Psalm Meditation 628
Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
July 1, 2012
Psalm 50
1 The mighty one, God the Lord, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to its setting.
2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth.
3 Our God comes and does not keep silence, before him is a devouring fire, and a mighty tempest all around him.
4 He calls to the heavens above and to the earth, that he may judge his people:
5 "Gather to me my faithful ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice!"
6 The heavens declare his righteousness, for God himself is judge. (Selah)
7 "Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, I will testify against you. I am God, your God.
8 Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you; your burnt offerings are continually before me.
9 I will not accept a bull from your house, or goats from your folds.
10 For every wild animal of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills.
11 I know all the birds of the air, and all that moves in the field is mine.
12 "If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and all that is in it is mine.
13 Do I eat the flesh of bulls, or drink the blood of goats?
14 Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and pay your vows to the Most High.
15 Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me."
16 But to the wicked God says: "What right have you to recite my statutes, or take my covenant on your lips?
17 For you hate discipline, and you cast my words behind you.
18 You make friends with a thief when you see one, and you keep company with adulterers.
19 "You give your mouth free rein for evil, and your tongue frames deceit.
20 You sit and speak against your kin; you slander your own mother's child.
21 These things you have done and I have been silent; you thought that I was one just like yourself. But now I rebuke you, and lay the charge before you.
22 "Mark this, then, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver.
23 Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honor me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God."
(NRSV)
What does it mean to worship? Is it being there every time the doors are open and going through the motions, or is there something else? There are folks who are there for nearly every worship service offered by the congregation of which they are a part. Some of those folks are there out of a sense of obligation and some of them are there out of a sense of gratitude. There are folks who attend worship when it does not interfere with other plans. Some of those folks are there with the same motivations of obligation or gratitude. There are folks who attend worship when there is some compelling reason to attend. Some of them feel obligated and some are grateful. In each group the folks who attend out of gratitude are more likely to have actually worshipped by the time they go home.
Is the least faithful attender who is grateful a better worshipper than the one who is there for every service out of a sense of obligation? At least for that one service it is the case that gratitude is better than obligation. To participate regularly opens the possibility of a fleeting sense of gratitude, though being grateful brings a person to a deeper awareness of the relationship God offers to us and desires from us.
My personal prejudice is that it is good to be in worship nearly every week. I am not the one to whom any of us finally answers. God seems to be much more interested in how we treat others, especially those over whom we have some power, than whether we have a gold star on the weekly attendance chart in our favorite place of worship. Honest, faithful, fruitful relationships with God and others holds much more sway with God than a line of gold stars.
June 25, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Monday, June 18, 2012
Psalm Meditation 627
Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 24, 2012
Psalm 20
1 The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. (Selah)
4 May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
6 Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand.
7 Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.
9 Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call.
(NRSV)
A royal psalm is addressed to the king as a hope and reminder that he is the agent of God on earth and that as he is faithful to God, God will be faithfully present in times of need. While kings are no longer the norm for us we do need the reminder that God is with us at all times, especially in times of need. The ancients were of the mind that God was extremely sensitive to their actions; helping them when they were faithful and turning away from them when they were not. The view was based on the experience folks had with their kings in which it was important to curry favor with the king in order to receive the outcome one desired.
The current tendency is to see God as one who loves us beyond measure, who is with us in all times and places. When we feel distant from and abandoned by God it is most often because we have failed to see God at work in our lives. God is with us. As we are faithful we are better able to identify and see the presence of God in our lives even though God is with us in all times and places.
Psalms like this one continue to be meaningful as we offer it up to God with a particular person or group in mind. As we lift up family members who are going through various trial and difficulties this psalm serves as a word of hope and comfort for us, as well as for the person in whose name we lift it up. Verses 4 and 5, “May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans. May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.” are a pretty powerful prayer for those who are going through a trial of any kind. It could be a battle between our loved one and an outside force, or a battle with the inner demons that touch so many lives. Since ‘the king’ is only mentioned in the last verse it will be easy enough to substitute the name of the person or group for whom you are concerned and use this psalm as a reminder of God’s presence in your life an in theirs.
