Psalm Meditation 879
Second Sunday of Easter
April 23, 2017
Psalm 35
1 Contend, O LORD, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!
2 Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to help me!
3 Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul, “I am your salvation.”
4 Let them be put to shame and dishonor who seek after my life. Let them be turned back and confounded who devise evil against me.
5 Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the LORD driving them on.
6 Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the LORD pursuing them.
7 For without cause they hid their net for me; without cause they dug a pit for my life.
8 Let ruin come on them unawares. And let the net that they hid ensnare them; let them fall in it—to their ruin.
9 Then my soul shall rejoice in the LORD, exulting in his deliverance.
10 All my bones shall say, “O LORD, who is like you? You deliver the weak from those too strong for them, the weak and needy from those who despoil them.”
11 Malicious witnesses rise up; they ask me about things I do not know.
12 They repay me evil for good; my soul is forlorn.
13 But as for me, when they were sick, I wore sackcloth; I afflicted myself with fasting. I prayed with head bowed on my bosom,
14 as though I grieved for a friend or a brother; I went about as one who laments for a mother, bowed down and in mourning.
15 But at my stumbling they gathered in glee, they gathered together against me; ruffians whom I did not know tore at me without ceasing;
16 they impiously mocked more and more, gnashing at me with their teeth.
17 How long, O LORD, will you look on? Rescue me from their ravages, my life from the lions!
18 Then I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.
19 Do not let my treacherous enemies rejoice over me, or those who hate me without cause wink the eye.
20 For they do not speak peace, but they conceive deceitful words against those who are quiet in the land.
21 They open wide their mouths against me; they say, “Aha, Aha, our eyes have seen it.”
22 You have seen, O LORD; do not be silent! O Lord, do not be far from me!
23 Wake up! Bestir yourself for my defense, for my cause, my God and my Lord!
24 Vindicate me, O LORD, my God, according to your righteousness, and do not let them rejoice over me.
25 Do not let them say to themselves, “Aha, we have our heart’s desire.” Do not let them say, “We have swallowed you up.”
26 Let all those who rejoice at my calamity be put to shame and confusion;
let those who exalt themselves against me be clothed with shame and dishonor.
27 Let those who desire my vindication shout for joy and be glad, and say evermore, “Great is the LORD, who delights in the welfare of his servant.”
28 Then my tongue shall tell of your righteousness and of your praise all day long.
(NRSV)
When confronted with the reality of sin in our lives most of the people I know can admit a share of guilt as they suffer the consequences of their sinful actions. Knowing that we are answerable to God, that God knows us better than we know ourselves, we can admit that we may have had a hand in our own downfall. We may even be able to accept the punishment that is a part of sin when we see this infraction as primarily between ourselves and God.
When it is between you and me, it is a different story. Yes, some of our Puritan sensibility may kick in and we will know that I must be guilty because I am human. However, you better get the lion’s share of the punishment because I know that you are more at fault than I. This is what we have in the psalm. These folks who are out to get me have got to be evil because I am such a good person and couldn’t possibly deserve any of the things they are doing to me. For that matter, any time there is a me against you situation I am going to call on God to take care of you because you couldn’t possibly be right in the eyes of God when I am on the other side of the question/problem. It is possible that the psalmist is correct in the particular case of the psalm. It may be that a good person is being persecuted for reasons unknown to the psalmist and to us, and those reasons are unfounded and vindictive. There are those who pick on others because of the goodness of that other. We can’t imagine that anyone is really as good as they come across in daily life so traps and snares are set as a test of their goodness.
Some people really are as good a people as they appear to be. They call on God because they genuinely do not understand what is happening to them. Others are not as good as they appear and they call on God to ‘take care of’ those who don’t see how wonderful they must be. So, we do well to look at both sides of these situations. Am I picking on someone just to be mean spirited and vindictive, for good reason or not? Am I being picked on by a bunch of big meanies or do I have a holier than thou attitude that drives people to pick on me or, at least, take some joy in it when others are doing the picking. Either way God loves us beyond measure and moves to correct all who need correction.
