DIDYMUS DICTA

2006-09-15T04:56:00.000-04:00

On September 15, 2006 I began a new morning meditation on the Gospel of Mark. You can find this new collection of meditations at http://saintthomasdidymus.blogspot.com/

2006-09-14T04:20:00.000-04:00

Say among the nations, ‘The Lord is king! The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved. He will judge the peoples with equity.’ Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. (Psalm 96: 10-13)

After 365 days of morning meditations on the psalms, my single most important insight is probably an element of grammar. Hebrew does not have a future tense.

Hebrew is not oriented to time. It is oriented to action.

"He is coming," is the description of a present action. This is not, "He is coming some day." It should be read, "God is coming right now!"

The translation "He will judge the world" is unfortunate. Better would be, "God is judging the world."

God is engaged in action. God is not finished. We can choose to help or hinder, but whatever we choose, God is already engaged.

Above is Convergence (detail) by Jackson Pollock.

2006-09-13T05:20:00.000-04:00

The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes... You are good and do good; teach me your statutes. (Psalm 119: 64 + 68)

Psalm 119 is a long meditation on the statutes, laws, precepts, and principles of God.

The Hebrew translated here as statute is choq. It is a decree, ordinance, or limitation. It is guidance that has been enscribed or written. A recipe is a kind of choq.

A choq is a written instruction for doing something.

We seek to act as God would have us act. To do as God intends is to fulfill our purpose.

The intent of God is loving and good. God has given us guidance to love and do good.

2006-09-12T04:54:00.000-04:00

How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious oil on the head, running down upon the beard, on the beard of Aaron, running down over the collar of his robes. It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion. For there the Lord ordained his blessing, life for evermore. (Psalm 133: 1-3)

Do we seek and value what is good and pleasant?

It seems to me - in looking at my own life and that of many others - we may be more attracted to other outcomes.

We seek to be entertained and excited. We seek recognition. Some seek power. Others seek wealth. An unpleasant quarrel seems to attract more than a few.

Too often we measure ourselves by how we are different - better - than another. This is neither good nor pleasant.

What do you seek? What is your goal? Goodness and delight may deserve greater priority.

2006-09-11T05:03:00.000-04:00

Rouse yourself! Why do you sleep, O Lord? Awake, do not cast us off for ever! Why do you hide your face? Why do you forget our affliction and oppression? For we sink down to the dust; our bodies cling to the ground. Rise up, come to our help. Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love. (Psalm 44: 23-26)

National Public Radio recenty interviewed a lively, lovely, elderly New Yorker who - in the aftermath of the 911 attacks - became a committed atheist. She had been raised a Methodist, considered herself a believer, but was mostly a Christmas or Easter, wedding, and funeral Christian.

In her own words she was traumatized by the attack and its results. The random nature of who died and who survived was especially troubling. She had believed in a God who protected the weak and punished the evil. Instead she observed thousands of innocents being crushed and burned.

I understand Jesus to have been an innocent man who was tortured to death. He was executed by an oppressive colonial power to appease the petty purposes of a local elite. Jesus was one of thousands who were put to death often for simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

The origin of my faith is in how Jesus - and eventually his followers - responded to this unjust execution. Jesus responded in agony, but also with forgiveness, love, understanding, courage, and an openness to a reality far beyond the excruciating pain of the moment.

In the midst of pain there is the possibility for joy. At the very moment that evil strikes, there is the opportunity to love. God is present. But we must reach out to God. God is prepared to make whole what has been shattered. God will work with us, but we must also be ready to work with God.

A transcript of the NPR interview is available here.

Above is Transcendence by Scott Saw.

2006-09-10T05:02:00.000-04:00

My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me. (Psalm 63: 5-8)

In my earliest memories God is there. I cannot recall a time when I seriously questioned being in relationship with God.

I can - almost as a game - make credible intellectual arguments for God as a creation of human imagination. I can listen with interest to more earnest such arguments by others.

