Psalm Meditation 1124 ¶ Second Sunday of Christmas ¶January 2, 2022 ¶Psalm 149 1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the faithful. 2 Let Israel be glad in its Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King. 3 Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre. 4 For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with victory. 5 Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their couches. 6 Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, 7 to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples, 8 to bind their kings with fetters and their nobles with chains of iron, 9 to execute on them the judgment decreed. This is glory for all his faithful ones. Praise the Lord! (NRSV) ¶This week, the word ‘humble’ caught my attention, since we don’t usually associated victory with humility. Humble folks are on the lower end of our social circles. We like humble folk, we enjoy their company, however we don’t see them as the kind of people who will win any great victory of any sort. Humble folk are just as likely to be the ones who do all the work so the more ambitious folk can take the credit. In most cases, the humble people are content to know that they did the hard work, and ‘Whew, someone else gets to give all the talks and speeches on the results. ‘ ¶According to the psalmist, all of the faithful exult in the glory of the victory God gives the humble. Everyone can be a part of the whooping and hollering of the victory celebration, including waving their two-edged swords in the air. They may have used those swords in battle, but for sure they get to wave them around as if they won the battle completely on their own. Once again, the chances are good that the humble did the hard work behind the scenes and are too exhausted to do much celebrating. ¶We are overjoyed to celebrate a victory. And we like to have a name and face that gives focus to our celebration. It is important to recognize that these victories are not the work of one person. John Glenn was the first person to orbit the earth in a space capsule, and we celebrated him and his historic accomplishment. He did not orbit the earth on his own. There were scientists, mathematicians, engineers, maintenance people, and others contributing their knowledge, skills, expertise, and luck to the project. While it is easy to celebrate one person’s victory, it is just as important to remember the folks who made that one moment possible. ¶December 30, 2021 ¶LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 1123 ¶First Sunday After Christmas ¶December 26, 2021 ¶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) ¶When athletes make millions of dollars, there are folks who say that no one is worth that kind of money to play a game. When business people make billions of dollars running a company, there are folks who say that it is shameful to make that kind of money. Other folks believe that at least one of these types of wealth is justified. I find myself in the ’if someone is willing to pay that much, that is the justification for the pay scale. Are we envious of the skill that commands that kind of money, or do we echo Luke 26: 8-9, “Why this waste? For this ointment [salary] could have been sold for a large sum, and the money given to the poor.” ¶Many of those who earn or win large amounts of money end up with even less than they had at the beginning within five years after their windfall comes to an end. In the event that one has the wherewithal to have money left to pass on the heirs, they will often use it as if it is an eternal fountain of cash without doing anything to replenish the funds and will be penniless soon. The psalmist joins in this chorus, reminding us that no matter how much money there is, it does no good after a person dies. They are neither rich nor powerful in death. If they were generous in life, we may remember them a little longer than those who were not, but not forever. ¶The psalmist lets us know that it is better to depend on God than on riches in this life so that we have a life far into the future in the presence of God. Money, influence and power are nice in this life, however they will not buy us a future of any consequence. Better to practice kindness, work for justice, and build a relationship with God. “God will ransom my soul from the power of Sheol, for he will receive me.” ¶December 20, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1122 ¶Fourth Sunday of Advent ¶December 19, 2021 ¶Psalm 124 1 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side —let Israel now say— 2 if it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when our enemies attacked us, 3 then they would have swallowed us up alive, when their anger was kindled against us; 4 then the flood would have swept us away, the torrent would have gone over us; 5 then over us would have gone the raging waters. 6 Blessed be the Lord, who has not given us as prey to their teeth. 7 We have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowlers; the snare is broken, and we have escaped. 8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. (NRSV) ¶While this is battle imagery we don’t have to have experience in war to feel the relief of the psalmist at this escape from destruction. Some folks feel overwhelmed holidays. Some folks are overwhelmed by illness or disease, which can be compounded if there is any kind of stigma attached to the ailment. Still others feel overwhelmed by lack of social status compounded by poverty, injustice, and other oppressive systemic issues. The sense of being swallowed up, swept away, and overcome by raging flood waters is very real. ¶In these situations, it is possible to rise above the flood without a change in circumstance. We can do all the things that are a part of holiday preparation and celebration without allowing ourselves to be overwhelmed by stress. We can talk freely about the illness in ways that offer others ways to support and understand what is going on in us. We can recognize that there are a lot of ways to calculate our worth that do not depend on our social standing. We can join with others in efforts to change systems in ways that benefit all. Here I must confess that these ideas come from a position of privilege, and may not work as well as I would like to believe. ¶I do join the psalmist in believing that looking to God offers us a more hopeful outlook than we have in ignoring the presence of God in our lives. God may protect us from harm, and God may sit with us as we suffer. Either way, “Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” ¶December 13, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1121 ¶Third Sunday of Advent ¶December 12, 2021 ¶Psalm 24 1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; 2 for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. 