April 17, 2017
LCM
Monday, April 17, 2017
Monday, April 10, 2017
Psalm Meditation 878
Easter
April 16, 2017
Psalm 116
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, save my life!”
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.
6 The LORD protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my consternation, “Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
This psalm sounds as if it is made up of quid pro quo, tit for tat, statements—I love God because of all the great things that have happened to me. There is some of that. Because of who God is and who we are, our love for God is always a response to what God has done in our lives. Whatever we give to God is giving back, since all we have is a gift in the first place. Unlike some people who act in order to make people feel an obligation to them, God acts out of love for us and is deeply touched and gratified when we respond with love in return.
When we add a testimony in addition to our love God is doubly gratified. A testimony is given to those around us and serves to give them an example of how God has worked in our lives and a hint of how God is at work in their lives. God does not wait for an acknowledgment from us before acting in our lives. We receive because God loves us. I have heard people say that they will not give another gift to a particular someone until they get a ‘Thank you’ from them for the current gift. It makes some sense for us, however God continues to give to us whether we give thanks privately, publicly, or not at all. God loves us, simple as that.
The psalmist is filled with gratitude for this return to health and strength and sees it as a gift from the hand of God. As an expression of thanks the psalmist will participate in expanding circles of worship; in the family meal, in the public payment of privately made vows, and in the offering sacrifices and giving public, verbal thanks to God for all that has been received through a time of trial. The hope of the psalmist is that others will see and join in the thanksgiving to our God who loves us beyond measure.
April 10, 2017
LCM
Easter
April 16, 2017
Psalm 116
1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications.
2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 The snares of death encompassed me; the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then I called on the name of the LORD: “O LORD, I pray, save my life!”
5 Gracious is the LORD, and righteous; our God is merciful.
6 The LORD protects the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your rest, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.
8 For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling.
9 I walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
10 I kept my faith, even when I said, “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 I said in my consternation, “Everyone is a liar.”
12 What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me?
13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD,
14 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people.
15 Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful ones.
16 O LORD, I am your servant; I am your servant, the child of your serving girl. You have loosed my bonds.
17 I will offer to you a thanksgiving sacrifice and call on the name of the LORD.
18 I will pay my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts of the house of the LORD, in your midst, O Jerusalem.
Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
This psalm sounds as if it is made up of quid pro quo, tit for tat, statements—I love God because of all the great things that have happened to me. There is some of that. Because of who God is and who we are, our love for God is always a response to what God has done in our lives. Whatever we give to God is giving back, since all we have is a gift in the first place. Unlike some people who act in order to make people feel an obligation to them, God acts out of love for us and is deeply touched and gratified when we respond with love in return.
When we add a testimony in addition to our love God is doubly gratified. A testimony is given to those around us and serves to give them an example of how God has worked in our lives and a hint of how God is at work in their lives. God does not wait for an acknowledgment from us before acting in our lives. We receive because God loves us. I have heard people say that they will not give another gift to a particular someone until they get a ‘Thank you’ from them for the current gift. It makes some sense for us, however God continues to give to us whether we give thanks privately, publicly, or not at all. God loves us, simple as that.
The psalmist is filled with gratitude for this return to health and strength and sees it as a gift from the hand of God. As an expression of thanks the psalmist will participate in expanding circles of worship; in the family meal, in the public payment of privately made vows, and in the offering sacrifices and giving public, verbal thanks to God for all that has been received through a time of trial. The hope of the psalmist is that others will see and join in the thanksgiving to our God who loves us beyond measure.
April 10, 2017
LCM
Monday, April 3, 2017
Psalm Meditation 877
Palm/Passion Sunday
April 9, 2017
Psalm 85
1 LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.
4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
(NRSV)
“God has no grandchildren.” It means that each generation accepts the personal relationship God offers to us. We are children of God. We cannot depend only on the relationship between our parents and God, we need to form that relationship ourselves. All that to say that it appears the psalmist is calling on God to honor the relationship with a previous generation for the sake of the current one. As you did all these wonderful things for our parents, we are ready for you to do all those same things for us. The psalmist’s generation opens the bargaining by asking God to do wonderful things. Once that happens we will be a thankful people.
