Psalm Meditation 1079 First Sunday in Lent February 21, 2021 Psalm 17 1 Hear a just cause, O Lord; attend to my cry; give ear to my prayer from lips free of deceit. 2 From you let my vindication come; let your eyes see the right. 3 If you try my heart, if you visit me by night, if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me; my mouth does not transgress. 4 As for what others do, by the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held fast to your paths; my feet have not slipped. 6 I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me, hear my words. 7 Wondrously show your steadfast love, O savior of those who seek refuge from their adversaries at your right hand. 8 Guard me as the apple of the eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who despoil me, my deadly enemies who surround me. 10 They close their hearts to pity; with their mouths they speak arrogantly. 11 They track me down; now they surround me; they set their eyes to cast me to the ground. 12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush. 13 Rise up, O Lord, confront them, overthrow them! By your sword deliver my life from the wicked, 14 from mortals—by your hand, O Lord—from mortals whose portion in life is in this world. May their bellies be filled with what you have stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; may they leave something over to their little ones. 15 As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake I shall be satisfied, beholding your likeness. (NRSV) One of the great things about talking to God in any form is that it opens us to conversation with God. Even the times we say we are not sure that God exists we leave ourselves open to dialogue by addressing our doubts directly to the one we currently doubt. When are secure in the presence of God we open ourselves to be confirmed and corrected in our thoughts and actions. When we are sure about what another is going through, thinking, and feeling God can remind us that we can’t know all of that. When we ‘know for a fact’ that someone is out to destroy us, God has a way of showing us that they do not even know who we are. When we see ourselves as innocent victims God demonstrates that they are moving us in a more faithful direction. While the psalmist asks to be protected and delivered from the wicked, the first request is for God to show steadfast love to those who seek refuge ‘at your right hand.’ As we participate in a conversation with God we will discover that ‘those people’ may have a point or two for us to ponder, a way of looking at a situation or the world at large that feels more fulfilling and faithful than our current path. We may find that we are not adversaries, we are allies, people moving in different directions to achieve that same goal. We may also discover that one, maybe both, of us needs to reevaluate our thoughts and actions. The goal is a deeper and richer conversation with God for the sake of our relationship with God. February 15, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1078 Transfiguration Sunday February 14, 2021 Psalm 92 1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High; 2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night, 3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre. 4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy. 5 How great are your works, O Lord! Your thoughts are very deep! 6 The dullard cannot know, the stupid cannot understand this: 7 though the wicked sprout like grass and all evildoers flourish, they are doomed to destruction forever, 8 but you, O Lord, are on high forever. 9 For your enemies, O Lord, for your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered. 10 But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox; you have poured over me fresh oil. 11 My eyes have seen the downfall of my enemies; my ears have heard the doom of my evil assailants. 12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. 14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap, 15 showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (NRSV) One of the important things that happens when we say, ‘thank you,’ to others is it reminds us to be grateful. Gratitude breeds gratitude as we remember to feel and express thanks for all that others do with and for us. We may have gotten annoyed as the adults around us reminded us to thank those around us who do special, even ordinary things for us. At best the words and the gratitude become a habit of word and attitude. We have internalized thankfulness and gratitude. One of the concerns we have for each other these days is the sense of entitlement that so many people carry with them. It is so easy to see in others and just as easy to miss in ourselves. When someone else comes across as entitled we can see how little they deserve the things they claim as entitlements. When we feel entitled we miss all that cues that we don’t deserve what we are demanding. It is important to look to our own behaviors before we judge others for theirs. The psalmist begins with gratitude to God. The psalmist also sees righteous folks as expressing gratitude, thus being better able to see what God is doing in the lives of all around them. As we express thanks we find ourselves better able to see the good in the world, in others, and in ourselves. Thankfulness leads to a sense of joy and happiness in the world around us. A sense of happiness leads us to a fresh outlook on life that allows us, “In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap.” February 8, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1077 Fifth Sunday After Epiphany February 7, 2021 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) Have you ever found yourself in a situation and prayed that God would get you out of it? You made a bargain with God in which you promise to do something for a long time, maybe even the rest of your life, if God will get you out of this. The deeper in trouble you get the more obligations you add to your promise. When you finally get out you hope that God has forgotten most of what you said because you have promised more than you can deliver in a single lifetime. The psalmist has promised sacrifices that would be a strain on most people of that day. Any one of the offerings the psalmist has promised would be beyond the means of most people, yet the psalmist has promised rams, bulls, and goats to God. Is God really impressed by all of our promises and offerings? I doubt it. God is not impressed by how much stuff we own even if we make a big show of offering it all to God in some way. God has access to all the stuff anyone could possibly want or need. God wants to know that our love and devotion are genuine, heartfelt, and sincere. When we make a sacrifice of any kind, God wants to know that it is out of love rather than obligation. The one thing that God desires from us is our love and affection. Not even God can force or demand that out of us without doing damage to our relationship. God hears and responds to our prayers and pleas for help in time of trouble, not because of the promises we have made, because of the great love God has for us. The psalmist rejoices that God “has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me.” The steadfast love of God is exactly that—steadfast. It does not depend on our promises or actions. God loves us by choice rather than in exchange for our promises, offerings, and sacrifices. February 1, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1076 Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany January 31, 2021 Psalm 141 1 I call upon you, O Lord; come quickly to me; give ear to my voice when I call to you. 2 Let my prayer be counted as incense before you, and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice. 3 Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord; keep watch over the door of my lips. 4 Do not turn my heart to any evil, to busy myself with wicked deeds in company with those who work iniquity; do not let me eat of their delicacies. 5 Let the righteous strike me; let the faithful correct me. Never let the oil of the wicked anoint my head, for my prayer is continually against their wicked deeds. 