3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? 4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. 5 They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. 6 Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah 7 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 8 Who is the King of glory? The Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord, mighty in battle. 9 Lift up your heads, O gates! and be lifted up, O ancient doors! that the King of glory may come in. 10 Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah (NRSV) ¶The last few American presidents have been rejected by people who did not vote for him and are angry that their person did not win. Signs saying, “Not my President” are seen from both parties. Does this mean that those dissenters don’t have a president, that they will only follow the person they believe should have won, or this is a way of expressing the extreme displeasure with the outcome of the election? For most of the dissenters it is probably a form of verbal protest that gives a feeling of satisfaction that they still have a voice in the outcome even if it did not turn their way. ¶There are a growing number of folks who claim there is no God. They reject the claims of religions that believe in a being or group of beings who have some say in the way the world, and all the creatures in it go about our lives. Some folks are content to believe as long as everything is going well for them. As soon as things go sour, they reject the existence of one who would let them suffer. Does this mean that no deity exists for them, they have no intention of following anyone outside of themselves, or is it a protest of the extremes to which religious people have gone to show that they are right and the rest of us are wrong? ¶The psalmist tells us that those who believe in and follow the ways of God, YHWH, will receive blessing and vindication, (a defense against criticism). It seems to me, that believers are not the only ones who are offered blessing and vindication, we are the ones who are looking toward God to receive the gifts that God offers to us. We are the ones listening for the cry to lift up the gates so that God may come in. We are the ones who have gifts to share with others, knowing that they are from God even if the recipients do not acknowledge the origin of those gifts. ¶December 6, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1120 ¶Second Sunday of Advent ¶December 5, 2021 ¶Psalm 99 1 The Lord is king; let the peoples tremble! He sits enthroned upon the cherubim; let the earth quake! 2 The Lord is great in Zion; he is exalted over all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name. Holy is he! 4 Mighty King, lover of justice, you have established equity; you have executed justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Extol the Lord our God; worship at his footstool. Holy is he! 6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests, Samuel also was among those who called on his name. They cried to the Lord, and he answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud; they kept his decrees, and the statutes that he gave them. 8 O Lord our God, you answered them; you were a forgiving God to them, but an avenger of their wrongdoings. 9 Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy. (NRSV) ¶We like to think that people in previous generations were more faithful and pure than the current generation. We can certainly see that those young people, anyone younger than us, are not as faithful as we are. And our parents’ generation was, as a whole, more faithful than our generation ‘ever was or will be’, according to them. From the second generation on, the previous generation was more attuned to God than our generation. Some of the very early generations actually met God face to face without bursting into flames. ¶The psalmist reminds us that people have been walking away from God like toddlers wandering away from parents from the beginning. Yes, there have been some faithful folks in every generation, there had to be to call the rest of us back into the presence of God. Moses, Aaron, and Samuel led people in the way of God because none of us seem to be able to keep ourselves going in that direction on our own. Every generation needs a prophet to call us into the path and presence of God. ¶In all of this, the good thing is that God is way more forgiving than we are sinful. There may be consequences for our actions, however God is also deeply willing to forgive. God will even forgive, has even forgiven, that thing that you can’t let yourself let go of. Even though we can’t imagine that level of forgiveness, God forgives us anyway. The consequences play out without leaving a stain on our permanent record. “Extol the Lord our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the Lord our God is holy.” ¶December 1, 2021 ¶LCM

