Psalm Meditation 1063 All Saints Day November 1, 2020 Psalm 39 1 I said, “I will guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue; I will keep a muzzle on my mouth as long as the wicked are in my presence.” 2 I was silent and still; I held my peace to no avail; my distress grew worse, 3 my heart became hot within me. While I mused, the fire burned; then I spoke with my tongue: 4 “Lord, let me know my end, and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting my life is. 5 You have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing in your sight. Surely everyone stands as a mere breath. Selah 6 Surely everyone goes about like a shadow. Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; they heap up, and do not know who will gather. 7 “And now, O Lord, what do I wait for? My hope is in you. 8 Deliver me from all my transgressions. Do not make me the scorn of the fool. 9 I am silent; I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it. 10 Remove your stroke from me; I am worn down by the blows of your hand. 11 “You chastise mortals in punishment for sin, consuming like a moth what is dear to them; surely everyone is a mere breath. Selah 12 “Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear to my cry; do not hold your peace at my tears. For I am your passing guest, an alien, like all my forebears. 13 Turn your gaze away from me, that I may smile again, before I depart and am no more.” (NRSV) Our inclination is to see God as the source of deliverance from all the terrible things we face in our lives. The psalmist is convinced that God is causing these terrible things as a punishment for some unidentified transgressions. Even as the psalmist places hope in God for relief from suffering the realization dawns that God is the one giving this beat down. Things are so bad that those who are inclined to make light of the suffering of others can see that the psalmist is being humiliated by God who is supposed to help out in situations like this. While we are quick to say that God punishes others for their sins and transgressions, we are not as quick to see God as out to get us. When Job is stripped of his possessions, assets, and loved ones his friends gather to let him know that it is his fault and if he will admit guilt and repent God will forgive him. Job is sure that there is another cause. In the end, the friends are told to apologize to Job and to have him pray for them because God is not as vindictive as the friends want to believe. The psalmist asks God to turn away so that there can be some relief before dying. Convince that God is the cause of all this suffering, the psalmist wants to be left alone by God so that there can be a moment of peace before drifting off into nothingness. Job, on the other hand, continues to hope in God for the present and the future. We too can know that God is with us. We are not promised that we will get through life with all of our stuff intact. We are promised that God will be with us. Sometimes it works out, as it did for Job, that we are able to recover and rebound. Sometimes we have to count it all loss and move ahead in the presence of God alone. October 26, 2020 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1062 Proper 25 October 25, 2020 Psalm 114 1 When Israel went out from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language, 2 Judah became God’s sanctuary, Israel his dominion. 3 The sea looked and fled; Jordan turned back. 4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. 5 Why is it, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back? 6 O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs? 7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, 8 who turns the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of water. (NRSV) Some days our relationship with God just barely fits into our ability to put it into words. The best we can do is describe the feeling we get when we are in the presence of God. The psalmist uses the partings of the Red Sea and the Jordan, the bookmark events of the Exodus, to get at the spectacularity of God’s activity. These things that are done just for us. The God who does these things for us also chooses to have a relationship with us. It is exciting enough to meet the one who can part a sea and open a river for crossing on dry land; to know that this same one came looking for a relationship with us is overwhelming. The relationship is not asking us to be adoring fans, God is asking us to be true companions on the journey we take together. We get to walk and talk and work side by side with the God who creates and cares for all that is. While we will probably keep a sense of awe as we settle in to our relationship with God, it is good to know that we are encouraged to give ourselves as wholeheartedly as we are able to that relationship. God allows us to forget that we are in the presence of the Creator of the universe so that we can settle in to a comfortable comradery together. God cares for us, provides for us, and invites us into an ever deepening relationship even as we invite others in to their own relationship with God. October 19, 2020 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1061 Proper 24 Laity Sunday October 18, 2020 Psalm 14 1 Fools say in their hearts, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is no one who does good. 2 The Lord looks down from heaven on humankind to see if there are any who are wise, who seek after God. 3 They have all gone astray, they are all alike perverse; there is no one who does good, no, not one. 4 Have they no knowledge, all the evildoers who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon the Lord? 5 There they shall be in great terror, for God is with the company of the righteous. 6 You would confound the plans of the poor, but the Lord is their refuge. 7 O that deliverance for Israel would come from Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad. (NRSV) I am not as concerned about those who say there is no God as I am about those who say that God rigidly conforms to their way of thinking and acting. They see ‘our people’ as right and justifiable in their actions, and ‘those people’ as guilty of deep sinfulness even when both groups follow the same path. And it is almost always ‘those people’ who are most guilty of the kind of idolatry that lets them define God according to their own words and deeds. Since people on every side are guilty, God looks down to see “if there are any who are wise, who seek after God.” When God sees that we “have all gone astray,” it is time for us to look to ourselves instead of blaming ‘them’ for all the ills of the world. Granted, we see as ourselves among those who cannot bring change to the world, we are following those we believe can bring our corner of the world back to its senses. ‘It is for the rich and powerful to change the world, we simply hitch our wagon to those with whom we align most fully.’ Somewhere in all of this process we have agency to support and influence those who would run the world for our sake. And we have a responsibility to listen to those we claim to be helping with our actions. To call on an old joke punchline, we are not being helpful by leading folks across a street they did not intend to cross. Today I see verse 7 as a desire for change from the halls of human leadership. ‘If only our leaders would be the ones to deliver all people from the bonds of sin and death.’ Barring that, the psalmist is deeply aware that it is God who is the refuge and deliverer of those who have no voice in the direction of the future. Some people see their role as speaking out for the poor and needy while others see their role as giving the poor and needy the platform to speak for themselves. Either way, the psalmist and others look forward to a time, “When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.” October 12, 2020 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1060 Proper 23 October 11, 2020 Psalm 89 (selected verses) 1 I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever; with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations. 2 I declare that your steadfast love is established forever; your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens. 3 You said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one, I have sworn to my servant David: 4 ‘I will establish your descendants forever, and build your throne for all generations.’” Selah 5 Let the heavens praise your wonders, O Lord, your faithfulness in the assembly of the holy ones. 6 For who in the skies can be compared to the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord, 7 a God feared in the council of the holy ones, great and awesome above all that are around him? 8 O Lord God of hosts, who is as mighty as you, O Lord? Your faithfulness surrounds you. 9 You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them. 10 You crushed Rahab like a carcass; you scattered your enemies with your mighty arm. 11 The heavens are yours, the earth also is yours; the world and all that is in it—you have founded them. 12 The north and the south—you created them; Tabor and Hermon joyously praise your name. 13 You have a mighty arm; strong is your hand, high your right hand. 14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; steadfast love and faithfulness go before you. 15 Happy are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your countenance; 16 they exult in your name all day long, and extol your righteousness. 17 For you are the glory of their strength; by your favor our horn is exalted. 18 For our shield belongs to the Lord, our king to the Holy One of Israel. 46 How long, O Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? 47 Remember how short my time is—for what vanity you have created all mortals! 48 Who can live and never see death? Who can escape the power of Sheol? Selah 49 Lord, where is your steadfast love of old, which by your faithfulness you swore to David? 50 Remember, O Lord, how your servant is taunted; how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples, 51 with which your enemies taunt, O Lord, with which they taunted the footsteps of your anointed. 52 Blessed be the Lord forever. Amen and Amen. (NRSV) When things go poorly for those we don’t like, we see it as the judgment of God on them for their evil ways. We can pinpoint all the reasons that they are being punished, especially for all the ways they have picked on us. They deserve all that is happening to them because they are not like us. They are mean and heartless, as well as godless in all that they are and do. Sometimes God will single out an individual for public shaming, ridicule, and punishment while other times whole groups of people will be targeted by God’s acts of vengeance. Either way, we know that God is at work in their lives to make them pay for their evil ways. When things go badly for us we are more likely to blame those bad folks for picking on us and wishing and working for ill in our lives. We are good people of God so it couldn’t possibly be that God is punishing us in the same way that ‘those’ people get punished for doing bad things. God is not actively doing the bad things to us, God is hiding from us to allow these things to happen. Perhaps we are being disciplined for some slight sin we have committed against God, however all will be well soon enough—when God gets back. We define and deal with God on our own terms. We can’t stand back from ourselves and look at God through some objective lens. God will always be seen as behaving with the same motives we have for our actions. The only way we can see, think of, and define God is from within our own context. If we are gifted, we can see God in the light of another culture or viewpoint, however we can’t see God through any but our human lenses. What really motivates God to act among us? There are as many answers as there are people. The psalmist wants to know that God is a God of steadfast love. October 5, 2020 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1059 World Communion Sunday October 4, 2020 Psalm 63 1 O God, you are my God, I seek you, my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. 2 So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. 3 Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. 4 So I will bless you as long as I live; I will lift up my hands and call on your name. 5 My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips 6 when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; 7 for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. 8 My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. 9 But those who seek to destroy my life shall go down into the depths of the earth; 10 they shall be given over to the power of the sword, they shall be prey for jackals. 