Showing posts with label Psalm 65. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 65. Show all posts
Monday, July 17, 2023
Psalm Meditation 1205
¶Proper 11
¶July 23, 2023
¶Psalm 65
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+65&version=NRSVUE
(NRSV)
¶The psalmist points to the awesome deeds that God performs for the sake of delivering the faithful. God does creative things like making mountains and seas. God does restorative things like send rain to water the earth and renew the flow of river waters. God does provident things like provide grain and other bounty for the sustenance of creation. God does artistic things like color the earth with a variety of colorful plants. And by looking on all of this we find great joy in God and the world.
¶This does not mean that people who do not acknowledge the presence of God in the world do not see the beauty that surrounds us all. They see the awesomeness that is the world, and beyond that to the wonders of the universe. That they do not see God at work, does not mean that they do not see beauty, it means they don’t see the work as that of God. Some folks do not see the cycles of time as awesome, they are simply ordinary. God does not get any credit from them for all the wonders that surround us, especially if they do not see the wonder that is present in creation.
¶We ask the question, ‘How can people look at the universe and not see God?,’ rather than acknowledging that not everyone sees the world through the same set of eyes. For some it is a dull and dismal place, for others it is a series of random gifts of beauty that come from somewhere beyond ourselves. For the psalmist and many of us, the world is a gift from God full of rich variety, pain and pleasure, ordinary and sublime, beauty and ugliness all for the sake of leading us deeper into the presence of God.
¶July 17, 2023
¶LCM
Monday, December 21, 2020
Psalm Meditation 1071
First Sunday After Christmas
December 27, 2020
Psalm 65
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
(NRSV)
God gives us a lot to be thankful for. God hears our prayers as they range from praise and thanksgiving to prayers that ask for action on our behalf. God offers us forgiveness when we reach the point at which we are overwhelmed by our sinful actions. God draws us to live in the divine presence as a gift from God’s heart. God provides us a rich variety and abundance from the earth with which to satisfy our needs in proper season. We have every reason to be in awe of the power of God in our lives.
The better things are going for us the easier it is to forget the source of all of our good things. We begin to believe that what we have is due to our own hard work and that we have somehow done enough to deserve all that we have. God is not mean spirited enough to take it all away from us so that we will once again see the hand of God at work in our lives. I am sure that God is content to provide for us without having that generosity acknowledged at every turn. And God is pleased when we do notice the divine hand at work in our lives.
Some folks live in a constant state of awe, on the edge of being overwhelmed by the activity of God around us. Some folks take time in every day to give thanks to God for providing for our needs and wants. Some folks express gratitude even when they are not feeling very grateful in hopes that saying it will help make it happen. God is at work in our lives whether we notice and acknowledge it or not. “Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed, O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.”
December 21, 2020
LCM
Monday, May 28, 2018
Psalm Meditation 937
Proper 4
June 3, 2018
Psalm 65
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
(NRSV)
It is easy to take for granted anything that is dependable. Whether it be forgiveness, inclusion in the household of God, or water and food, once we get used to having it on a regular basis we expect it to be available every time we need or want it. Stories abound of people who do not see themselves touched by shortages in agricultural food supply because they get their food from the grocery store rather than from the farm. We can be just as shortsighted about forgiveness and our place in the presence of God. We see them as rights and privileges rather than as gifts we receive from God.
The psalmist is not in a position to take the gifts and providence of God for granted. Everything that happens is at the direction of God. Forgiveness is a gift that God gives to keep us from being overwhelmed by the weight of our own sin. To further protect and preserve us we are drawn into the presence of God as people who have a task and purpose in that place. The planting and harvesting of crops is possible because God provides a way for all the necessary steps to happen in proper time and order.
With our knowledge of science and technology we can see God as unnecessary or we can see our knowledge as confirmation of the participation of God in the world around us. Times of affluence can lead to taking all sorts of people and things for granted. The psalmist counsels us to be mindful of the presence of God. We may understand how a process works but that does not alter the part about it being a gift from God. “By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.”