June 18, 2012
Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 24, 2012
Psalm 20
1 The Lord answer you in the day of trouble! The name of the God of Jacob protect you!
2 May he send you help from the sanctuary, and give you support from Zion.
3 May he remember all your offerings, and regard with favor your burnt sacrifices. (Selah)
4 May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans.
5 May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.
6 Now I know that the Lord will help his anointed; he will answer him from his holy heaven with mighty victories by his right hand.
7 Some take pride in chariots, and some in horses, but our pride is in the name of the Lord our God.
8 They will collapse and fall, but we shall rise and stand upright.
9 Give victory to the king, O Lord; answer us when we call.
(NRSV)
A royal psalm is addressed to the king as a hope and reminder that he is the agent of God on earth and that as he is faithful to God, God will be faithfully present in times of need. While kings are no longer the norm for us we do need the reminder that God is with us at all times, especially in times of need. The ancients were of the mind that God was extremely sensitive to their actions; helping them when they were faithful and turning away from them when they were not. The view was based on the experience folks had with their kings in which it was important to curry favor with the king in order to receive the outcome one desired.
The current tendency is to see God as one who loves us beyond measure, who is with us in all times and places. When we feel distant from and abandoned by God it is most often because we have failed to see God at work in our lives. God is with us. As we are faithful we are better able to identify and see the presence of God in our lives even though God is with us in all times and places.
Psalms like this one continue to be meaningful as we offer it up to God with a particular person or group in mind. As we lift up family members who are going through various trial and difficulties this psalm serves as a word of hope and comfort for us, as well as for the person in whose name we lift it up. Verses 4 and 5, “May he grant you your heart's desire, and fulfill all your plans. May we shout for joy over your victory, and in the name of our God set up our banners. May the Lord fulfill all your petitions.” are a pretty powerful prayer for those who are going through a trial of any kind. It could be a battle between our loved one and an outside force, or a battle with the inner demons that touch so many lives. Since ‘the king’ is only mentioned in the last verse it will be easy enough to substitute the name of the person or group for whom you are concerned and use this psalm as a reminder of God’s presence in your life an in theirs.
June 18, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Psalm Meditation 626
Third Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 17, 2012
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,"
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end —I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(NRSV)
When I was in high school my mother asked me about my friends; who they were and in what kinds of activities were they involved. Specifically, she asked if any of my friends did drugs of any kind. It felt as if she were prying into every detail of my life. At some point in my life it dawned on me that she was asking all these questions out of her love for me rather than because she was out to get my friends. The change in my attitude brought about a change in my perception of her questions. God wants to know us for the same reasons, out of love for us.
At some points in our lives, it may seem that the constant presence of God is a scary and intrusive thing. We begin to wish that God would leave us alone so that we could have some privacy in our lives. We want to be able to go to God when we want or need something rather than having to deal with the constant presence of God in our lives. When we are out in the world trying new and different ways of being and behaving, it is so intrusive of God to come with us on these experiences. How can we possibly try this new thing when God is standing right there next to us?
At other times, the presence of God is a great source of comfort. As we come to recognize how much God loves us we find great comfort in the knowledge that the presence of God gives us the strength to withstand the countless temptations with which we are surrounded on a daily basis. It is certainly not the case that God does not want us to have fun and try new things in our lives. It is true that the presence of God helps us redefine what is fun and what new things are worth trying and which ones are obviously dangerous to us and the folks around us.
God continually searches us and knows us. The issue for us is to figure out or decide whether God is searching and knowing in order to judge us and find the parts which need to be judged and punished, or whether God is searching and knowing out of love for us. The answer doesn’t really make God’s presence any more or less real in our lives, it does make a difference in our perception of that presence. It helps us determine whether we allow God to lead our lives or we fight tooth and toenail with God in every time and place.