While it is true that God is always the first actor, there is a sense here that the people are making the first move by asking that God restore and revive them before they turn to God in faithfulness and awe. It is always tempting to make demands on God as if we are the ones opening the negotiations. ‘God, you do this for me and I will do this in return.’ I am not sure what kind of counter offer we can make in the event that God decides not to do as we ask. One assumption is that if God doesn’t act according to our instructions there must not be a God. Who is most damaged by that assumption?
Yes, this is an unusually bleak reading of the psalm. Our requests for God’s attention are not bargaining chips so much as acknowledgements that we have wandered off and now want to be drawn back into a heartfelt, heart changing relationship with God. We are not in a position of power so that we can negotiate, we are in a position of desire. Our desire is to have the kind of relationship with God that we have seen from previous generations. What we don’t know is that as we come into the presence of God knowing that something is missing we are repeating the process of each generation before. God is waiting to save us, love us, and give us peace.
April 3, 2017
LCM
Palm/Passion Sunday
April 9, 2017
Psalm 85
1 LORD, you were favorable to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people; you pardoned all their sin. Selah
3 You withdrew all your wrath; you turned from your hot anger.
4 Restore us again, O God of our salvation, and put away your indignation toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger to all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again, so that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your steadfast love, O LORD, and grant us your salvation.
8 Let me hear what God the LORD will speak, for he will speak peace to his people, to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.
9 Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 The LORD will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase.
13 Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps.
(NRSV)
“God has no grandchildren.” It means that each generation accepts the personal relationship God offers to us. We are children of God. We cannot depend only on the relationship between our parents and God, we need to form that relationship ourselves. All that to say that it appears the psalmist is calling on God to honor the relationship with a previous generation for the sake of the current one. As you did all these wonderful things for our parents, we are ready for you to do all those same things for us. The psalmist’s generation opens the bargaining by asking God to do wonderful things. Once that happens we will be a thankful people.
While it is true that God is always the first actor, there is a sense here that the people are making the first move by asking that God restore and revive them before they turn to God in faithfulness and awe. It is always tempting to make demands on God as if we are the ones opening the negotiations. ‘God, you do this for me and I will do this in return.’ I am not sure what kind of counter offer we can make in the event that God decides not to do as we ask. One assumption is that if God doesn’t act according to our instructions there must not be a God. Who is most damaged by that assumption?
Yes, this is an unusually bleak reading of the psalm. Our requests for God’s attention are not bargaining chips so much as acknowledgements that we have wandered off and now want to be drawn back into a heartfelt, heart changing relationship with God. We are not in a position of power so that we can negotiate, we are in a position of desire. Our desire is to have the kind of relationship with God that we have seen from previous generations. What we don’t know is that as we come into the presence of God knowing that something is missing we are repeating the process of each generation before. God is waiting to save us, love us, and give us peace.
April 3, 2017
LCM
Monday, March 27, 2017
Psalm Meditation 876
Fifth Sunday in Lent
April 2, 2017
Psalm 66
1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” Selah
5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him,
7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs;
12 you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows,
14 those that my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.
17 I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.
(NRSV)
There are people who are saints in my estimation who find themselves wondering if there is a place in heaven for them. As their story is told an episode comes to light about a particular dark sin committed in the past that, to them, damages their chances of ever getting into heaven. Like many of us they are both repulsed by this action and drawn into it. One of my older relatives discovered that one of her parents had been married and divorced prior to her birth. To her, that made her an illegitimate child. This was a source of great shame to her. At the same time, she refused to let it go. As the psalmist says she, “cherished iniquity in my heart,”
Because she was unable to let go of this sin that affected her, but for which she was not responsible, she was unable to open herself to the listening ear of God. It isn’t so much that God won’t listen to those of us who cherish our sins, it is that we have piled so much stuff between us and God that it is difficult for God to hear us through the jumble of obstacles we have erected between us and God. As we let go, as we dismantle the wall of obstacles we have built up through years and generations we discover God waiting to receive us with open arms and loving heart.
