Showing posts with label Psalm 103. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 103. Show all posts
Monday, January 15, 2024
Psalm Meditation 1231
¶Third Sunday After Epiphany
¶January 21, 2024
¶Psalm 103
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+103&version=NRSVUE
(NRSV)
¶Our God is pretty amazing. Always ready to help out, to forgive, to heal, to redeem, to love, and fill us with good throughout our lives. All this for a bunch of people who have nothing to offer in return besides our love and faithfulness. And even if we don’t return God’s love, God loves us, because that is the nature and choice of God. Whether we offer God love, hate, or indifference throughout our lives, God continually loves us. It isn’t even that God loves us as a way to spite us; God loves us all the time.
¶There are times in which it seems good and right to blame God when things go against us. They do, no use pretending that things go well for each of us every day. There are days and times in which bad things happen, and there are times in which bad things pile up way to high for us. However, it is not God who causes those things, or who uses bad things to test our faith. God is the one who is with us through all the bad that goes on in and around us. Simply because God is standing there doesn’t make it God’s fault. That God is standing there is evidence that God is not one to run out on us when times get rough.
¶I knew folks when I was growing up who would say, ‘Praise the Lord anyway.’ when things would not go their way. The psalmist doesn’t ask us to bless the Lord anyway, the psalmist reminds us to bless the Lord. As we are willing and able to bless God we begin to notice that God loves us. God still loves us whether we notice or not, when we notice God’s love is able to penetrate our lives more deeply as we make room for all that God has to offer us. “Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits— “
¶January 15, 2024
¶LCM
Monday, July 15, 2019
Psalm Meditation 996
Proper 11
July 21, 2019
Psalm 103
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
(NRSV)
This is my favorite psalm: for what it says, and for the memories it holds for me. The psalmist reminds us to bless God, to acknowledge God’s holiness, for a variety of divine deeds that touch us directly and indirectly. All the blessings focus on the steadfast love of God; all the ways that love manifests itself in our lives, as well as the eternal character of the love God has for us. The psalmist ends by expanding the invitation to bless the Lord to all who have been touched by the steadfast love of God.
As far as the memories; my father would wake us up with the first two verses of the psalm on a regular basis, as I remember. His was a comforting, pleasant voice, so any words would have worked to awaken us. That it was this psalm melded both word and voice into a word of comfort. Then in high school, I was in a group that sang the music from Godspell. One of the songs is based on this psalm. It started out just for fun, and led to some life changing friendships and experiences. In college, I was in a production of the play. We travelled to churches in the state and beyond. All three groups, and the people in them, continue to hold a special place in my heart and memory.
Each of us has a favorite Scripture passage that means something beyond the words themselves. It will hold memories of the events and people who contributed to making the passage a favorite. For some of us it will be on the surface of our lives and memories. For others it will be covered with a layer or two of dust and detritus. Either way, I invite you to take it out, hold it in your hands and use it as an opportunity to: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
July 15, 2019
LCM
Proper 11
July 21, 2019
Psalm 103
1 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The Lord works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The Lord has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the Lord, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the Lord, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the Lord, O my soul.
(NRSV)
This is my favorite psalm: for what it says, and for the memories it holds for me. The psalmist reminds us to bless God, to acknowledge God’s holiness, for a variety of divine deeds that touch us directly and indirectly. All the blessings focus on the steadfast love of God; all the ways that love manifests itself in our lives, as well as the eternal character of the love God has for us. The psalmist ends by expanding the invitation to bless the Lord to all who have been touched by the steadfast love of God.
As far as the memories; my father would wake us up with the first two verses of the psalm on a regular basis, as I remember. His was a comforting, pleasant voice, so any words would have worked to awaken us. That it was this psalm melded both word and voice into a word of comfort. Then in high school, I was in a group that sang the music from Godspell. One of the songs is based on this psalm. It started out just for fun, and led to some life changing friendships and experiences. In college, I was in a production of the play. We travelled to churches in the state and beyond. All three groups, and the people in them, continue to hold a special place in my heart and memory.
Each of us has a favorite Scripture passage that means something beyond the words themselves. It will hold memories of the events and people who contributed to making the passage a favorite. For some of us it will be on the surface of our lives and memories. For others it will be covered with a layer or two of dust and detritus. Either way, I invite you to take it out, hold it in your hands and use it as an opportunity to: Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
July 15, 2019
LCM
Monday, January 21, 2019
Psalm Meditation 971
Third Sunday After Epiphany
January 27, 2019
Psalm 103
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul.
(NRSV)
This is one of my favorite psalms. My dad would wake my brother and me with the first two verses sometimes. Mom would tell us it was time to get up, while dad would use a few lines of Scripture or poetry to let us know why it was we were getting up. I am not sure any of us knew that was what he was doing, however it was memorable, and the first two verses of this psalm are indelibly printed in my memory because of having been waked up to the sound of Dad’s voice reciting them.