11 But the king shall rejoice in God; all who swear by him shall exult, for the mouths of liars will be stopped. (NRSV) This is perhaps the first psalm that touched me on its own. It was the one that met me as I was wrestling with how my call to ministry was going to impact me. I had felt called for as long as I can remember, however as I was beginning to live out this call in seminary it was taking on a deeper meaning that was a bit unsettling. The first verse became a touchstone for me. I may not know what it means and how to live out my call to ministry; I can continually claim a relationship with God and seek for what that means in a given time and place. The psalmist is also seeking out a relationship with God in an ever new and changing world. When life is at the driest and dustiest the psalmist turns to God for a new definition of how to be faithful. The psalmist finds the answer in the steadfast love of God. To live in the love of God is the epitome of wealth. I understand that money was not in common use in biblical times, so wealth was defined in terms of rich food in great amounts. To be in the presence of God is akin to sitting down to a feast of the best the world has to offer. According to the psalmist, and my own experience, a relationship with God is constantly evolving and changing. As with any relationship, it is important to nurture and cultivate it if we want it to last through the various times of our lives. Some people are content with the relationship with God they have had from the beginning. Some people notice a change in their circumstances, decide that it no longer works and walk away from their relationship with God. The psalmist recommends that we see our relationship with God as a dynamic, ever-changing one that needs work, effort, and maintenance. September 28, 2020 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1058 Proper 21 September 27, 2020 Psalm 138 1 I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart; before the gods I sing your praise; 2 I bow down toward your holy temple and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness; for you have exalted your name and your word above everything. 3 On the day I called, you answered me, you increased my strength of soul. 4 All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord, for they have heard the words of your mouth. 5 They shall sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord. 6 For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly; but the haughty he perceives from far away. 7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies; you stretch out your hand, and your right hand delivers me. 8 The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands. (NRSV) We like to think of ourselves as people of God, the ones God loves and cares for; and so we are. God cares for and cares about each one of us. God does have this preference for the poor and needy, those for whom there is no help except from God. While we like to think of ourselves as special, even exceptional in the eyes of God, are we really as helpless as the psalmist seems to be? What if we are not among those who can identify with the psalmist? What if our very thoughts of exceptionalism are the haughtiness that God “perceives from far away(?)” If that were the case, we would do well to humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord rather than assume that we are already among those who are gathered close to God. When we feel put upon by life’s circumstances, in need of the loving, helping hand of God, we do well to examine ourselves even as we ask for help from God. Am I one who needs God’s help to overcome an adversary, or do I need to see that other as the one who is being helped by God to receive some of what I have always seen as mine? Do I need to be helped by God, or am I in a position to be God’s helper by giving up some of what I have for the benefit of others? September 21, 2020 LCM

Psalm Meditation 1057 Proper 20 September 20, 2020 Psalm 38 1 O Lord, do not rebuke me in your anger, or discipline me in your wrath. 2 For your arrows have sunk into me, and your hand has come down on me. 3 There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation; there is no health in my bones because of my sin. 4 For my iniquities have gone over my head; they weigh like a burden too heavy for me. 5 My wounds grow foul and fester because of my foolishness; 6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate; all day long I go around mourning. 7 For my loins are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh. 8 I am utterly spent and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9 O Lord, all my longing is known to you; my sighing is not hidden from you. 10 My heart throbs, my strength fails me; as for the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me. 11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my affliction, and my neighbors stand far off. 12 Those who seek my life lay their snares; those who seek to hurt me speak of ruin, and meditate treachery all day long. 13 But I am like the deaf, I do not hear; like the mute, who cannot speak. 14 Truly, I am like one who does not hear, and in whose mouth is no retort. 15 But it is for you, O Lord, that I wait; it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer. 16 For I pray, “Only do not let them rejoice over me, those who boast against me when my foot slips.” 17 For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me. 18 I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin. 19 Those who are my foes without cause are mighty, and many are those who hate me wrongfully. 20 Those who render me evil for good are my adversaries because I follow after good. 21 Do not forsake me, O Lord; O my God, do not be far from me; 22 make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation. (NRSV) It is possible to reach a point in our lives in which all of the unconfessed sins we have committed pile up around us and over us, crushing us with their weight. For the psalmist the weight has become such that friends and even adversaries notice that there is something going on. Friends, neighbors, and companions are at a loss as to what is needed from them, so they retreat, leaving the psalmist alone. Those who have any ax to grind see this as an opportunity to jump in and cause significant hurt in the life of the psalmist. Those out to do this damage may have been hurt by, or simply chose the psalmist as an easy target of their own hurt. The psalmist chooses to be open to the presence of God for deliverance from the weight of sin and from those who would celebrate the psalmist’s downfall. The psalmist does not ask for the destruction of these adversaries; the plea is for salvation, for a renewed sense of wholeness, and oneness with God. The psalmist models a good path for us. In the event that we wait until we are buried in our sin, it is good to confess before we are crushed by those sins. And when our friends turn away from us out of discomfort, and our adversaries move to do us harm, we do well to turn to God. The psalmist turns away from the abandonment on one hand and the attacks on the other, in order to find an answer in God. In these most dire circumstances the psalmist trusts that God is the source of salvation. September 14, 2020 LCM