Showing posts with label Psalm 27. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 27. Show all posts

Monday, May 19, 2025

Psalm Meditation 1301 ¶Sixth Sunday of Easter ¶May 25, 2025 ¶Psalm 27 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2027&version=NRSVUE ¶Fear can protect us or ruin us, depending on how we react in the face of fear. We can allow our fear to keep us from doing things, ‘because, what if…’ or we can allow our fear to raise our awareness of danger and still walk into a situation. If we don’t know what is going to happen to us, we can go in with a heightened sense of awareness. We might get hurt, or worse, however we might find that the experience is worth the risk, which is not as great as we feared. How many of us have taken a chance, only to discover that the pay off was more than worth the risk. ¶Secure in the presence of God the psalmist is willing to take greater risks than would be possible alone. Knowing that we are not alone makes it possible to take risks that we would not consider on our own. In some cases, simply knowing that we are not the first makes the risk less intimidating. The psalmist wants to know what it means to live the way that God wants us to follow in an ever deepening way. Not content to live on the fringes as a person of God, the psalmist wants to drink deeply from the well of God’s presence and way of life. ¶The psalm ends with a word of hope that each of us can take as our own, “I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.” We don’t have to wait for heaven to experience the abundant goodness of God, we can find it in the delights of the world around us. ¶May 19, 2025 ¶LCM

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Psalm Meditation 1143 ¶Fifth Sunday of Easter ¶May 15, 2022 ¶Psalm 27 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall. 3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident. 4 One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple. 5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock. 6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD. 7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me! 8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, LORD, do I seek. 9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation! 10 If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up. 11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies. 12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence. 13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD! (NRSV) ¶Does God’s protection and shelter actually keep us from going through difficult times, keep us from experiencing grief, pain, loss, etc.? That has not been my experience of God. I know people who claim that God can, will, and does keep them from all suffering and loss. And all is well with them until they go through a rough patch. At the first sign of suffering these folks are either going to move to a deeper experience of God or abandon God all together, ‘since he can’t even keep me from suffering like he promised.’ ¶Many of us experience the protection and sheltering of God as keeping us from despair in the face of suffering, loss, and tragedy. Yes, we will go through the valley of the shadow of death, on the fringes or the depths. We may face actual, physical adversaries, or spiritual, mental, emotional conflicts. During those times we will know that God is with us, holding our hearts and lives in steadfast love and care. The events will not change, however we will not be alone as we go through the storms and trials that are a part of life. ¶God chooses to be with us, to abide (take up residence) with us. In every trial and adversity, the temptation is to give up and fall into depression and despair. We feel as if we have been abandoned and left to fend for ourselves. The presence of God allows us to know that we are not alone, that we are not suffering on our own. The presence of God shines a light into the darkness of our lives, giving us a new, deeper and stronger hope that moves us closer to God. “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” ¶May 12, 2022 ¶LCM

Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Psalm Meditation 991
Trinity Sunday
June 16, 2019

Psalm 27
1 The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4 One thing I asked of the Lord, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, Lord, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
10 If my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will take me up.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!
(NRSV)

I can see the psalmist doing a happy dance as a part of the writing and the performing of this psalm. When things are going well for us, it is easy to forget how dependent on God we are. It is an excellent reminder to read a psalm that celebrates the presence of God as a no-matter-what presence. The psalmist jumps for joy while celebrating, ‘God has been and will continue to be good to me, even if all the people around me, including my parents, decide to abandon me.’

In verses 7-9 the dance stops. There is a moment of prayerful reflection as the psalmist is reminded that we can’t take the presence of God for granted. Even in faith that God will not turn away, the psalmist stops to ask God to be a constant presence in the life of the psalmist. No one likes to be taken for granted, and I imagine that God is no exception. While God may not get as hurts as we do, it is still unpleasant for God for us to assume anything about the presence of God.

The happy dance starts again, slowly as the psalmist recognizes how unconditional the love of God is. The taken-for-grantedness has changed to a desire to be in the presence of God as a student, a disciple, as one who wants to revel in the presence of God. The celebration begins by soaking up as much of the glory, majesty, and unassumedness of God as humanly possible. “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!”

June 10, 2019
LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net
http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Monday, October 2, 2017

Psalm Meditation 903
Proper 22
October 8, 2017

Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4 One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, LORD, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
10 If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
(NRSV)

Children have an interesting way of getting and staying close to the people they find interesting. They fasten themselves to that person and study and copy their actions and mannerisms. They want to spend as much time as possible with the person who intrigues them. They want to act as much like the person as they possibly can. (It turns to stalking when the power dynamic shifts to the one doing the copying.) The psalmist wants to get close enough to see and follow the ways God acts.