The psalm continues with a list of reasons to bless YHWH, which reminds us that our interactions with God are all in response to all the ways God has already been active in our lives. God forgives, heals, redeems, crowns us with steadfast love and mercy, satisfies, and renews us; and that is just the first few verses. The psalm goes on to list ways God watches out for us as well as those outside our circle. This psalm reminds us that God is on the side of the oppressed, downtrodden, and forgotten while loving each of us with a steadfast, unshakeable love.
Tempting as it is to curse those who are not like us, to curse those who disagree with us, to curse those who hold some kind of power over us, the psalmist calls us to bless God. To focus on the good things of God is a more healthy way to use our energy. Our change of focus won’t change the people around us, however it can change the way we perceive them. They are still not like us, they still disagree with us, they still have some power over us, however we, and they, are in the category of those who are loved and cherished by God.
January 21, 2019
LCM
Third Sunday After Epiphany
January 27, 2019
Psalm 103
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul.
(NRSV)
This is one of my favorite psalms. My dad would wake my brother and me with the first two verses sometimes. Mom would tell us it was time to get up, while dad would use a few lines of Scripture or poetry to let us know why it was we were getting up. I am not sure any of us knew that was what he was doing, however it was memorable, and the first two verses of this psalm are indelibly printed in my memory because of having been waked up to the sound of Dad’s voice reciting them.
The psalm continues with a list of reasons to bless YHWH, which reminds us that our interactions with God are all in response to all the ways God has already been active in our lives. God forgives, heals, redeems, crowns us with steadfast love and mercy, satisfies, and renews us; and that is just the first few verses. The psalm goes on to list ways God watches out for us as well as those outside our circle. This psalm reminds us that God is on the side of the oppressed, downtrodden, and forgotten while loving each of us with a steadfast, unshakeable love.
Tempting as it is to curse those who are not like us, to curse those who disagree with us, to curse those who hold some kind of power over us, the psalmist calls us to bless God. To focus on the good things of God is a more healthy way to use our energy. Our change of focus won’t change the people around us, however it can change the way we perceive them. They are still not like us, they still disagree with us, they still have some power over us, however we, and they, are in the category of those who are loved and cherished by God.
January 21, 2019
LCM
Monday, October 21, 2013
Psalm Meditation 697
Twenty third Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 27, 2013
Psalm 103
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul.
(NRSV)
The first two verses of this psalm were my wake up call from time to time when dad had the task of waking my younger brother and me. He would stand at the door and recite them with gentleness and enthusiasm. It is possible that he used other verses of psalms, hymns or poems on other mornings but this is the one I remember hearing. It was a reminder, or has become one, to start the day with a sense of holiness, thanksgiving and gratitude for all that God is and does among us.
There are folks who respond to a ‘good morning’ with a ‘what’s good about it?’ How might folks react if we ran through even a partial list of the psalmist’s reasons to bless God. ‘What’s good about this morning? God is good as we are offered forgiveness, redemption, vindication, justice, mercy, grace and steadfast love at the hand of God.’ That might be a little intense for someone who is off to a cynical start to the day, however it might be good to click those off in our own heads before we respond, ‘I wish you a good morning.’
As a morning person, I am inclined to bless God then. For those who function best at other times of the day it is good to spend a moment at the high point of the day remembering that God is with us, blesses us, loves us beyond our ability to comprehend, and enjoys our company in the moments we pause to reflect on the presence and blessings of God in our lives and the lives of those around us. Bless the LORD.
October 21, 2013
Twenty third Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 27, 2013
Psalm 103
1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the Pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
5 who satisfies you with good as long as you live so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works vindication and justice for all who are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.
8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he keep his anger forever.
10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far he removes our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion for his children, so the LORD has compassion for those who fear him.
14 For he knows how we were made; he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for mortals, their days are like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field;
16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more.
17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children’s children,
18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding,
obedient to his spoken word.
21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers that do his will.
22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul.
(NRSV)
The first two verses of this psalm were my wake up call from time to time when dad had the task of waking my younger brother and me. He would stand at the door and recite them with gentleness and enthusiasm. It is possible that he used other verses of psalms, hymns or poems on other mornings but this is the one I remember hearing. It was a reminder, or has become one, to start the day with a sense of holiness, thanksgiving and gratitude for all that God is and does among us.
There are folks who respond to a ‘good morning’ with a ‘what’s good about it?’ How might folks react if we ran through even a partial list of the psalmist’s reasons to bless God. ‘What’s good about this morning? God is good as we are offered forgiveness, redemption, vindication, justice, mercy, grace and steadfast love at the hand of God.’ That might be a little intense for someone who is off to a cynical start to the day, however it might be good to click those off in our own heads before we respond, ‘I wish you a good morning.’
As a morning person, I am inclined to bless God then. For those who function best at other times of the day it is good to spend a moment at the high point of the day remembering that God is with us, blesses us, loves us beyond our ability to comprehend, and enjoys our company in the moments we pause to reflect on the presence and blessings of God in our lives and the lives of those around us. Bless the LORD.
October 21, 2013
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