What if we could stop hiding behind all of the events and excuses that clutter that space between ourselves and God? I believe we would find that God has been patiently waiting for us to make ourselves available to the love God has always directed our way. We will discover, “truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.”
March 27, 2017
LCM
Fifth Sunday in Lent
April 2, 2017
Psalm 66
1 Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
2 sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise.
3 Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
4 All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” Selah
5 Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
6 He turned the sea into dry land; they passed through the river on foot. There we rejoiced in him,
7 who rules by his might forever, whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let the rebellious not exalt themselves. Selah
8 Bless our God, O peoples, let the sound of his praise be heard,
9 who has kept us among the living, and has not let our feet slip.
10 For you, O God, have tested us; you have tried us as silver is tried.
11 You brought us into the net; you laid burdens on our backs;
12 you let people ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.
13 I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will pay you my vows,
14 those that my lips uttered and my mouth promised when I was in trouble.
15 I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats. Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for me.
17 I cried aloud to him, and he was extolled with my tongue.
18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.
19 But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer.
20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.
(NRSV)
There are people who are saints in my estimation who find themselves wondering if there is a place in heaven for them. As their story is told an episode comes to light about a particular dark sin committed in the past that, to them, damages their chances of ever getting into heaven. Like many of us they are both repulsed by this action and drawn into it. One of my older relatives discovered that one of her parents had been married and divorced prior to her birth. To her, that made her an illegitimate child. This was a source of great shame to her. At the same time, she refused to let it go. As the psalmist says she, “cherished iniquity in my heart,”
Because she was unable to let go of this sin that affected her, but for which she was not responsible, she was unable to open herself to the listening ear of God. It isn’t so much that God won’t listen to those of us who cherish our sins, it is that we have piled so much stuff between us and God that it is difficult for God to hear us through the jumble of obstacles we have erected between us and God. As we let go, as we dismantle the wall of obstacles we have built up through years and generations we discover God waiting to receive us with open arms and loving heart.
What if we could stop hiding behind all of the events and excuses that clutter that space between ourselves and God? I believe we would find that God has been patiently waiting for us to make ourselves available to the love God has always directed our way. We will discover, “truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.”
March 27, 2017
LCM
Monday, March 20, 2017
Psalm Meditation 875
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 26, 2017
Psalm 135
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2 you that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the LORD is great; our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both human beings and animals;
9 he sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
14 For the LORD will vindicate his people, and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them and all who trust them shall become like them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20 O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You that fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who resides in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
In the time this psalm was written it was normal for the supreme ruler of a people to hold unquestioned authority over them. Rulers were able to do as they pleased with all the people, places, and things in their realm. The ability to wield unchecked power and authority is no what set God apart from all the human rulers of whom the psalmist was aware. What set God apart was the scope of the authority. “Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” While human rulers held sway over as many people, places, and things as they possibly could, God had power and authority over all the parts of earth and beyond.
According to the psalmist, God uses that power and authority to help out a narrowing set of people, depending on the circumstances. In terms of natural phenomena, like weather, God sends wind and rain over all the earth. When it comes to people, God is partial to Jacob/Israel. For the psalmist, God will protect ‘us’ from Pharaoh, Sihon, Og and all the rulers of Canaan, just to name a few. Because we can’t imagine it any other way, we see God as having favorites. Amazingly enough, it just so happens that God’s very most favorite is ’us.’
I don’t know of and can’t imagine a culture that does not see itself as the favorite of God. And that, of course, makes ’us’ special in the eyes of God. The difficulty we run into is that we tend to stop with the part about being special and set apart and forget that in most of Scripture we are set apart for service more than anything else. We are the bearers of God’s love and favor so that we can be the conduit for that love and favor to all people, places, and things.
March 20, 2017
LCM
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 26, 2017
Psalm 135
1 Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD; give praise, O servants of the LORD,
2 you that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good; sing to his name, for he is gracious.
