Psalm Meditation 1362 ¶Proper 12 ¶July 26, 2026 ¶Psalm 84 ¶https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2084&version=NRSVUE ¶Many of us long for the presence of God as if there is place where God lives, an actual location that can be accessed in this lifetime. At the same time, we may have a place where our experience of God was so powerful, so present that we can go there on a regular basis and recall, sense, and experience that presence all over again. It is not that it is the only place where God can be experienced, it is that we associate that place with the presence of God in our lives. ¶For the psalmist, that place is the Temple. The psalmist feels at home there and notices that other people and creatures also feel themselves to be at home in that place. The bird songs feel like hymns of praise and thanksgiving as they raise their young in the house of YHWH. One of the ways to approach the Temple is to go through the valley of Baca, a dry and desolate place. Those who feel as if they are going home to the Temple, are able to bring joy to the valley of Baca rather than being worn down by the dark, desolation of the area. ¶The psalmist ends with “I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than live in the tents of wickedness.” It is a reminder that it is better to be at the outer limits of God’s dwelling than to be in the middle of a place in which God’s presence is not felt. When we are attuned to God in our lives we feel the favor and honor of God washing over us and through us. We feel whole and holy with all those who know God’s presence in every part of life. ¶July 20, 2026 ¶LCM