When we copy another’s mannerisms for long enough they become our mannerisms. When we copy the way another behaves often enough it becomes the way we behave. When we copy the words and phrases of another they become our words and phrases. In some cases the change is slow and subtle and in others it is a quicker transformation. Whether intentional or accidental, slow or fast, we do become what we imitate. The psalmist chooses to imitate God and to walk on the level path.

We have so many choices for how to behave and what to say and do. More than one of those ways is called the way of God. While I believe there are multiple routes to God due to our various starting points, I am convinced that not everyone who claims to know the way to God can lead us to the God of the Bible. God continues to seek after us, as a mother and father seek us out to take us into their arms of love.

October 2, 2017
LCM

Monday, March 14, 2016

Psalm Meditation 822
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 20, 2016

Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh—my adversaries and foes—they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4 One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 “Come,” my heart says, “seek his face!” Your face, LORD, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
10 If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
(NRSV)

One of the images that comes to mind here is of a child hiding behind a parent’s leg, taunting the person who has been previously the aggressor. A stuck out tongue, thumbs in ears saying, ‘come and get me now, bully.’ It works well until the parent catches the child in the taunting. Having removed the child from the immediate danger, the parent bends down and says, ‘Yes, you are protected; that does not give you free rein to pick back at the one who has been bullying you.’

In time of trouble we seek the presence of God where we have come to expect protection from our enemies and adversaries. Once we experience the reassuring presence of God we begin to want a life that follows the pattern and example we find in God’s presence. We want to learn the ways of God because of the comfort and assurance we have received. We want to be able to bring others into the presence of God so that they too can find comfort and joy for themselves.

As we have taken refuge in the presence of our parents and in the presence of God, some of us get the privilege of offering that sense of safety and strength to others. Some may take physical refuge in our presence, hiding behind our legs for protection, others will find in us an assurance of peace and acceptance from us. Hopefully, prayerfully, we can guide those folks into the presence of God where they can, “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”

March 14, 2016
LCM

Monday, February 18, 2013

Psalm Meditation 662
Second Sunday in Lent
February 24, 2013

Psalm 27
1 The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me to devour my flesh— my adversaries and foes— they shall stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war rise up against me, yet I will be confident.
4 One thing I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: to live in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter in the day of trouble; he will conceal me under the cover of his tent; he will set me high on a rock.
6 Now my head is lifted up above my enemies all around me, and I will offer in his tent sacrifices with shouts of joy; I will sing and make melody to the LORD.
7 Hear, O LORD, when I cry aloud, be gracious to me and answer me!
8 "Come," my heart says, "seek his face!" Your face, LORD, do I seek.
9 Do not hide your face from me. Do not turn your servant away in anger, you who have been my help. Do not cast me off, do not forsake me, O God of my salvation!
10 If my father and mother forsake me, the LORD will take me up.
11 Teach me your way, O LORD, and lead me on a level path because of my enemies.
12 Do not give me up to the will of my adversaries, for false witnesses have risen against me, and they are breathing out violence.
13 I believe that I shall see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
14 Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!
(NRSV)

On more than one occasion I have failed to speak out or act concerning a statement or act that I knew was not right. What kept me from doing what I knew was right in the situation? I was afraid. Afraid that any number of things might happen, including physical harm from the person I was confronting. Rather than being controlled by my convictions, I was controlled by my fear. And then I read this psalm and am reminded that what God thinks of me is more important than what others think.

I have friends and colleagues who have walked into armed camps, both literally and figuratively, to speak and act on their convictions as people of God. My guess is that they are wise enough to be afraid and strong enough in their convictions to have walked in to speak their piece in spite of the fear. For them, it seems to have worked out, since the ones who come to mind are actively engaged in ministry.

Other folks I know are not as likely to walk into armed camps, however they do not shy away from working diligently to point people toward lives of justice and compassion. Their relentless efforts to care for the needs of people as individuals as well as groups continue to advance the work and will of God in the world.

While one group of folks walks into the middle of the conflict and another works gently and persuasively on the fringes, they are doing the work to which God calls them. Each of us responds to God’s call with the gifts we have at the time. Some will be courageous crusaders for what they see as right, while others will be less visible and no less effective in moving folks in the direction God calls us.

February 18, 2013