4 For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel as his own possession.
5 For I know that the LORD is great; our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth; he makes lightnings for the rain and brings out the wind from his storehouses.
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt, both human beings and animals;
9 he sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt, against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He struck down many nations and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—
12 and gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to his people Israel.
13 Your name, O LORD, endures forever, your renown, O LORD, throughout all ages.
14 For the LORD will vindicate his people, and have compassion on his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak; they have eyes, but they do not see;
17 they have ears, but they do not hear, and there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them and all who trust them shall become like them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the LORD! O house of Aaron, bless the LORD!
20 O house of Levi, bless the LORD! You that fear the LORD, bless the LORD!
21 Blessed be the LORD from Zion, he who resides in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)
In the time this psalm was written it was normal for the supreme ruler of a people to hold unquestioned authority over them. Rulers were able to do as they pleased with all the people, places, and things in their realm. The ability to wield unchecked power and authority is no what set God apart from all the human rulers of whom the psalmist was aware. What set God apart was the scope of the authority. “Whatever the LORD pleases he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.” While human rulers held sway over as many people, places, and things as they possibly could, God had power and authority over all the parts of earth and beyond.
According to the psalmist, God uses that power and authority to help out a narrowing set of people, depending on the circumstances. In terms of natural phenomena, like weather, God sends wind and rain over all the earth. When it comes to people, God is partial to Jacob/Israel. For the psalmist, God will protect ‘us’ from Pharaoh, Sihon, Og and all the rulers of Canaan, just to name a few. Because we can’t imagine it any other way, we see God as having favorites. Amazingly enough, it just so happens that God’s very most favorite is ’us.’
I don’t know of and can’t imagine a culture that does not see itself as the favorite of God. And that, of course, makes ’us’ special in the eyes of God. The difficulty we run into is that we tend to stop with the part about being special and set apart and forget that in most of Scripture we are set apart for service more than anything else. We are the bearers of God’s love and favor so that we can be the conduit for that love and favor to all people, places, and things.
March 20, 2017
LCM
Monday, March 13, 2017
Psalm Meditation 874
Third Sunday in Lent
March 19, 2017
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(NRSV)
There are those who are not content with what they have until they can show everyone else that they have the best. It doesn’t even matter what the category is; these folks need to know that their entry in the category is the winner. Advertisers used to capitalize on this by letting us know that with the right product we could run faster and jump higher. We could set the standard for the neighborhood by having this vehicle parked in our driveway. If only we spent more time and money we could be the best on the block. The drive to have the best still exists though it seems that advertisers may have gotten more subtle through the years.
The psalmist is lifting up Yahweh as the one whose provident care giving is a real blessing. After a one verse dig at all the other religions in the land, the psalmist returns to praise for Yahweh. So, we know that the drive to be and have the best is not something we learned from advertisers. We really do want the best available. And we can’t seem to be content with what makes us happy, we have to compare ourselves to those around us. I made several attempts to read this psalm without the comparison thrown in by verse 4. The psalm reads well without that verse, however I could not bring myself to ignore it. In one verse the psalm goes from a hymn of praise to a sideways-glance-stick-your-tongue-out-at-the-other-folks comparison.
It may well be part of the human condition to compare ourselves to others and find them wanting. What if we could, from time to time, be content. What if we could have a relationship with God that was meaningful, fulfilling and loving in such a way that we didn’t have to look at how my relationship with God compares with yours in a judgy kind of way. What if our comparisons with each other were for the sake of learning from each other rather than gloating over each other.
March 13, 2017
LCM
Third Sunday in Lent
March 19, 2017
Psalm 16
1 Protect me, O God, for in you I take refuge.
2 I say to the LORD, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.”
3 As for the holy ones in the land, they are the noble, in whom is all my delight.
4 Those who choose another god multiply their sorrows; their drink offerings of blood I will not pour out or take their names upon my lips.
5 The LORD is my chosen portion and my cup; you hold my lot.
6 The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage.
7 I bless the LORD who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me.
8 I keep the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.
9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure.
