Showing posts with label Psalm 48. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 48. Show all posts
Monday, February 6, 2023
Psalm Meditation 1182
¶Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany
¶February 12, 2023
¶Psalm 48
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+48&version=NRSVUE
(NRSV)
¶Verse 9 jumps out for me today. God’s love has been a theme in my reading and thinking recently, so “We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.” captures my psyche today. A one word definition of steadfast is ‘unwavering.’ Our puritanical roots would have us believe, in the words of a Jonathan Edwards sermon, ‘Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,’ “God is hanging you like a spider over the pits of Hell…” It is so deeply ingrained in us that we have trouble believing anything other than that God is angrily watching and waiting for us to sin so that we can be punished.
¶What if God actually loves us gently and unwaveringly, more intent on teaching, leading, and loving us rather than punishing us? The God of steadfast love wants to cradle and comfort us in times of our biggest and most shame-filled errors and realizations. God wants us to know that we are neither the first nor the last to make this mistake, or to be this kind of person, and that we are loved for who we are rather than in spite of who we are. What difference would it make in the way we treat ourselves, and others, to know that we are loved by God no matter what.
¶Ponder how our lives would be radically different if we knew deep down that the love of God is a gift rather than something we earn by our thoughts, words, and deeds. And what if God did not intend for each of us to fit into the same mold, rather that we are made to be parts of a jigsaw puzzle that fit together to make a picture of our little piece of creation. “...tell the next generation that this is God, our God forever and ever.”
¶February 6, 2023
¶LCM
Monday, January 14, 2019
Psalm Meditation 970
Second Sunday After the Epiphany
January 20, 2019
Psalm 48
1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.
(NRSV)
At some point in my childhood the big brag was, ‘My dad can beat up your dad.’ Thinking back, that was not really a day to day conversation that any of us had, it was the set up for a joke or the plot of a TV show. There may be children and dads who feel the need to be the biggest and strongest, however that was not really a topic of discussion among the people around whom I grew up. The psalmist seems to be doing that kind of bragging about the LORD.
“Our God is bigger and better than yours, and, on top of that, the city where our God dwells is better than yours, too.” The psalmist continues the boast by letting the audience know that when all the rulers of the world gathered against us, they were so astounded by the city of God that they turned and ran away, each to their own nation. That is a pretty impressive picture. One of my professors told me, that despite the brags in Scripture, Israel was a small nation that spent more time under the thumb of larger nations than it did as a free, self governed realm. Even if the brags about the nation are a little over the top doesn’t mean that the bragging about the LORD are in the same category.
It is not the bigger and stronger parts that make the LORD the God for us, it is the steadfast love. Even when we get caught up in the competition over whose divinity is the biggest and strongest, the LORD, YHWH, loves us beyond measure and comprehension. It turns out that it is not really about us and what we do, it is about God, who chooses to love us no matter who we are and what we do. I have a t-shirt that says, “Jesus loves you, but I’m his favorite.” I believe that each one of us could wear one of those shirts at the same time and it would be a true and accurate statement about how God loves each of us.
January 14, 2019
LCM
Second Sunday After the Epiphany
January 20, 2019
Psalm 48
1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth.
Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.
(NRSV)
At some point in my childhood the big brag was, ‘My dad can beat up your dad.’ Thinking back, that was not really a day to day conversation that any of us had, it was the set up for a joke or the plot of a TV show. There may be children and dads who feel the need to be the biggest and strongest, however that was not really a topic of discussion among the people around whom I grew up. The psalmist seems to be doing that kind of bragging about the LORD.
“Our God is bigger and better than yours, and, on top of that, the city where our God dwells is better than yours, too.” The psalmist continues the boast by letting the audience know that when all the rulers of the world gathered against us, they were so astounded by the city of God that they turned and ran away, each to their own nation. That is a pretty impressive picture. One of my professors told me, that despite the brags in Scripture, Israel was a small nation that spent more time under the thumb of larger nations than it did as a free, self governed realm. Even if the brags about the nation are a little over the top doesn’t mean that the bragging about the LORD are in the same category.
It is not the bigger and stronger parts that make the LORD the God for us, it is the steadfast love. Even when we get caught up in the competition over whose divinity is the biggest and strongest, the LORD, YHWH, loves us beyond measure and comprehension. It turns out that it is not really about us and what we do, it is about God, who chooses to love us no matter who we are and what we do. I have a t-shirt that says, “Jesus loves you, but I’m his favorite.” I believe that each one of us could wear one of those shirts at the same time and it would be a true and accurate statement about how God loves each of us.
January 14, 2019
LCM
Monday, October 14, 2013
Psalm Meditation 696
Twenty second Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 20, 2013
Psalm 48
1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.
(NRSV)
Jerusalem was built in a wonderfully strategic place that made it difficult to attack and easy to defend. The psalmist could have celebrated the ingenuity of the folks who founded the city on such a great spot. The psalm could have praised the folks who formulated the military strategies that went with the excellent positioning of the city. The psalmist chose instead to give the praise to God.
It was the inspiration and direction of God that led folks to build the city in this place. It was the creative genius and power of God to make a place on which the city could be founded. It was the steadfast love of God that chose this people to live in this place over anyone else. It was God who had the first and final say in the choices that made Jerusalem an advantageous spot for a variety of activities.
