also invites us to share that unconditional and steadfast love with all those around us. ¶September 6, 2025 ¶LCM lcmanifold@gmail.com http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/