6 When they are given over to those who shall condemn them, then they shall learn that my words were pleasant. 7 Like a rock that one breaks apart and shatters on the land, so shall their bones be strewn at the mouth of Sheol. 8 But my eyes are turned toward you, O God, my Lord; in you I seek refuge; do not leave me defenseless. 9 Keep me from the trap that they have laid for me, and from the snares of evildoers. 10 Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I alone escape. (NRSV) It is easy to confess the sins of others and to ask God to keep those other people from acting on their sinful plans. We have so little information about their motives that we can simply decide that their whole goal and desire is to make life difficult for us. It is, after all, all about us. The psalmist does do some mind reading, deciding that wicked people are aware that they are being wicked. For the most part, the psalmist is focused on personal responsibility. ‘God keep me from stepping in to the wicked acts I see others doing. Allow me to be punished and corrected by those I see as good and godly people. I have seen too many people destroyed by their own wickedness and don’t want to be one of them.’ How would our lives be different if we were more intent on keeping ourselves from falling in to sin as opposed to judging others on our perception of their sinfulness? What if we made covenants with people like us, people who share a set of values, so that we make a deal to correct each other before we get deeply ingrained in actions that we see as undesirable within ourselves? And, what if our focus was on God rather than on a set of impossible standards that we expect everyone to live up to? We would likely find out that the love of God makes a lot of our perfectionist goals unnecessary. January 25, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1075 Third Sunday After Epiphany January 24, 2021 Psalm 41 1 Happy are those who consider the poor; the Lord delivers them in the day of trouble. 2 The Lord protects them and keeps them alive; they are called happy in the land. You do not give them up to the will of their enemies. 3 The Lord sustains them on their sickbed; in their illness you heal all their infirmities. 4 As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me; heal me, for I have sinned against you.” 5 My enemies wonder in malice when I will die, and my name perish. 6 And when they come to see me, they utter empty words, while their hearts gather mischief; when they go out, they tell it abroad. 7 All who hate me whisper together about me; they imagine the worst for me. 8 They think that a deadly thing has fastened on me, that I will not rise again from where I lie. 9 Even my bosom friend in whom I trusted, who ate of my bread, has lifted the heel against me. 10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me, and raise me up, that I may repay them. 11 By this I know that you are pleased with me; because my enemy has not triumphed over me. 12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. 13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen. (NRSV) I imagine it is exhausting to be singled out by a group of people for abuse and ridicule of every kind; to know that every move is seen, judged, and found wanting. There is no rest because of the need for constant vigilance against prying eyes and ears, waiting for the next move that will set off yet another attack. The only respite is in isolation, or a small group of close, trusted friends. The psalmist reminds us that even the group of friends can turn sour sometimes. An adversary can wheedle their way into the group of friends, or a friend can be won over to the adversarial side given the right promises, however empty they might be. That one pretends to be a friend in order to gather more intimate information that can then be used to inflict deeper damage to the soul of that one singled out for destruction. Once someone gets into the inner circle there is no defense strong enough to protect anyone. The psalmist turns to God as the only one who can offer help, hope, and redemption in these situations. God is the only one who can offer resources that can be used to rebuild a life. We may imagine that the psalmist ask for rescue from God in order to destroy the enemies. In many cases the best recourse for repayment is to succeed despite all the energy folks have put into the abuse and ridicule of those like the psalmist. “By this I know that you are pleased with me; because my enemy has not triumphed over me. But you have upheld me because of my integrity, and set me in your presence forever. Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.” January 18, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1074 Second Sunday After Epiphany January 17, 2021 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) People who have been there for us in times of trial have a special place in our hearts for the rest of our lives. The one who offered that memorable word of encouragement, the one who stood up for us when it seemed no one else would, the one who showed up when no one else did, the one who treated us as if we mattered when we doubted that ourselves stand out among the memorable people in our lives. For the psalmist, and many of us, YHWH is chief among those who were supportive in times of trial. This psalm goes through a list of ways in which God supported the psalmist in times of need, and the list of responses the psalmist plans to offer up to God in gratitude for all the help that came when it was most needed. The list of responses from the psalmist will take a lifetime to perform for the lifesaving acts of God in a moment of need. If the psalmist is like many of us the sense of gratitude will last a lifetime. My own list of people for whom I am grateful includes folks who will never know how much their action touched my life. For them, it was a random act of kindness, for me, it was the right act at the right time offered for reasons of their own. Random acts of kindness are often generated by a sense of gratitude within the person offering the act. My guess is that after the psalmist performs the list of actions in the psalm a sense of generosity sprouted, grew and went beyond sacrifices to God and spread to touch others January 11, 2021 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1073 Baptism of the Lord January 10, 2021 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 offereings 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 rigfht hand, I shall not be moved. 9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rest 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) How are our lives made different by the choices we have made? We won't get the chance to go back, make a new decision, see which one we like best and live that life from here on. In some cases, we will learn how we made a difference in someone's life by the way we live our own. Most of the time we do what seems right to us and hope that no one gets hurt by any of our choices, and that maybe we helped someone. We can second guess ourselves, however we can't go back to a moment in time to make a different choice. The psalmist is pleased with the way things have turned out so far. "The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; I have a goodly heritage." How does the psalmist know that a diffeerent choice wouldn't have led to an even better place, a richer heritage? There is no way to know. We get to make the gbest of what we have by making choices that will take us in the way the seems gest to us at the time. One set of choices my lead to wealth, fame, and power while another set leads to joy and contentment in whatever circumstance we find ourselves. We will make our choices according to what is important to us. Some folks make choices that will lead to wealth and power, believing that those will make them happy. Some make choices that will lead to happiness, peace, and contentment. The psalmist leans toward the happiness, rejoicing, and security that comes from a relationship with God. "You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures forevermore." January 4, 2021 LCM