Showing posts with label Psalm 71. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 71. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 30, 2023
Psalm Meditation 1211
¶Proper 17
¶September 3, 2023
¶Psalm 71
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+71&version=NRSVUE
(NRSV)
¶I see the path to God as a bicycle wheel with spokes that come from all directions moving toward the center hub. We can be going different directions, crossing paths all while heading for the same goal. If we are not careful or kind we can see those coming from different directions as being wrong rather than simply different. And while it seems everyone else is headed in the wrong direction, we each have our own way to go to support the work of holding hub to rim.
¶The psalmist feels picked on for going about things differently than those who feel that their way is the only right way. The psalmist feels like a portent, a warning of an upcoming calamity due to going the ‘wrong’ way. We are more aware of other people doing things ’wrong’ than we are of ourselves doing things that don’t fit in with those around us. We see those we love and care about as being right and everyone else being wrong. A band parent commented on the band marching a parade saying, “Did you notice that everyone in the band was out of step except my child?”
¶It is possible to be different from those around us, and for each of us to be on the right path. When the pressure becomes great to get everyone moving in the same direction think of a bicycle wheel and the differences required for that wheel to work. And look to God who is faithful to us and does not forsake us as we move through the world doing the work to which we feel called and led.
¶August 30, 2023
¶LCM
Monday, August 30, 2021
Psalm Meditation 1107
Proper 18
September 5, 2021
Psalm 71
1 In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O Lord, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
7 I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together.
11 They say, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver.”
12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge.
16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord God, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power
19 and your righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued.
24 All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help, for those who tried to do me harm have been put to shame, and disgraced.
(NRSV)
¶A portent is a warning about the future, a sign of something about to happen, usually something bad. For the psalmist to be a portent means that folks have pointed and said, ‘See that person? You don’t want to be like that or you will end up in the same spot.’ Or, folks use this terrible looking person to emphasize an unrelated lesson, ‘See that? I bet that person never ate vegetables as a child, and look what happened.’ A portent may or may not be an accurate description of a person; still, no one wants to be one.
¶The psalmist continues that through all the hardships that have led to this place, God has been present as a source of comfort in every time and place. The psalmist replies, ‘Yes, I may look as if I wear the consequences of bad choices on my body, however, I believe that my life would have been a lot worse if it had not been for the presence of God. I believe that you, O God, will lift me up to a place of honor and comfort in the end.’
¶Some of us are born with silver spoons in our mouths while others are born into hardship and trial. While it can be tempting to believe that it is the rich and influential who have God’s favor, the Scriptures tell us repeatedly that the heart of God has an honored place for the poor and needy. The psalm ends with the reminder, the portent, that those who make light of the poor and needy will themselves be put to shame and disgraced.
August 30, 2021
LCM
Monday, January 22, 2018
Psalm Meditation 919
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
January 28, 2018
Psalm 71
1 In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
7 I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together.
11 They say, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver.”
12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge.
16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power
19 and your righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued.
24 All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help, for those who tried to do me harm have been put to shame, and disgraced.
(NRSV)
We like to know that even when we are in the wrong, we are not completely wrong. The psalmist wants the assurance that even in the midst of being hounded and harried, accused of being abandoned by God, that God is present. With the words, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver,” hanging in the air the psalmist knows that God is not one to forsake us in time of need. Even when we are guilty and in need of correction God does not abandon us. Even when we feel abandoned and left on our own God is with us.
Whether God is present or absent, near or far, the psalmist will continue to give God praise and will continue to celebrate the mighty deeds God performs in the world around us. Even if the psalmist gets no benefit from the goodness of God the praises and witness to the power of God will continue for as long as possible. At the same time there is confidence that God will act, will redeem, and will restore the psalmist to a place of honor and comfort.
I am aware that we read our own theological and cultural leanings into the biblical text. When we do that we get to avoid some of the harsh realities of the original context. In other cases we miss the richness of faithfulness in the people of God. It gives us the opportunity to explain away the violence of the text even though people may have been seized and punished because it appeared that they had been abandoned by God. We miss the richness of a faithfulness that clings to God when things are going well and when things are going badly, when it appears that we are abandoned and alone. Even then the psalmist praises God.
January 22, 2018
LCM
Fourth Sunday After Epiphany
January 28, 2018
Psalm 71
1 In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
7 I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together.
11 They say, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver.”
12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge.
16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power
19 and your righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued.
24 All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help, for those who tried to do me harm have been put to shame, and disgraced.
(NRSV)
We like to know that even when we are in the wrong, we are not completely wrong. The psalmist wants the assurance that even in the midst of being hounded and harried, accused of being abandoned by God, that God is present. With the words, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver,” hanging in the air the psalmist knows that God is not one to forsake us in time of need. Even when we are guilty and in need of correction God does not abandon us. Even when we feel abandoned and left on our own God is with us.
Whether God is present or absent, near or far, the psalmist will continue to give God praise and will continue to celebrate the mighty deeds God performs in the world around us. Even if the psalmist gets no benefit from the goodness of God the praises and witness to the power of God will continue for as long as possible. At the same time there is confidence that God will act, will redeem, and will restore the psalmist to a place of honor and comfort.