10 For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit.
11 You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore.
(NRSV)
There are those who are not content with what they have until they can show everyone else that they have the best. It doesn’t even matter what the category is; these folks need to know that their entry in the category is the winner. Advertisers used to capitalize on this by letting us know that with the right product we could run faster and jump higher. We could set the standard for the neighborhood by having this vehicle parked in our driveway. If only we spent more time and money we could be the best on the block. The drive to have the best still exists though it seems that advertisers may have gotten more subtle through the years.
The psalmist is lifting up Yahweh as the one whose provident care giving is a real blessing. After a one verse dig at all the other religions in the land, the psalmist returns to praise for Yahweh. So, we know that the drive to be and have the best is not something we learned from advertisers. We really do want the best available. And we can’t seem to be content with what makes us happy, we have to compare ourselves to those around us. I made several attempts to read this psalm without the comparison thrown in by verse 4. The psalm reads well without that verse, however I could not bring myself to ignore it. In one verse the psalm goes from a hymn of praise to a sideways-glance-stick-your-tongue-out-at-the-other-folks comparison.
It may well be part of the human condition to compare ourselves to others and find them wanting. What if we could, from time to time, be content. What if we could have a relationship with God that was meaningful, fulfilling and loving in such a way that we didn’t have to look at how my relationship with God compares with yours in a judgy kind of way. What if our comparisons with each other were for the sake of learning from each other rather than gloating over each other.
March 13, 2017
LCM
Monday, March 6, 2017
Psalm Meditation 873
Second Sunday in Lent
March 12, 2017
Psalm 37
1 Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2 for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
7 Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous, and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the LORD laughs at the wicked, for he sees that their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to kill those who walk uprightly;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous person has than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will abide forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times, in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked perish, and the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrow, and do not pay back, but the righteous are generous and keep giving;
22 for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 Our steps are made firm by the LORD, when he delights in our way;
24 though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the LORD holds us by the hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
26 They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing.
27 Depart from evil, and do good; so you shall abide forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his faithful ones. The righteous shall be kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak justice.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts; their steps do not slip.
32 The wicked watch for the righteous, and seek to kill them.
33 The LORD will not abandon them to their power, or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial.
34 Wait for the LORD, and keep to his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on the destruction of the wicked.
35 I have seen the wicked oppressing, and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.
36 Again passed by, and they were no more; though I sought them, they could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless, and behold the upright, for there is posterity for the peaceable.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
(NRSV)
It is easy to jealous of those who succeed by worldly standards of wealth, power, and influence. It appears that they have everything a person could possibly want; they lack for nothing. Well, except maybe friends or people they can trust with their lives and deepest, darkest secrets. The folks who have spent their time and energy amassing a fortune have probably not spent much time cultivating friendships or even relationships that are not business based. As I helped a friend move stuff from one place to another someone asked how I had gotten roped into helping. My flippant response was that I had discovered years ago that a truck is cheaper than friends, and once you buy a truck you suddenly have friends. There are folks who believe that with enough of the right resources they can buy friends.
For the most part what they have purchased is sycophants, ’yes folks.’ These are folks who will agree with whatever their rich friend says so that they can stay in the good graces and reap the benefits of this ’friendship.’ Friends are people who will challenge you, question your motives, and help you sort out alternatives prior to, rather than after taking a course of action. In some cases those ’friends’ will simply take a step back and keep silent in the face of a potentially disastrous plan. The ultimate goal of a sycophant is to step into the place of the former ’friend’ as the new rich person.
For people in a relationship with God there is no need to compete for the resources God offers. There may or may not be money, land, treasure as the rest of the world measures it. However, there will be relationships that are worth cultivating, there will be hearts and hands willing to do whatever can be done in times of trial, and there will be people ready and willing to rejoice in times that call for rejoicing. There are people of faith with a lot of material wealth and resources, as well as those with little to nothing. Among the people of God amassing material wealth is a secondary rather than primary consideration. The primary concern is, how can I serve in the name and for the glory of God.
March 6, 2017
LCM
Second Sunday in Lent
March 12, 2017
Psalm 37
1 Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers,
2 for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.