Psalm Meditation 1119 ¶First Sunday of Advent ¶November 28, 2021 ¶Psalm 73 1 Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the arrogant; I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek. 5 They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people. 6 Therefore pride is their necklace; violence covers them like a garment. 7 Their eyes swell out with fatness; their hearts overflow with follies. 8 They scoff and speak with malice; loftily they threaten oppression. 9 They set their mouths against heaven, and their tongues range over the earth. 10 Therefore the people turn and praise them, and find no fault in them. 11 And they say, “How can God know? Is there knowledge in the Most High?” 12 Such are the wicked; always at ease, they increase in riches. 13 All in vain I have kept my heart clean and washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all day long I have been plagued, and am punished every morning. 15 If I had said, “I will talk on in this way,” I would have been untrue to the circle of your children. 16 But when I thought how to understand this, it seemed to me a wearisome task, 17 until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I perceived their end. 18 Truly you set them in slippery places; you make them fall to ruin. 19 How they are destroyed in a moment, swept away utterly by terrors! 20 They are like a dream when one awakes; on awaking you despise their phantoms. 21 When my soul was embittered, when I was pricked in heart, 22 I was stupid and ignorant; I was like a brute beast toward you. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with you; you hold my right hand. 24 You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will receive me with honor. 25 Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire other than you. 26 My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 Indeed, those who are far from you will perish; you put an end to those who are false to you. 28 But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works. (NRSV) ¶Most of us have looked with envy on rich people at some point in our lives. We are convinced that if we just had that much money we would have no problems in life. Being rich seems to be a life with no problems, no difficulties, no worries. It isn’t even about buying our way out of trouble, it is not having any trouble to speak of to begin with. Rich people seem to be better than folks who are not on that financial level. As a child I told my dad I wanted a million dollars, and he responded with a short list of worries that wealthy people have. The one I remember is, ‘who will take care of all that money for you, and can they be trusted?’ ¶In the biblical era it was thought that there was only so much wealth available in the world. That meant that the only way someone could have enough resources to be considered rich was to take the resources of another. A comfortable amount of assets was due to God’s blessing; too many assets was due to sinful greed and inattention to the needs of others. We have discovered that the limits of wealth and resources are not as limited as once thought, it is still true that to become noticeably wealthy takes the time and energy of countless others. Most of those others are not rewarded at the level of their contribution. ¶The psalmist leads us through the process of realizing that material resources are not as desirable and durable as a relationship with God. For the psalmist, it is better to be surrounded by those who will willingly share of their resources in a time of need, than to have gobs of resources that we have to guard to keep other people from taking them for themselves. The wealth that is relationships is worth so much more and is more long lasting than any amount of money. Material resources are good until they get in the way of relationships. “But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, to tell of all your works.” ¶November 22, 2021 ¶LCM lcrsmanifold@att.net http://psalmmeditations.blogspot.com/

Psalm Meditation 1118 ¶Reign of Christ ¶November 21, 2021 ¶Psalm 148 1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! 2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! 3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! 4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! 5 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. 6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. 7 Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, 8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! 9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! 10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! 11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! 12 Young men and women alike, old and young together! 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. 14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the Lord! (NRSV) ¶I was taught that the difference between thanks and praise is the difference between doing and being. Thanks is what we offer for all the things God does. The act of creation, the gifts that we receive, and the answers to prayer are a few of the reasons we thank God. Praise is for who God is. For being a loving God who enjoys being present among us, we offer our praise. In day to day usage praise is giving someone positive feedback for using skill and energy in an extra special way. ¶We praise our pets for learning and following a new command. Sometimes the praise is because we love how they love us; for being the goodest girl or the bestest boy. We praise our children for being on their best behavior in a stressful situation, for getting good grades for the full grading period, or for giving it their all no matter the outcome. We each other for making something difficult seem easy. The folks who use their gifts and skills in such a way that we think we could do what they just did, only to discover how hard it really is are offered high praise for their skill. ¶The psalmist runs through a list of objects and creatures who do well to offer praise to God. The psalmist does not confine the list to ‘nice’ and ‘pretty’ things. The psalmist calls on chaotic things like monsters and deeps to praise God, potentially destructive things like fire, hail, snow, frost, and wind, and crawly things that can give us the creeps. Everything that is gets the call to give praise to God, for no other reason than that God is. ¶November 17, 2021 ¶LCM