© June 11, 2012
Third Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 17, 2012
Psalm 139
1 O Lord, you have searched me and known me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from far away.
3 You search out my path and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, O Lord, you know it completely.
5 You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is so high that I cannot attain it.
7 Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?
8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me fast.
11 If I say, "Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light around me become night,"
12 even the darkness is not dark to you; the night is as bright as the day, for darkness is as light to you.
13 For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; that I know very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes beheld my unformed substance. In your book were written all the days that were formed for me, when none of them as yet existed.
17 How weighty to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them!
18 I try to count them—they are more than the sand; I come to the end —I am still with you.
19 O that you would kill the wicked, O God, and that the bloodthirsty would depart from me—
20 those who speak of you maliciously, and lift themselves up against you for evil!
21 Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred; I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts.
24 See if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
(NRSV)
When I was in high school my mother asked me about my friends; who they were and in what kinds of activities were they involved. Specifically, she asked if any of my friends did drugs of any kind. It felt as if she were prying into every detail of my life. At some point in my life it dawned on me that she was asking all these questions out of her love for me rather than because she was out to get my friends. The change in my attitude brought about a change in my perception of her questions. God wants to know us for the same reasons, out of love for us.
At some points in our lives, it may seem that the constant presence of God is a scary and intrusive thing. We begin to wish that God would leave us alone so that we could have some privacy in our lives. We want to be able to go to God when we want or need something rather than having to deal with the constant presence of God in our lives. When we are out in the world trying new and different ways of being and behaving, it is so intrusive of God to come with us on these experiences. How can we possibly try this new thing when God is standing right there next to us?
At other times, the presence of God is a great source of comfort. As we come to recognize how much God loves us we find great comfort in the knowledge that the presence of God gives us the strength to withstand the countless temptations with which we are surrounded on a daily basis. It is certainly not the case that God does not want us to have fun and try new things in our lives. It is true that the presence of God helps us redefine what is fun and what new things are worth trying and which ones are obviously dangerous to us and the folks around us.
God continually searches us and knows us. The issue for us is to figure out or decide whether God is searching and knowing in order to judge us and find the parts which need to be judged and punished, or whether God is searching and knowing out of love for us. The answer doesn’t really make God’s presence any more or less real in our lives, it does make a difference in our perception of that presence. It helps us determine whether we allow God to lead our lives or we fight tooth and toenail with God in every time and place.
© June 11, 2012
Monday, June 4, 2012
Psalm Meditation 625
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 10, 2012
Psalm 109 (selected verses)
1 Do not be silent, O God of my praise.
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me, even while I make prayer for them.
5 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 They say, "Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand on his right.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin.
8 May his days be few; may another seize his position.
9 May his children be orphans, and his wife a widow.
10 May his children wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit.
11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
12 May there be no one to do him a kindness, nor anyone to pity his orphaned children.
15 Let them be before the Lord continually, and may his memory be cut off from the earth.
16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted to their death.
17 He loved to curse; let curses come on him. He did not like blessing; may it be far from him.”
20 May that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, of those who speak evil against my life.
21 But you, O Lord my Lord, act on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is pierced within me.
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death.
(NRSV)
How do we handle ourselves when we are falsely accused? Some of us join the psalmist in heaping everything bad thing that comes to mind on those who are wishing us ill. We stomp and rant about our innocence and humility in the face of bad things, all while hoping that God will turn the tables in such a way that our accusers receive the punishments they hoped to inflict on us. Some of us accept the accusations with humility, knowing that when we stand before God we will be vindicated. The rest of us fall somewhere in between with a mix of resentment and acceptance.