I am aware that we read our own theological and cultural leanings into the biblical text. When we do that we get to avoid some of the harsh realities of the original context. In other cases we miss the richness of faithfulness in the people of God. It gives us the opportunity to explain away the violence of the text even though people may have been seized and punished because it appeared that they had been abandoned by God. We miss the richness of a faithfulness that clings to God when things are going well and when things are going badly, when it appears that we are abandoned and alone. Even then the psalmist praises God.
January 22, 2018
LCM
Monday, November 23, 2015
Psalm Meditation 806
First Sunday of Advent
November 29, 2015
Psalm 71
1 In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
7 I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together.
11 They say, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver.”
12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge.
16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power
19 and your righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued.
24 All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help, for those who tried to do me harm have been put to shame, and disgraced.
(NRSV)
A teddy bear, a body pillow, a friend, a significant other, a spouse; just a few of the things and people we grab onto for comfort in times of stress and trial. The psalmist calls God a rock and a fortress which are good strong, immoveable images when strength and protection are required. Strength is not always found in hard, cold places. There are times in which we gather strength in the softness of a loving touch or the warmth of another. (even if that warmth is simply our own reflected back to us from a teddy bear or pillow.) Whatever the source, whatever the image there is strength and restoration in the company of another.
Often it is those least able to ask for help who are most in need of it. The silent nerdy types are the best targets for those who grasp and pick and bully those around them. Because they are more withdrawn in a variety of ways they are easier marks for those who look for people who ‘deserve’ to be picked apart. The recipients of the grasping, picking and bullying don’t have the interest or wherewithal to make friends and connections so they are already isolated from a larger community. They have no one to stand with them against ‘the hand of the wicked.’
These are the people held in God’s heart. The downcast and the outcast are dear to God; if for no other reason than that they are dear to so few others. The presence of God does not make the grasping, picking and bullying any less relentless than before, it can make the sting of it all more bearable. To know that one is precious in the eyes, mind and heart of God makes one better able to suffer ‘the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.’ Being aware of God’s love also opens a person to the love of the community of God’s people. To be in community with others give us hope, strength and a voice of our own, all of which we can use for ourselves and for others.
November 23, 2015
LCM
First Sunday of Advent
November 29, 2015
Psalm 71
1 In you, O LORD, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame.
2 In your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; incline your ear to me and save me.
3 Be to me a rock of refuge, a strong fortress, to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress.
4 Rescue me, O my God, from the hand of the wicked, from the grasp of the unjust and cruel.
5 For you, O Lord, are my hope, my trust, O LORD, from my youth.
6 Upon you I have leaned from my birth; it was you who took me from my mother’s womb. My praise is continually of you.
7 I have been like a portent to many, but you are my strong refuge.
8 My mouth is filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long.
9 Do not cast me off in the time of old age; do not forsake me when my strength is spent.
10 For my enemies speak concerning me, and those who watch for my life consult together.
11 They say, “Pursue and seize that person whom God has forsaken, for there is no one to deliver.”
12 O God, do not be far from me; O my God, make haste to help me!
13 Let my accusers be put to shame and consumed; let those who seek to hurt me be covered with scorn and disgrace.
14 But I will hope continually, and will praise you yet more and more.
15 My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all day long, though their number is past my knowledge.
16 I will come praising the mighty deeds of the Lord GOD, I will praise your righteousness, yours alone.
17 O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds.
18 So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me,
until I proclaim your might to all the generations to come. Your power
19 and your righteousness, O God, reach the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?
20 You who have made me see many troubles and calamities will revive me again; from the depths of the earth you will bring me up again.
21 You will increase my honor, and comfort me once again.
22 I will also praise you with the harp for your faithfulness, O my God; I will sing praises to you with the lyre, O Holy One of Israel.
23 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to you; my soul also, which you have rescued.
24 All day long my tongue will talk of your righteous help, for those who tried to do me harm have been put to shame, and disgraced.
(NRSV)
A teddy bear, a body pillow, a friend, a significant other, a spouse; just a few of the things and people we grab onto for comfort in times of stress and trial. The psalmist calls God a rock and a fortress which are good strong, immoveable images when strength and protection are required. Strength is not always found in hard, cold places. There are times in which we gather strength in the softness of a loving touch or the warmth of another. (even if that warmth is simply our own reflected back to us from a teddy bear or pillow.) Whatever the source, whatever the image there is strength and restoration in the company of another.
Often it is those least able to ask for help who are most in need of it. The silent nerdy types are the best targets for those who grasp and pick and bully those around them. Because they are more withdrawn in a variety of ways they are easier marks for those who look for people who ‘deserve’ to be picked apart. The recipients of the grasping, picking and bullying don’t have the interest or wherewithal to make friends and connections so they are already isolated from a larger community. They have no one to stand with them against ‘the hand of the wicked.’
These are the people held in God’s heart. The downcast and the outcast are dear to God; if for no other reason than that they are dear to so few others. The presence of God does not make the grasping, picking and bullying any less relentless than before, it can make the sting of it all more bearable. To know that one is precious in the eyes, mind and heart of God makes one better able to suffer ‘the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.’ Being aware of God’s love also opens a person to the love of the community of God’s people. To be in community with others give us hope, strength and a voice of our own, all of which we can use for ourselves and for others.
November 23, 2015
LCM
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)