May 28, 2018
LCM
Proper 4
June 3, 2018
Psalm 65
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
(NRSV)
It is easy to take for granted anything that is dependable. Whether it be forgiveness, inclusion in the household of God, or water and food, once we get used to having it on a regular basis we expect it to be available every time we need or want it. Stories abound of people who do not see themselves touched by shortages in agricultural food supply because they get their food from the grocery store rather than from the farm. We can be just as shortsighted about forgiveness and our place in the presence of God. We see them as rights and privileges rather than as gifts we receive from God.
The psalmist is not in a position to take the gifts and providence of God for granted. Everything that happens is at the direction of God. Forgiveness is a gift that God gives to keep us from being overwhelmed by the weight of our own sin. To further protect and preserve us we are drawn into the presence of God as people who have a task and purpose in that place. The planting and harvesting of crops is possible because God provides a way for all the necessary steps to happen in proper time and order.
With our knowledge of science and technology we can see God as unnecessary or we can see our knowledge as confirmation of the participation of God in the world around us. Times of affluence can lead to taking all sorts of people and things for granted. The psalmist counsels us to be mindful of the presence of God. We may understand how a process works but that does not alter the part about it being a gift from God. “By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.”
May 28, 2018
LCM
Monday, March 16, 2015
Psalm Meditation 770
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 22, 2015
Psalm 65
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
(NRSV)
Some folks like the image of God as the great and powerful creator of all that is, the one who is strong enough to form all the stars and planets and put them into their places in the universe. Other folks like the image of God as the gentle and careful gardener and caretaker of the earth and its inhabitants. While we may be content with one image over the other, the truth is that God is both of those, and so much more. God is so much bigger, and so much more intimate than we are able to understand. While we may pick one image over the other, it does not mean that God is confined to the role we prefer.
God is present and active in the big things and the little things of our lives, and beyond. When we become aware of the presence of God, we can join in the celebration of God’s activity among us. We can rejoice in all the ways we experience God in our lives. God is not limited to what we notice and celebrate. God is active in a variety of ways beyond the limits of our senses. God is active whether we notice or not.
Erasmus, renaissance scholar, wrote, "Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit" meaning "Bidden or not bidden, God is present." Whether we see it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, God is with us as an active and loving presence in our lives and in the midst of all that is.
March 16, 2015
LCM
Fifth Sunday in Lent
March 22, 2015
Psalm 65
1 Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion; and to you shall vows be performed,
2 O you who answer prayer! To you all flesh shall come.
3 When deeds of iniquity overwhelm us, you forgive our transgressions.
4 Happy are those whom you choose and bring near to live in your courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, your holy temple.
5 By awesome deeds you answer us with deliverance, O God of our salvation; you are the hope of all the ends of the earth and of the farthest seas.
6 By your strength you established the mountains; you are girded with might.
7 You silence the roaring of the seas, the roaring of their waves, the tumult of the peoples.
8 Those who live at earth’s farthest bounds are awed by your signs; you make the gateways of the morning and the evening shout for joy.
9 You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it.
10 You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth.
11 You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness.
12 The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy,
13 the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy.
(NRSV)
Some folks like the image of God as the great and powerful creator of all that is, the one who is strong enough to form all the stars and planets and put them into their places in the universe. Other folks like the image of God as the gentle and careful gardener and caretaker of the earth and its inhabitants. While we may be content with one image over the other, the truth is that God is both of those, and so much more. God is so much bigger, and so much more intimate than we are able to understand. While we may pick one image over the other, it does not mean that God is confined to the role we prefer.
God is present and active in the big things and the little things of our lives, and beyond. When we become aware of the presence of God, we can join in the celebration of God’s activity among us. We can rejoice in all the ways we experience God in our lives. God is not limited to what we notice and celebrate. God is active in a variety of ways beyond the limits of our senses. God is active whether we notice or not.
Erasmus, renaissance scholar, wrote, "Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit" meaning "Bidden or not bidden, God is present." Whether we see it or not, believe it or not, accept it or not, God is with us as an active and loving presence in our lives and in the midst of all that is.
March 16, 2015
LCM
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