Some of us will do the same things even when we are rightly accused. Because we have rationalized our behavior into something good, we are appalled that anyone would accuse us of wrong-doing. We wrap ourselves up in self-righteous God talk and refuse to see that there is at least a kernel of truth in the accusations coming our way. We want God to protect us, not only from the big meanies out to get us, we also want protection from ourselves. Somewhere below the surface we are aware that our protests and pleas of innocence are a sham. We can only hope to be judged by a loving and forgiving God rather than by our peers.
Either way the voice and presence of God are in and around us, leading us to forgiveness for ourselves and others, as well as repentance when we are wrong and humility when we are in the right. God is with us, no matter what. Whether I am among the poor and needy, or the nasty and vindictive I can give thanks that God desires justice and harmony whether it comes now or in a long slow arc. The whys and wherefores of God’s loving presence are beyond our comprehension, nevertheless we give thanks and praise in the midst of the throng.
© June 4, 2012
Second Sunday of Ordinary Time
June 10, 2012
Psalm 109 (selected verses)
1 Do not be silent, O God of my praise.
2 For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.
3 They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.
4 In return for my love they accuse me, even while I make prayer for them.
5 So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love.
6 They say, "Appoint a wicked man against him; let an accuser stand on his right.
7 When he is tried, let him be found guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin.
8 May his days be few; may another seize his position.
9 May his children be orphans, and his wife a widow.
10 May his children wander about and beg; may they be driven out of the ruins they inhabit.
11 May the creditor seize all that he has; may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil.
12 May there be no one to do him a kindness, nor anyone to pity his orphaned children.
15 Let them be before the Lord continually, and may his memory be cut off from the earth.
16 For he did not remember to show kindness, but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted to their death.
17 He loved to curse; let curses come on him. He did not like blessing; may it be far from him.”
20 May that be the reward of my accusers from the Lord, of those who speak evil against my life.
21 But you, O Lord my Lord, act on my behalf for your name's sake; because your steadfast love is good, deliver me.
22 For I am poor and needy, and my heart is pierced within me.
30 With my mouth I will give great thanks to the Lord; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.
31 For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death.
(NRSV)
How do we handle ourselves when we are falsely accused? Some of us join the psalmist in heaping everything bad thing that comes to mind on those who are wishing us ill. We stomp and rant about our innocence and humility in the face of bad things, all while hoping that God will turn the tables in such a way that our accusers receive the punishments they hoped to inflict on us. Some of us accept the accusations with humility, knowing that when we stand before God we will be vindicated. The rest of us fall somewhere in between with a mix of resentment and acceptance.
Some of us will do the same things even when we are rightly accused. Because we have rationalized our behavior into something good, we are appalled that anyone would accuse us of wrong-doing. We wrap ourselves up in self-righteous God talk and refuse to see that there is at least a kernel of truth in the accusations coming our way. We want God to protect us, not only from the big meanies out to get us, we also want protection from ourselves. Somewhere below the surface we are aware that our protests and pleas of innocence are a sham. We can only hope to be judged by a loving and forgiving God rather than by our peers.
Either way the voice and presence of God are in and around us, leading us to forgiveness for ourselves and others, as well as repentance when we are wrong and humility when we are in the right. God is with us, no matter what. Whether I am among the poor and needy, or the nasty and vindictive I can give thanks that God desires justice and harmony whether it comes now or in a long slow arc. The whys and wherefores of God’s loving presence are beyond our comprehension, nevertheless we give thanks and praise in the midst of the throng.
© June 4, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Psalm Meditation 624
Trinity Sunday
June 3, 2012
Psalm 79
1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the air for food, the flesh of your faithful to the wild animals of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.
5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call on your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation.
8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name's sake.
10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes.
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power preserve those doomed to die.
12 Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors the taunts with which they taunted you, O Lord!