In our emphasis on individuality we play up the skills of people and down play the contribution God has made to who we are and what we do. It is the gifts of God at work in the lives of individuals and groups that makes it possible for folks to do what they do. There is likely a happy median between taking all the credit for our skills and actions and giving the credit to God and keeping none for ourselves. God gives us gifts and we use them to the best of our willingness and ability. We do well to acknowledge our abilities and accomplishments even as we give thanks to God.
October 14, 2013
Twenty second Sunday of Ordinary Time
October 20, 2013
Psalm 48
1 Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north,
the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the LORD of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. Selah
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.
(NRSV)
Jerusalem was built in a wonderfully strategic place that made it difficult to attack and easy to defend. The psalmist could have celebrated the ingenuity of the folks who founded the city on such a great spot. The psalm could have praised the folks who formulated the military strategies that went with the excellent positioning of the city. The psalmist chose instead to give the praise to God.
It was the inspiration and direction of God that led folks to build the city in this place. It was the creative genius and power of God to make a place on which the city could be founded. It was the steadfast love of God that chose this people to live in this place over anyone else. It was God who had the first and final say in the choices that made Jerusalem an advantageous spot for a variety of activities.
In our emphasis on individuality we play up the skills of people and down play the contribution God has made to who we are and what we do. It is the gifts of God at work in the lives of individuals and groups that makes it possible for folks to do what they do. There is likely a happy median between taking all the credit for our skills and actions and giving the credit to God and keeping none for ourselves. God gives us gifts and we use them to the best of our willingness and ability. We do well to acknowledge our abilities and accomplishments even as we give thanks to God.
October 14, 2013
Monday, April 16, 2012
Psalm Meditation 618
Third Sunday of Easter
April 22, 2012
Psalm 48
1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. (Selah)
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.
(NRSV)
For the folks in ancient cultures God was present with them when times were good. When they were able to keep armies from attacking them because of the natural defenses and impressive fortifications of their city, God was with them. When things did not go well for them, it was because God was angry with them. This is one of those times in which God must have been with them, because kings and armies were walking away sickened due to the near impossibility of breaching the defenses of the city and the mountain on which it was built.
While we have a sense of that today, that God punishes people for their individual and corporate sins, we tend to emphasize the steadfast love of God. The steadfast love of God is always with us. God does not walk away and leave us helpless and hopeless at the first sign of sin. The steadfast love of God does not get stripped away because we have acted in a way that God does not approve. God loves us, cares for us and calls us into ever deeper and ever renewing relationship at all times and places in our lives. God does not single out groups or individuals for particularly hateful treatment, God loves us and desires a relationship with us. God does not force us into a relationship; it is simply held out as an offer in which we may participate. The love of God is the same no matter what.
Whether we are protected from our enemies and adversaries by a strong citadel or completely exposed to the forces arrayed against us, the love of God stands with us. In the midst of the most devastating forces, in the midst of the most peaceful scene one can imagine, and all the times and places in between God is with us to protect us and comfort us from generation to generation.
© April 16, 2012
Third Sunday of Easter
April 22, 2012
Psalm 48
1 Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised in the city of our God. His holy mountain,
2 beautiful in elevation, is the joy of all the earth, Mount Zion, in the far north, the city of the great King.
3 Within its citadels God has shown himself a sure defense.
4 Then the kings assembled, they came on together.
5 As soon as they saw it, they were astounded; they were in panic, they took to flight;
6 trembling took hold of them there, pains as of a woman in labor,
7 as when an east wind shatters the ships of Tarshish.
8 As we have heard, so have we seen in the city of the Lord of hosts, in the city of our God, which God establishes forever. (Selah)
9 We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.
10 Your name, O God, like your praise, reaches to the ends of the earth. Your right hand is filled with victory.
11 Let Mount Zion be glad, let the towns of Judah rejoice because of your judgments.
12 Walk about Zion, go all around it, count its towers,
13 consider well its ramparts; go through its citadels, that you may tell the next generation
14 that this is God, our God forever and ever. He will be our guide forever.
(NRSV)
For the folks in ancient cultures God was present with them when times were good. When they were able to keep armies from attacking them because of the natural defenses and impressive fortifications of their city, God was with them. When things did not go well for them, it was because God was angry with them. This is one of those times in which God must have been with them, because kings and armies were walking away sickened due to the near impossibility of breaching the defenses of the city and the mountain on which it was built.
While we have a sense of that today, that God punishes people for their individual and corporate sins, we tend to emphasize the steadfast love of God. The steadfast love of God is always with us. God does not walk away and leave us helpless and hopeless at the first sign of sin. The steadfast love of God does not get stripped away because we have acted in a way that God does not approve. God loves us, cares for us and calls us into ever deeper and ever renewing relationship at all times and places in our lives. God does not single out groups or individuals for particularly hateful treatment, God loves us and desires a relationship with us. God does not force us into a relationship; it is simply held out as an offer in which we may participate. The love of God is the same no matter what.
Whether we are protected from our enemies and adversaries by a strong citadel or completely exposed to the forces arrayed against us, the love of God stands with us. In the midst of the most devastating forces, in the midst of the most peaceful scene one can imagine, and all the times and places in between God is with us to protect us and comfort us from generation to generation.
© April 16, 2012
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