Psalm Meditation 518
Pentecost Sunday
May 23, 2010
Psalm 123
1 To you I lift up my eyes, O you who are enthroned in the heavens!
2 As the eyes of servants look to the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maid to the hand of her mistress, so our eyes look to the LORD our God, until he has mercy upon us.
3 Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us, for we have had more than enough of contempt.
4 Our soul has had more than its fill of the scorn of those who are at ease, of the contempt of the proud.
(NRSV)
For most of us this psalm is not so much about us as against us. We are the folk mentioned in the last verse, the ones who are at ease heaping scorn and contempt on others. We don’t see ourselves as people of privilege because there are others who have more stuff who are more than willing to heap scorn and contempt on us. So, we are caught in the middle. I imagine there are folk working around us in near anonymity; folks we see and don’t know. At our worst we have gotten to the point of ignoring them. We notice more when they are not there than when they are.
Even the folks who make the effort to know the folks who work around them on a daily basis can’t know all the folk who do the vital services we tend to take for granted. The good thing is that some of the folks who do those dirty jobs take great pride in their work and know that going home tired dirty and under appreciated is a gift they give to those of us who don’t have those jobs and tasks.
Every now and then it is good for us to take a step back from our lives and see what kinds of tasks we know someone else does so that we are free to do things that may be more impressive but are not any more important. Wait for a sanitation workers strike to see how important it is to have regular trash pick up. Wait for a hotel workers strike to see how important it is to have a clean room when we check in. Wait for a day when the kitchen help at your favorite restaurant is too busy to washes dishes before using them to cook and serve your meal. Look to the workers in mines and fields who work for substandard wages so that we can have affordable, often cheap, prices. Take a moment to notice some of the tasks that usually go unnoticed. If it is not practical or possible to thank some of the folks who do those tasks take a moment to thank God for those people and to ask for forgiveness for all the times those folk have been heaped with scorn and contempt.
© May 17, 2010
Monday, May 17, 2010
Monday, May 10, 2010
Psalm Meditation 517
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 16, 2010
Psalm 98
1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
(NRSV)
In every generation there have been folks who know that the world is going to the dogs and that we are a short span from total destruction due to our sin and wickedness, but especially the sin and wickedness of those other folk who are way worse than we are at living out the will of God. I can see the point even as I disagree with it. I see most of us making long slow progress toward God and each other on many fronts.
At either extreme and at the points between on the scale of the world going to the dogs or to God we can recite this Psalm as we end each day relatively unscathed. If the world is an evil place then God is victorious each time the people of God get through the day with our lives more or less intact. If the world is making long slow progress toward the will of God we can see each day as a new victory for God and the people of God as we get better at living out and spreading deep peace to the people in our circle of influence.
God may be in every military victory we celebrate. God is certainly in the smaller victories in which we make the choice toward fulfilling relationships with God and with each other. As we celebrate victories of steadfast love and faithfulness over hate and greed we will find ourselves singing a new song to and about the living God. It will be a communal song of victory over evil tendencies rather than victory over folks we see as evil. We will celebrate together with music and perhaps a dance.
© May 10, 2010
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 16, 2010
Psalm 98
1 O sing to the LORD a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory.
2 The LORD has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations.
3 He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
4 Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises.
5 Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody.
6 With trumpets and the sound of the horn make a joyful noise before the King, the LORD.
7 Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it.
8 Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy
9 at the presence of the LORD, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
(NRSV)
In every generation there have been folks who know that the world is going to the dogs and that we are a short span from total destruction due to our sin and wickedness, but especially the sin and wickedness of those other folk who are way worse than we are at living out the will of God. I can see the point even as I disagree with it. I see most of us making long slow progress toward God and each other on many fronts.
At either extreme and at the points between on the scale of the world going to the dogs or to God we can recite this Psalm as we end each day relatively unscathed. If the world is an evil place then God is victorious each time the people of God get through the day with our lives more or less intact. If the world is making long slow progress toward the will of God we can see each day as a new victory for God and the people of God as we get better at living out and spreading deep peace to the people in our circle of influence.
God may be in every military victory we celebrate. God is certainly in the smaller victories in which we make the choice toward fulfilling relationships with God and with each other. As we celebrate victories of steadfast love and faithfulness over hate and greed we will find ourselves singing a new song to and about the living God. It will be a communal song of victory over evil tendencies rather than victory over folks we see as evil. We will celebrate together with music and perhaps a dance.
© May 10, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
Psalm Meditation 516
Sixth Sunday of Easter / Festival of the Christian Home
May 9, 2010
Psalm 73:1-17,25-28
1 Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth.
10 Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12 Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued, and am punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will talk on in this way," I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, to tell of all your works.