13 Then we your people, the flock of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
(NRSV)
I am continually amazed that professional athletes do not perform perfectly every time they are on the playing field. Why can’t a professional golfer get a hole in one every time? Why can’t a pitcher in baseball throw a strike every time and why can’t a batter get a homerun every at bat? Why can’t a soccer team score a goal each time they are in control of the ball and why can’t a goalie stop every attempt on goal? (Yes, I do know that these are impossible scenarios.) I know that professional does not mean perfect; it does not keep me from considering the possibility of perfection, even in the difficult situations in the lives of those we idolize in some form.
When the Israelites were defeated in battle they assumed that they had done something that caused Yahweh to punish them through this loss. Every inter-tribal or international conflict was really a contest between the various deities to whom folks had given their allegiance. Since our God is the most powerful, it must be our fault somehow that our God walked away leaving us to be so soundly defeated. It is our imperfections, our sins against God, being punished rather than weakness on the part of God. In this conception, it is still ultimately God’s fault when we are defeated.
As with athletes, our lives are made up of preparation, execution and evaluation. Sometimes we prepare and execute as if it all depends on us and we evaluate as if it is all in God’s hands. I wonder if God chooses sides in our contests any more than a parent chooses one child against another in family spats and squabbles. Despite our penchant for winners and losers in so many areas of our lives, God is probably somewhere in the midst of each conflict. God seems to be pointing us toward building relationships, both despite and because of our differences, with all the folks in each type of conflict in which we find ourselves. The relationships more than the heaping of sevenfold taunts will be what brings praise and glory to God.
© May 28, 2012
Trinity Sunday
June 3, 2012
Psalm 79
1 O God, the nations have come into your inheritance; they have defiled your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins.
2 They have given the bodies of your servants to the birds of the air for food, the flesh of your faithful to the wild animals of the earth.
3 They have poured out their blood like water all around Jerusalem, and there was no one to bury them.
4 We have become a taunt to our neighbors, mocked and derided by those around us.
5 How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealous wrath burn like fire?
6 Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call on your name.
7 For they have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation.
8 Do not remember against us the iniquities of our ancestors; let your compassion come speedily to meet us, for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of your name; deliver us, and forgive our sins, for your name's sake.
10 Why should the nations say, "Where is their God?" Let the avenging of the outpoured blood of your servants be known among the nations before our eyes.
11 Let the groans of the prisoners come before you; according to your great power preserve those doomed to die.
12 Return sevenfold into the bosom of our neighbors the taunts with which they taunted you, O Lord!
13 Then we your people, the flock of your pasture, will give thanks to you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise.
(NRSV)
I am continually amazed that professional athletes do not perform perfectly every time they are on the playing field. Why can’t a professional golfer get a hole in one every time? Why can’t a pitcher in baseball throw a strike every time and why can’t a batter get a homerun every at bat? Why can’t a soccer team score a goal each time they are in control of the ball and why can’t a goalie stop every attempt on goal? (Yes, I do know that these are impossible scenarios.) I know that professional does not mean perfect; it does not keep me from considering the possibility of perfection, even in the difficult situations in the lives of those we idolize in some form.
When the Israelites were defeated in battle they assumed that they had done something that caused Yahweh to punish them through this loss. Every inter-tribal or international conflict was really a contest between the various deities to whom folks had given their allegiance. Since our God is the most powerful, it must be our fault somehow that our God walked away leaving us to be so soundly defeated. It is our imperfections, our sins against God, being punished rather than weakness on the part of God. In this conception, it is still ultimately God’s fault when we are defeated.
As with athletes, our lives are made up of preparation, execution and evaluation. Sometimes we prepare and execute as if it all depends on us and we evaluate as if it is all in God’s hands. I wonder if God chooses sides in our contests any more than a parent chooses one child against another in family spats and squabbles. Despite our penchant for winners and losers in so many areas of our lives, God is probably somewhere in the midst of each conflict. God seems to be pointing us toward building relationships, both despite and because of our differences, with all the folks in each type of conflict in which we find ourselves. The relationships more than the heaping of sevenfold taunts will be what brings praise and glory to God.
