Psalm Meditation 1345 ¶Palm/Passion Sunday ¶March 29, 2026 ¶Psalm 67 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2067&version=NRSVUE ¶It is pretty easy to see all the bad and troubling things in the world, since that is what people point out to us on a regular basis. We see wars, treachery, cowardice masked by bravado, cancer, poverty, and all manner of evil surrounding us. What we tend to miss is sunrises, sunsets, the smiles of children, resilience, trees sprouting new leaves, flowers producing new blossoms and roots, and the number of things that go well for us in a normal day. We see what we expect to see and what people tell us we should see. ¶The psalmist asks God to be gracious to us and bless us. I believe we can see that God is already and continually gracious to us and blessing us, or we can see this request as a plea, as if God has forgotten to do these things in the recent past. Either way, the psalmist knows that when God’s grace and blessings come to us in a way that we can experience them for ourselves we are led to let our joy burst out in songs and other forms of praise. Any time folks become aware of God’s gracious blessings they are filled to bursting with joyful songs of praise. ¶Life is hard, and there is much to worry and fret about. We can eat ourselves up with anxiety about all that is wrong with the world around us. And we can look for evidence of God at work in the world. Looking for evidence of God at work among us does not ignore all these troubling circumstances. However, seeing God at work is a great source of hope for the present and the future.” May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere [God]” ¶March 23, 2026 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1195 ¶Sixth Sunday of Easter/Mothers Day ¶May 14, 2023 ¶Psalm 67 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+67&version=NRSVUE (NRSV) ¶While it seems like a good idea to have all the peoples of the earth praise God, I wonder if it is. There have been a number of people who have had great ideas which most people have rejected as stupid because those ideas did not allow folks to stay in their comfort zone. A lot of those ideas have gone on to be generally accepted as great ideas and innovations, once given a chance to come to full bloom. For all the peoples of the earth to praise God may mean that no one is threatened by the newness and novelty of the things that God encourages us to do, to say, to think, and be. ¶Perhaps what the psalmist wants if for everyone to believe the same things, that is the things with which the psalmist is already comfortable. We like that God judges people with equity until that equity gets in the way of the punishment we believe should be showered onto the people we don’t like and with whom we seriously disagree. It would be fine if God were to punish those we believe need to be punished, and let us off with a warning, because we really are good people. ¶The adage, ‘Be careful what you wish/pray for, you just might get it.’ certainly applies here. When we discover that God is as just and forgiving with other groups as with us, we may get our feelings hurt. We would like to know that we are called and set apart as a special case, given plenty of slack in matters of morals and behavior, rather than called to be the example of the kind of behavior God wants and expects from each person. If we lived as if God is a God of equity rather than of punishment, perhaps more people would want to follow that God, with singing and joy. ¶May 11, 2023 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1083 Fifth Sunday in Lent March 21, 2021 Psalm 67 1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah 2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. 4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah 5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. 6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us. 7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him. (NRSV) When we are asked to make a list of blessings we start with the out of the ordinary ones. Especially as we consider the blessings of God, we want our list to be made up of special things. We may list animals that we have seen in zoos or on documentaries on television, rare metals and gems we have received as gifts or as new joints, things that we may have taken for granted until we no longer had them. The earth yields wonderful crops of edible fruits and vegetables as well as things of beauty that are dangerous to us in some way. The earth also provides air to breathe, a place to stand, water to drink, minerals and chemicals that make our lives what they are either directly or indirectly. It seems that the more we have, the less we notice any of it. The psalmist reminds us to thank God for the blessings we notice, as well as for the things that are so much a part of our lives that we no longer notice. Sometimes it is important to thank God for all of our blessings, especially the ones we no longer notice. The psalmist makes it a point to list the blessings God offers to us as gifts: presence, saving power, fair judgment, and guidance. “May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.” March 15, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 931
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 22, 2018

Psalm 67
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.
(NRSV)

We like the idea of equity of judgment until it appears that someone else receives a benefit at our expense. When I was in college I was asked to referee a volleyball game at church camp. It happened that one of the teams that day was the group for whom I was youth pastor. In an attempt not to be accused of bias I ended up calling a lot more faults and fouls on my own team. And while it may seem to work that way with God sometimes, it is not the case. God is fair and equitable among us.

We may be aware of times God calls faults and fouls on us more often than we are when it happens to others. Life is more complex than a volleyball game. Since we are aware of the rules we are conscious of the fouls being called. Since it happens to us we are conscious of the call being made where we may miss it when called against others. On top of that life fouls are rarely called at the moment of the infraction. The effect of a foul committed in this moment may take weeks or even generations to make itself known and felt.

The psalmist reminds us that God is fair in judgment even as blessings come to us beyond our ability to earn, acknowledge, or even recognize them. God judges fairly, each according to our actions. God blesses unfairly, each according to the love God has for us without regard to our earning or deserving those blessings in any way. “May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.”

April 16, 2018
LCM

Psalm Meditation 782
Third Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 14, 2015

Psalm 67
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
2 that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among all nations.
3 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
4 Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
5 Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
6 The earth has yielded its increase; God, our God, has blessed us.
7 May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.
(NRSV)

When I think of praise, my first image is one of the noise and activity of people raising hands and voices in joyful celebration. Praising God for all the gifts given to us in a variety of situations. The next image is the excited noise of parents whose child has acted or reacted in a way that calls for positive reinforcement. A toddler learning to use good manners, a child learning to share with others, a young adult reaching a milestone of achievement each cry out for exclamations of praise. It is good to give and receive praise with the excitement that something good requires.

There is also the calm, quiet word of praise whispered into the ear of God, the ear of an adult child, or the ear of an accomplished friend or colleague. Though it comes quietly it is as heartfelt as the more noisy and active praise. These can be more memorable because they are more intensely personal. To offer praise to God, or to family, friend or colleague, in an intimate moment can draw us into deeper relationship.

There is a place for each type of praise. I believe that God appreciates hearing praise from our lips and hearts. Whether we express our praise with noise and motion or in quiet moments God is touched by our praise and our relationship together is deepened. “May God continue to bless us; let all the ends of the earth revere him.”

June 8, 2015
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