3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security.
4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.
6 He will make your vindication shine like the light, and the justice of your cause like the noonday.
7 Be still before the LORD, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.
8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath. Do not fret—it leads only to evil.
9 For the wicked shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look diligently for their place, they will not be there.
11 But the meek shall inherit the land, and delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
12 The wicked plot against the righteous, and gnash their teeth at them;
13 but the LORD laughs at the wicked, for he sees that their day is coming.
14 The wicked draw the sword and bend their bows to bring down the poor and needy, to kill those who walk uprightly;
15 their sword shall enter their own heart, and their bows shall be broken.
16 Better is a little that the righteous person has than the abundance of many wicked.
17 For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but the LORD upholds the righteous.
18 The LORD knows the days of the blameless, and their heritage will abide forever;
19 they are not put to shame in evil times, in the days of famine they have abundance.
20 But the wicked perish, and the enemies of the LORD are like the glory of the pastures; they vanish—like smoke they vanish away.
21 The wicked borrow, and do not pay back, but the righteous are generous and keep giving;
22 for those blessed by the LORD shall inherit the land, but those cursed by him shall be cut off.
23 Our steps are made firm by the LORD, when he delights in our way;
24 though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the LORD holds us by the hand.
25 I have been young, and now am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread.
26 They are ever giving liberally and lending, and their children become a blessing.
27 Depart from evil, and do good; so you shall abide forever.
28 For the LORD loves justice; he will not forsake his faithful ones. The righteous shall be kept safe forever, but the children of the wicked shall be cut off.
29 The righteous shall inherit the land, and live in it forever.
30 The mouths of the righteous utter wisdom, and their tongues speak justice.
31 The law of their God is in their hearts; their steps do not slip.
32 The wicked watch for the righteous, and seek to kill them.
33 The LORD will not abandon them to their power, or let them be condemned when they are brought to trial.
34 Wait for the LORD, and keep to his way, and he will exalt you to inherit the land; you will look on the destruction of the wicked.
35 I have seen the wicked oppressing, and towering like a cedar of Lebanon.
36 Again passed by, and they were no more; though I sought them, they could not be found.
37 Mark the blameless, and behold the upright, for there is posterity for the peaceable.
38 But transgressors shall be altogether destroyed; the posterity of the wicked shall be cut off.
39 The salvation of the righteous is from the LORD; he is their refuge in the time of trouble.
40 The LORD helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him.
(NRSV)
It is easy to jealous of those who succeed by worldly standards of wealth, power, and influence. It appears that they have everything a person could possibly want; they lack for nothing. Well, except maybe friends or people they can trust with their lives and deepest, darkest secrets. The folks who have spent their time and energy amassing a fortune have probably not spent much time cultivating friendships or even relationships that are not business based. As I helped a friend move stuff from one place to another someone asked how I had gotten roped into helping. My flippant response was that I had discovered years ago that a truck is cheaper than friends, and once you buy a truck you suddenly have friends. There are folks who believe that with enough of the right resources they can buy friends.
For the most part what they have purchased is sycophants, ’yes folks.’ These are folks who will agree with whatever their rich friend says so that they can stay in the good graces and reap the benefits of this ’friendship.’ Friends are people who will challenge you, question your motives, and help you sort out alternatives prior to, rather than after taking a course of action. In some cases those ’friends’ will simply take a step back and keep silent in the face of a potentially disastrous plan. The ultimate goal of a sycophant is to step into the place of the former ’friend’ as the new rich person.
For people in a relationship with God there is no need to compete for the resources God offers. There may or may not be money, land, treasure as the rest of the world measures it. However, there will be relationships that are worth cultivating, there will be hearts and hands willing to do whatever can be done in times of trial, and there will be people ready and willing to rejoice in times that call for rejoicing. There are people of faith with a lot of material wealth and resources, as well as those with little to nothing. Among the people of God amassing material wealth is a secondary rather than primary consideration. The primary concern is, how can I serve in the name and for the glory of God.
March 6, 2017
LCM
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