Psalm Meditation 1367 Proper 17 August 30, 2026 Psalm 93 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm%2093&version=NRSVUE If you say a word or phrase that is remotely similar to a song or poem that I know, I will break into song or recite the relevant snippet of that poem, It will be brief, may or may not be loud, and may annoy folks for whom that is not normal practice. Some people can come up with an original song or poem with the same amount of prompting. It isn’t something that anyone plans to do, it is a spontaneous reaction to what is going on around them and within them. This brief psalm may well be one of those kinds of poems. Seeing the waves crashing on a shoreline, perhaps with a bit more ferocity than usual, leads the psalmist to be reminded of the power of God at work in the world. Those same waves don’t hold a candle to the full majesty of God’s presence in the world. The psalmist celebrates that God is a present and able ruler in the world, capable of stirring up waves with their accompanying thunderous crashes. Whether you are one who breaks into song, breaks out a poem, or one who wonders what possesses a person to do such a thing, may you see that God is filled with loving holiness for all of creation, including each one of us. “Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore.” August 24, 2026 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1209 ¶Proper 15 ¶August 20, 2023 ¶Psalm 93 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+93&version=NRSVUE (NRSV) ¶Oceans, seas, lakes, and other large bodies of water were fearful places for the people of early biblical times. They were disordered, unruly, and dangerous places for people to venture. Large bodies of water were home to the chaos monster who brought calamity and confusion to people who ventured out into the angry waves. In the act of Creation, God had made a place that was usually safe from the wilds of the waters of chaos. Every now and then the waters would cross into the dry land to bring flooding and its resulting difficulties. ¶When I would be frightened by thunder in nighttime storms, my dad would calm me by telling me to imagine that it was potatoes rolling down the stairs. That image was enough to allow me to take a deep breath or two and drift back to sleep. Perhaps that was the psalmist’s thinking as well. By offering the image of the flood waters roaring out their praise to God, it offered people an opportunity to redirect their fear of the flood to the praise of God for protection from the floodwaters. ¶The world has a lot of scary things in it these days. I imagine the world has always had plenty of things about which people can fret and stress. Through it all, people of faith have lived and died as people of God. They have faced their fears, avoided danger, kept loved ones as safe as possible in any given situation. Those who find and make ways to offer praise and thanksgiving to God have an easier time facing their trials than those who give in to the fear of anything and everything in the world around them. ¶August 14, 2023 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1084 Palm/Passion Sunday March 28, 2021 Psalm 93 1 The Lord is king, he is robed in majesty; the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved; 2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting. 3 The floods have lifted up, O Lord, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring. 4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord! 5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O Lord, forevermore. (NRSV) According to one of my psychologist friends, the difference between fear and excitement is the name we give to it. The psalmist is aware of the fear rising with the oncoming flood waters and decides to redirect the response to one that inspires awe instead of fear. Looking to the majesty of God serves as a reminder that fear does not have to be the final answer. By looking to God, the psalmist finds a focus to steady heart, hand, and mind for any tasks that may need positively directed attention. In any time of fear and dread we can join the psalmist in a focus on God, “More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the Lord!” March 22, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 853
Proper 25
October 23, 2016

Psalm 93
1 The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the LORD!
5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.
(NRSV)

It is in our nature to be frightened by the events and occurrences around us. Sometimes we give in to our fears, sometimes we rationalize them away, sometimes we ignore them or push them to our subconscious, and other times we use them as reminders that we are people of God. We react differently depending on our circumstances at the time. Each of our reactions is an opportunity to turn to God.

We turn to God to have our needs met. When we give in to our fears we pray that they are unfounded, less fearsome than they could be and that God is with us no matter what. When we are rational in facing our fears we pray that our calculations are correct and that the abilities God has given us will be what we need to face this fear. When we ignore our fears our conscious or subconscious prayer is that we will get through this despite our fear. In each situation we trust that God is with us in the midst of our fearful situation.

The psalmist uses fear as a reminder that God is bigger than any fear we may face. The fearful situation may overwhelm and overcome us, however we will continue to be held in the presence of God. In the midst of a terrifying flood, the psalmist announces that God is bigger than the flood. We may be swept away in the rising water but God will stand firm against the flood and will be with us in life and in death.

October 17, 2016
LCM

Psalm Meditation 725
Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 11, 2014

Psalm 93
1 The LORD is king, he is robed in majesty; the LORD is robed, he is girded with strength. He has established the world; it shall never be moved;
2 your throne is established from of old; you are from everlasting.
3 The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their roaring.
4 More majestic than the thunders of mighty waters, more majestic than the waves of the sea, majestic on high is the LORD!
5 Your decrees are very sure; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.
(NRSV)

There are those who need constant reassurance that their contributions to life in the world are of sufficient quality to be noticed by all. They seek out these reassurances and prompt the folks around them to offer them if they do not arrive in the quantity and frequency required. When these folks rise to positions of authority and power they can surround themselves with ‘yes-folks,’ those who will instantly agree with the ideas and suggestions of the one who runs the show. And they can dismiss folks who are not fast enough with a compliment or who dare to suggest an alternative. In some settings the one in charge is the boss while in other settings that same type of person is seen as a bully.

The other extreme is the folks who do quality work to the best of their ability and live out their lives with an assurance of their own commitment to excellence. They find themselves content with knowing that they do their best with a desire to contribute the best they have to offer in any given circumstance. They don’t need a constant barrage of compliments and they are more than willing to listen and learn from those with different viewpoints and perspectives. In the give and take of ideas and experiences a more rounded solution can be discovered and put into practice. They neither discount nor demand any compliments that come their way.

God is one who does not require our constant attention, does not demand a constant stream of praise and thanks from us. God does appreciate being noticed, acknowledged and thanked, if for no other reason than to keep lines of communication open. There are folks with whom we go long stretches without hearing from each other and pick up the relationship as if no time has passed. That does not mean that we make a habit of losing contact to test the strength of the relationship, only that it will weather time and distance. Is the praise of this psalm required by God in order to keep watching over us, is it required of us in order to remain in God’s good graces, or is it simply a word from grateful people to one who appreciates hearing from us?

May 5, 2014