(NRSV)
In our fantasies many of us have more than enough money to do all the things we want to do and we have it all without sacrificing any part of who we currently are. The psalmist reminds us that the changes we will go through as we approach this fantasy begin with envy of those who have all the resources we would like to have for ourselves. In order to make fantasy reality we have to make choices and sacrifices other than the ones we make on a daily basis. We also have to put on a different set of blinders that keep us from seeing that the people we aspire to be also have pains and troubles even though they are very different from the ones with which we deal regularly.
No matter who we are and what we do there are things we do that are simply a part of who we are even though to others they seem to be amazing sacrifices. Many years ago I wished out loud that I had a million dollars. My father went through a brief list of worries, frets and fears that would be mine if I had that kind of money. I still think I would like to try it for awhile though it did make me aware that just because someone does not share my worries and concerns does not mean they have none. I do without millions so that I can enjoy the freedom from worrying about how to protect and preserve those millions.
As people of God we make choices with others in mind. We do without so that others are able to have a little. We go to worship even though there are other pressing matters, including the desire for rest and sleep that call to us as we get ready and go. We make choices that seem to be a waste of time and energy in order to make a difference in the life of folks unknown. We risk life and health because we have heard and responded to an invitation from God to serve others in some form as a way to be drawn ever nearer to God.
© May 3, 2010
Sixth Sunday of Easter / Festival of the Christian Home
May 9, 2010
Psalm 73:1-17,25-28
1 Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
4 For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth.
10 Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them.
11 And they say, "How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?"
12 Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all day long I have been plagued, and am punished every morning.
15 If I had said, "I will talk on in this way," I would have been untrue to the circle of your children.
16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
27 Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord GOD my refuge, to tell of all your works.
(NRSV)
In our fantasies many of us have more than enough money to do all the things we want to do and we have it all without sacrificing any part of who we currently are. The psalmist reminds us that the changes we will go through as we approach this fantasy begin with envy of those who have all the resources we would like to have for ourselves. In order to make fantasy reality we have to make choices and sacrifices other than the ones we make on a daily basis. We also have to put on a different set of blinders that keep us from seeing that the people we aspire to be also have pains and troubles even though they are very different from the ones with which we deal regularly.
No matter who we are and what we do there are things we do that are simply a part of who we are even though to others they seem to be amazing sacrifices. Many years ago I wished out loud that I had a million dollars. My father went through a brief list of worries, frets and fears that would be mine if I had that kind of money. I still think I would like to try it for awhile though it did make me aware that just because someone does not share my worries and concerns does not mean they have none. I do without millions so that I can enjoy the freedom from worrying about how to protect and preserve those millions.
As people of God we make choices with others in mind. We do without so that others are able to have a little. We go to worship even though there are other pressing matters, including the desire for rest and sleep that call to us as we get ready and go. We make choices that seem to be a waste of time and energy in order to make a difference in the life of folks unknown. We risk life and health because we have heard and responded to an invitation from God to serve others in some form as a way to be drawn ever nearer to God.
© May 3, 2010
Monday, April 26, 2010
Psalm Meditation 515
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 2, 2010
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)
It seems as if the city and God are one and the same in this psalm, just as the king and God are one and the same in other psalms. It may be odd to us but wouldn’t it be great to be so identified with God that folks considered us one with God? It doesn’t make the king God, or the city God so much as it is a way of saying that God is so much a part of this person or place that it is impossible to think about without also considering God. There are still folks like that who are who they are because of their relationship with God. It doesn’t mean they are perfect or in any way super human it simply means they have a relationship with God that gives their lives particular definition.
It may take someone who knows God to be aware of the presence of God in the person or the place, however most can see that there is something out of the ordinary going on in this life or place. For those unaware of the presence of God in their own lives this identification with God can seem syrupy and overly sweet; to those who know, there is a recognition of a particular presence of God in the life and presence of these people and places.
The steadfast love of God takes up residence in these folks and flows out of them in a persistent way. One may never know if the person is disappointed or angry because one feels loved in their presence no matter what else may be going on in a conversation or interaction. This is not a person who will be walked over or who will give you whatever you want; this is a person who carries the loving presence of God as both a protection and a gift at all times.
God’s presence is part of who they are in a way that lets folks know that love of God in and through them drives who they are and what they do. God wants this kind of relationship with each one of us and these folks will be there with us as we journey toward God.
