Psalm Meditation 1349 ¶Fourth Sunday of Easter ¶April 26, 2026 ¶Psalm 78 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2078&version=NRSVUE ¶I heard recently that humans have a negativity bias. That is, we tend to see and focus on the most negative option available. We know that nothing is going to work out the way we planned it, because anything that can go wrong will, and at the worst possible time. Those who have a positive attitude about most things get branded as Pollyannas who have deluded themselves into believing that people are good and that everything will work out for the best in the end. ¶The psalmist is convinced that humans, in this case the chosen people of God, are guilty of sin after sin against God. We pledge our faith to God in one breath, and once we are safe, we run off to do at least one of the things God asked us never to do. When there is a price to pay, we run to God asking for forgiveness and rescue, who then actually rescues us and sets us back on the right path as if nothing bad has happened. And then we run off and start the sin and redemption cycle over again. ¶God does wonderful, creative things for us and we are grateful for a time. It seems we are grateful until we get used to this new thing, take it and God for granted, and go back to doing our own thing our own way. Through it all, God loves us. God does not act because we ask for or deserve what we receive; God acts because God loves us beyond measure. There is no expectation that we will love God in return, only that God loves us all the time, no matter what. If we choose to return God’s love, it is welcomed, however it is never a condition of God’s activity in our lives. Whew. ¶April 20, 2026 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1348 ¶Third Sunday of Easter ¶April 19, 2026 ¶Psalm 52 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2052&version=NRSVUE ¶I imagine that each of us knows or knows of someone who will lie, cheat, and steal, without hesitation to get what they want. And they will bluster and blame everyone except themselves when things don’t go to their selfish, destructive, treacherous plan. They will throw friends and enemies alike to the wolves if it suits their purpose and gets them what they want out of a situation. The psalmist knows such a person and has been hurt by their conniving ways and destructive behavior. ¶The psalmist continues by expressing the hope that God will break down those who find more comfort in wealth than in the presence of God. While it is God’s will that each of us find our way to the loving, steadfast presence of God, there are those who, in this life, will meet a fate that seems to be just punishment for the life they have led, and the destruction they have brought to all around them. For some that will mean dying and being forgotten almost immediately. For others it will mean dying and being remembered only for the damage and evil they have done. ¶According to the psalmist, it is better to be rooted in the presence of God where steadfast love and faithfulness prevail, than to be out for ourselves alone. In the presence of God we find a community that loves one another, and bears each other’s burdens making them seem lighter and easier to deal with. In God’s presence we find it possible to offer welcome even to those whose actions have hurt us. ¶April 13, 2026 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1347 ¶Second Sunday of Easter ¶April 12, 2026 ¶Psalm 63 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2063&version=NRSVUE ¶The first line of this psalm makes an excellent focus verse. It serves to remind me that a relationship with God is something worth seeking, especially in times when a thirst for meaning bigger than myself is important. Those dry, wearying times seem to suck the life out of us and leave us needing something more than we have. In claiming and seeking God, we acknowledge that God is a presence who nourishes and sustains us in every circumstance. ¶Saying that God is my God can be taken a couple of ways. In one interpretation God is seen as a possession that is under my control, at my beck and call to do anything and everything I desire of a divine power. In another interpretation God is mine in a relationship of mutuality. God is present with me offering steadfast love in every time and place and I continually seek to follow the ways of God as faithfully as humanly possible. In that mutuality we are both fed a rich feast of loving companionship. I prefer the latter interpretation. ¶God chooses to be present in our lives, even when we are unable/unwilling to sense that presence. God upholds us in times of need and celebrates with us in times of joy. God’s presence does not destroy our enemies so much as standing with us helps remove the fear our enemies intend for us to feel. “So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name.” ¶April 6, 2026 ¶LCM