© May 28, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
Psalm Meditation 623
Pentecost
May 27, 2012
Psalm 49
1 Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one's life, there is no price one can give to God for it.
8 For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice,
9 that one should live on forever and never see the grave.
10 When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy, the end of those who are pleased with their lot. (Selah)
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. (Selah)
16 Do not be afraid when some become rich, when the wealth of their houses increases.
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not go down after them.
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy —for you are praised when you do well for yourself—
19 they will go to the company of their ancestors, who will never again see the light.
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
(NRSV)
In the time of the psalmist folks believed that there was a limited supply of wealth so that if one person became wealthy it was at the expense of someone else. The psalmist reminds each of us that whether wealth is limited or unlimited, no one holds it forever. The richest person in the world does not have enough money to buy eternal life. Sooner or later the biggest pile of money and resources will pass from the control of the person who amassed it back into the stream of wealth from which everyone partakes.
The same holds true for those who are wise. Their wisdom will last if they have shared it with others but it will not help them live forever. Those who are wise and those who are foolish will each die. As the money of the wealthy will not buy them eternal life neither the wisdom of the wise nor the foolhardiness of the fool will be enough to earn eternal life. When we depend on our own skills and treasures we have no hope of anything beyond death.
If we can’t buy our way into eternal life or think or act our way into eternity, what can we do to receive eternal life? Life is not about wealth or wisdom, it is about relationship. As we turn ourselves over to a relationship with God we discover that God is waiting to give us the gift of eternal life. It is not through our skills at amassing wealth or wisdom, or our total disregard for our health, wealth and safety that we can find a key to eternity. It is only as a gift from God that we find ourselves redeemed from this life into a fuller life in God. It is not in the ‘stuff’ of this life that we find wholeness, it is in the relationship with God and others that we are given the gift of life.
© May 21, 2012
Pentecost
May 27, 2012
Psalm 49
1 Hear this, all you peoples; give ear, all inhabitants of the world,
2 both low and high, rich and poor together.
3 My mouth shall speak wisdom; the meditation of my heart shall be understanding.
4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp.
5 Why should I fear in times of trouble, when the iniquity of my persecutors surrounds me,
6 those who trust in their wealth and boast of the abundance of their riches?
7 Truly, no ransom avails for one's life, there is no price one can give to God for it.
8 For the ransom of life is costly, and can never suffice,
9 that one should live on forever and never see the grave.
10 When we look at the wise, they die; fool and dolt perish together and leave their wealth to others.
11 Their graves are their homes forever, their dwelling places to all generations, though they named lands their own.
12 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
13 Such is the fate of the foolhardy, the end of those who are pleased with their lot. (Selah)
14 Like sheep they are appointed for Sheol; Death shall be their shepherd; straight to the grave they descend, and their form shall waste away; Sheol shall be their home.
15 But God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me. (Selah)
16 Do not be afraid when some become rich, when the wealth of their houses increases.
17 For when they die they will carry nothing away; their wealth will not go down after them.
18 Though in their lifetime they count themselves happy —for you are praised when you do well for yourself—
19 they will go to the company of their ancestors, who will never again see the light.
20 Mortals cannot abide in their pomp; they are like the animals that perish.
(NRSV)
In the time of the psalmist folks believed that there was a limited supply of wealth so that if one person became wealthy it was at the expense of someone else. The psalmist reminds each of us that whether wealth is limited or unlimited, no one holds it forever. The richest person in the world does not have enough money to buy eternal life. Sooner or later the biggest pile of money and resources will pass from the control of the person who amassed it back into the stream of wealth from which everyone partakes.
The same holds true for those who are wise. Their wisdom will last if they have shared it with others but it will not help them live forever. Those who are wise and those who are foolish will each die. As the money of the wealthy will not buy them eternal life neither the wisdom of the wise nor the foolhardiness of the fool will be enough to earn eternal life. When we depend on our own skills and treasures we have no hope of anything beyond death.