© April 26, 2010
Fifth Sunday of Easter
May 2, 2010
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)
It seems as if the city and God are one and the same in this psalm, just as the king and God are one and the same in other psalms. It may be odd to us but wouldn’t it be great to be so identified with God that folks considered us one with God? It doesn’t make the king God, or the city God so much as it is a way of saying that God is so much a part of this person or place that it is impossible to think about without also considering God. There are still folks like that who are who they are because of their relationship with God. It doesn’t mean they are perfect or in any way super human it simply means they have a relationship with God that gives their lives particular definition.
It may take someone who knows God to be aware of the presence of God in the person or the place, however most can see that there is something out of the ordinary going on in this life or place. For those unaware of the presence of God in their own lives this identification with God can seem syrupy and overly sweet; to those who know, there is a recognition of a particular presence of God in the life and presence of these people and places.
The steadfast love of God takes up residence in these folks and flows out of them in a persistent way. One may never know if the person is disappointed or angry because one feels loved in their presence no matter what else may be going on in a conversation or interaction. This is not a person who will be walked over or who will give you whatever you want; this is a person who carries the loving presence of God as both a protection and a gift at all times.
God’s presence is part of who they are in a way that lets folks know that love of God in and through them drives who they are and what they do. God wants this kind of relationship with each one of us and these folks will be there with us as we journey toward God.
© April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
Psalm Meditation 514
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 25, 2010
Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
(NRSV)
It is always tempting to believe that because this psalm is brief we know what it says without having to read it every time. While we may know the words it is likely that the meaning and depth of those words changes with each time we read them. The psalm seems to include a number of ways we relate to God. As our mood changes, as we grow closer to or move father away from God we find new meaning in these brief verses.
God provides for us, leads us, restores us, protects us, walks with us, comforts us. Much of what we have come to expect from God is in these few verses. As we read it or call it to mind in a time of trial we will find that the word, phrase or concept that jumps out is the one that speaks to our need at the moment. God is with us and provides for us out of the rich store of gifts and resources available. More than anything God wants to be with us and wants us to desire the presence of God as a mutual gift between us.
I have both heard it and said it, the Bible is a mirror. We get out of it what we bring into it and God is there in each part of Scripture and our lives waiting to be discovered for the sake of a relationship.
© April 19, 2010
Fourth Sunday of Easter
April 25, 2010
Psalm 23
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters;
3 he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff-- they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD my whole life long.
(NRSV)
It is always tempting to believe that because this psalm is brief we know what it says without having to read it every time. While we may know the words it is likely that the meaning and depth of those words changes with each time we read them. The psalm seems to include a number of ways we relate to God. As our mood changes, as we grow closer to or move father away from God we find new meaning in these brief verses.
God provides for us, leads us, restores us, protects us, walks with us, comforts us. Much of what we have come to expect from God is in these few verses. As we read it or call it to mind in a time of trial we will find that the word, phrase or concept that jumps out is the one that speaks to our need at the moment. God is with us and provides for us out of the rich store of gifts and resources available. More than anything God wants to be with us and wants us to desire the presence of God as a mutual gift between us.
I have both heard it and said it, the Bible is a mirror. We get out of it what we bring into it and God is there in each part of Scripture and our lives waiting to be discovered for the sake of a relationship.
© April 19, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
Psalm Meditation 513
Third Sunday of Easter
April 18, 2010
Psalm 147
1 Praise the LORD! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The LORD lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.
14 He grants peace within your borders; he fills you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down hail like crumbs-- who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
I was taught several years ago that we give praise for who God is and we give thanks for what God does. While that is a helpful distinction this psalm seems to remind us that it is very difficult to separate the two. God is what God does and God does what God is. We know who God is by what God does among us, for us, in spite of us. Whether we give God thanks, praise or a combination of the two we are aware of God’s presence in our lives and that is far better than making narrow distinctions about presence or action.
God takes pleasure in us. It is not about whether we do things right or do right things it is about whether we want to be in the presence of God as wholeheartedly as God wants to be with us. Every now and then I wonder if folks who have known celebrities since before they were famous are as awestruck by their famous friends as are the rest of us. I am convinced that God wants to be treated as one we have known forever rather than as one around whom we need to mind our manners. Relax and enjoy God’s company rather than being too intent on proper form. God takes pleasure in us because of who we really are rather than who we pretend to be in the presence of others.
Does God do great things for us only after we acknowledge the presence of God in our lives or do we notice what God has been doing for us and among us once we acknowledge God in our lives? I believe that God is always at work in our lives. God does not love us because of who we are so much as because of who God is. We have no choice or say in whether or not God loves us; God loves us no matter what. We choose whether or not we love God and what it means to us to do that.
Give God thanks and praise. If the categories get confusing and we lose track of whether we do well to thank God or praise God for something feel free to enjoy the company of God as one who is deeply loved by God.
© April 12, 2010
Third Sunday of Easter
April 18, 2010
Psalm 147
1 Praise the LORD! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.
2 The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds.
4 He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.
6 The LORD lifts up the downtrodden; he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds, prepares rain for the earth, makes grass grow on the hills.
9 He gives to the animals their food, and to the young ravens when they cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner;
11 but the LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you.
14 He grants peace within your borders; he fills you with the finest of wheat.
15 He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool; he scatters frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down hail like crumbs-- who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
I was taught several years ago that we give praise for who God is and we give thanks for what God does. While that is a helpful distinction this psalm seems to remind us that it is very difficult to separate the two. God is what God does and God does what God is. We know who God is by what God does among us, for us, in spite of us. Whether we give God thanks, praise or a combination of the two we are aware of God’s presence in our lives and that is far better than making narrow distinctions about presence or action.
God takes pleasure in us. It is not about whether we do things right or do right things it is about whether we want to be in the presence of God as wholeheartedly as God wants to be with us. Every now and then I wonder if folks who have known celebrities since before they were famous are as awestruck by their famous friends as are the rest of us. I am convinced that God wants to be treated as one we have known forever rather than as one around whom we need to mind our manners. Relax and enjoy God’s company rather than being too intent on proper form. God takes pleasure in us because of who we really are rather than who we pretend to be in the presence of others.
Does God do great things for us only after we acknowledge the presence of God in our lives or do we notice what God has been doing for us and among us once we acknowledge God in our lives? I believe that God is always at work in our lives. God does not love us because of who we are so much as because of who God is. We have no choice or say in whether or not God loves us; God loves us no matter what. We choose whether or not we love God and what it means to us to do that.
Give God thanks and praise. If the categories get confusing and we lose track of whether we do well to thank God or praise God for something feel free to enjoy the company of God as one who is deeply loved by God.
© April 12, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
Psalm Meditation 512
Second Sunday of Easter
April 11, 2010
Psalm 122
1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem--built as a city that is bound firmly together.
4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers."
8 For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
(NRSV)
In these days of contentious politics it seems odd to pray for peace in any capitol city be it Jerusalem, Washington or any other national or state capitol. One of the quickest ways to dismiss the contribution of friend or foe is to place them in a political party other than the one followed by the majority of the rest of the group. We seem not to want peace so much as we want total domination by our political party. “There will be peace when everyone finally sees that I have been right all along.”
Peace is being able to get along in the midst of disagreements. As we are able to get along together we begin to love and trust each other and find a sense of security as we realize that even, or is it especially, those with whom we disagree will come to our aid and defense in any time of need. We begin to love and trust one another with more and deeper parts of our hearts and lives knowing that we are safe in the presence of the folks we dare to love and who dare to love us with agreements and disagreements intact.
God calls us to lives of love; of seeking the best for those around us. Yes, there are cases in which to seek the best for each other means to have little or no contact even as we continue to hope for the best life possible for the other. God continues to call us deeper into relationships with folks like us and into relationships with folks who are very different from us. It seems that the wider our relationships span the more we discover that we share wants and needs even as we go about fulfilling them in differing ways.
© April 5, 2010
Second Sunday of Easter
April 11, 2010
Psalm 122
1 I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the LORD!"
2 Our feet are standing within your gates, O Jerusalem.
3 Jerusalem--built as a city that is bound firmly together.
4 To it the tribes go up, the tribes of the LORD, as was decreed for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the LORD.
5 For there the thrones for judgment were set up, the thrones of the house of David.
6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you.
7 Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers."
8 For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, "Peace be within you."
9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your good.
(NRSV)
In these days of contentious politics it seems odd to pray for peace in any capitol city be it Jerusalem, Washington or any other national or state capitol. One of the quickest ways to dismiss the contribution of friend or foe is to place them in a political party other than the one followed by the majority of the rest of the group. We seem not to want peace so much as we want total domination by our political party. “There will be peace when everyone finally sees that I have been right all along.”
Peace is being able to get along in the midst of disagreements. As we are able to get along together we begin to love and trust each other and find a sense of security as we realize that even, or is it especially, those with whom we disagree will come to our aid and defense in any time of need. We begin to love and trust one another with more and deeper parts of our hearts and lives knowing that we are safe in the presence of the folks we dare to love and who dare to love us with agreements and disagreements intact.
God calls us to lives of love; of seeking the best for those around us. Yes, there are cases in which to seek the best for each other means to have little or no contact even as we continue to hope for the best life possible for the other. God continues to call us deeper into relationships with folks like us and into relationships with folks who are very different from us. It seems that the wider our relationships span the more we discover that we share wants and needs even as we go about fulfilling them in differing ways.
© April 5, 2010
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