If we can’t buy our way into eternal life or think or act our way into eternity, what can we do to receive eternal life? Life is not about wealth or wisdom, it is about relationship. As we turn ourselves over to a relationship with God we discover that God is waiting to give us the gift of eternal life. It is not through our skills at amassing wealth or wisdom, or our total disregard for our health, wealth and safety that we can find a key to eternity. It is only as a gift from God that we find ourselves redeemed from this life into a fuller life in God. It is not in the ‘stuff’ of this life that we find wholeness, it is in the relationship with God and others that we are given the gift of life.
© May 21, 2012
Monday, May 14, 2012
Psalm Meditation 622
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 20, 2012
Psalm 19
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
(NRSV)
There is something about rules that drive many of us crazy. It seems to be the idea of rules, rather than the rules themselves that drive us nuts. Imagine playing sports without rules. How would we know who won and lost since place and method of scoring are among the rules. We chafe against the rules, however when someone breaks the rules we cry out that it is not fair, especially if the rule breaker is not on our team. As children and youth we long for the day we can be done with school and home so that we no longer have to live and work by someone else’s rules. As we go out on our own we begin to realize that the rules of childhood are simply a foretaste of the rules we will have as adults.
In this psalm the psalmist is actually celebrating the rules God has set out for us. These rules set the boundaries of our relationship with God and with each other. They are good. God’s rules keep us from doing some things that would hurt other folks. God’s rules allow us tremendous freedom within the bounds of those rules. God’s rules end up making our lives easier and more challenging all at the same time.
We can embrace the rules as the psalmist has, we can reject and rebel against the rules as some folks seem to do or we can push on the edges of the rules sometimes within their confines and sometimes from just outside. God knows that the rules are there to make our lives easier. When we choose to ignore the rules, our lives will be painful. When we live inside the rules as if they are a prison, our lives will be boring. When we live with the rules in a sense of active engagement we will find life and help and hope in the relationship that is formed.
© May 14, 2012
Seventh Sunday of Easter
May 20, 2012
Psalm 19
1 The heavens are telling the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.
2 Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night declares knowledge.
3 There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard;
4 yet their voice goes out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In the heavens he has set a tent for the sun,
5 which comes out like a bridegroom from his wedding canopy, and like a strong man runs its course with joy.
6 Its rising is from the end of the heavens, and its circuit to the end of them; and nothing is hid from its heat.
7 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple;
8 the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes;
9 the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.
10 More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings of the honeycomb.
11 Moreover by them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.
12 But who can detect their errors? Clear me from hidden faults.
13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent; do not let them have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, and innocent of great transgression.
14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
(NRSV)
There is something about rules that drive many of us crazy. It seems to be the idea of rules, rather than the rules themselves that drive us nuts. Imagine playing sports without rules. How would we know who won and lost since place and method of scoring are among the rules. We chafe against the rules, however when someone breaks the rules we cry out that it is not fair, especially if the rule breaker is not on our team. As children and youth we long for the day we can be done with school and home so that we no longer have to live and work by someone else’s rules. As we go out on our own we begin to realize that the rules of childhood are simply a foretaste of the rules we will have as adults.
In this psalm the psalmist is actually celebrating the rules God has set out for us. These rules set the boundaries of our relationship with God and with each other. They are good. God’s rules keep us from doing some things that would hurt other folks. God’s rules allow us tremendous freedom within the bounds of those rules. God’s rules end up making our lives easier and more challenging all at the same time.
We can embrace the rules as the psalmist has, we can reject and rebel against the rules as some folks seem to do or we can push on the edges of the rules sometimes within their confines and sometimes from just outside. God knows that the rules are there to make our lives easier. When we choose to ignore the rules, our lives will be painful. When we live inside the rules as if they are a prison, our lives will be boring. When we live with the rules in a sense of active engagement we will find life and help and hope in the relationship that is formed.
© May 14, 2012
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