As I have matured in faith and reason I have become more aware of God being beyond my understanding. I am sure that God is beyond my capacity to fully know.

I doubt my understanding, but I do not doubt the presence of God. My innermost being is certain of God with and within me.

More and more I find my greatest satisfaction in acknowledging and simply abiding with that presence.

2006-09-09T05:24:00.000-04:00

Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not hide my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’, and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (Psalm 32: 5)

To sin is to go the wrong way, choose a hurtful path, to become lost, and even to lose oneself.

The psalmist suggests that acknowledgement is one way we can work with God. The Hebrew word translated above as acknowledge is yada'. This means to perceive, recognize, or admit. It also suggests experiencing, engaging, and embracing.

The translation offers, "I will confess my transgressions." Confession is the Hebrew yadah. Closely related to yada, this is to cast, throw or shoot - to actively bring the source of our sin to God. It is not just the wrong turn that we are to acknowledge, it is also our transgression or what caused us to choose the wrong turn.

In this psalm the sin is not forgiven. Rather it is the guilt of my sin. It is that aspect of my sin that twists, bends, and distorts. The sin's distoring influence is undone and set straight.

God forgives - nasa' - the guilt of my sin. Nasa is to lift, carry, take away. In some contexts it can even mean to be exalted or to lift up in triumph.

Out of pride or neglect I too often bend the truth, tarnish the beautiful, and compromise the good. God has given me a straight path, but I want to find my own path. In doing so I have sometimes brought others with me off the path.

God is ready to carry us back to the path we left behind.

2006-09-08T04:53:00.000-04:00

Love the Lord, all you his saints. The Lord preserves the faithful, but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily. Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord. (Psalm 31: 23-24)

Today the lectionary pairs one of my favoritie psalms (Psalm 31) with a psalm I am inclined to reject out of hand (Psalm 35). Both are thought to have been written by King David.

In each case the author is in trouble. In Psalm 31 he reaches out to God. "Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily. Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me."

In Psalm 35 the author calls down God on his enemies. "Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me!"

My God is also our God. We sometimes forget this. A personal relationship with God is a great gift. But it should not be misunderstood or - even worse - misused.

Thank you God for strength, courage, and the chance to create. Teach me to love you with my whole heart and to live out your love for all creation.

Above is an untitled work by Hans Hofmann.

2006-09-07T04:39:00.000-04:00

Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. (Psalm 37: 3-4)

If X then Y. If we trust in God and do good then there will be a specific outcome.

If you take delight in God then the desires of your heart will be fulfilled.

Absent delight in God the desires of our heart might be A. Filled with delight in God the desires of our heart might be Z. The predicate defines the subject.

If we love the Lord or God with all our heart, our soul, and our strength...

Then we shall love our neighbor as ourself. (Mark 12: 30)

2006-09-06T05:27:00.000-04:00

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways. (Psalm 136: 33-37)

I prefer a note to a comment. It is eccentric and almost certainly prideful. But whether another has a criticism or praise, I especially value receiving it in written form.

The written form allows me to review and reflect on the message again and again. The written form also seems to produce a more insightful message.

God has inspired a great library. The words of God and about God benefit from multiple readings and active reflection. It is a treasury of love letters to which I turn for strength.

Teach me, give me understanding, lead me.

2006-09-05T05:07:00.000-04:00

How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light. (Psalm 36: 7-9)

Jesus taught that a great reconciliation with God was at hand. Many have understood this to mean an apocalyptic end of human history. Many look for signs of the end times.

What if the reconciliation has already happened? What if the life and death of Jesus marked an opening to this reconciliation?

Perhaps all that remains is for us - as individuals and as a species - to accept and abide within the love of God.

Above is Lone Star from PhysicsWeb. Some simulations suggest the first structure in the universe was a single massive star.

2006-09-04T05:04:00.000-04:00

Good and upright is the Lord; therefore he instructs sinners in the way. He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. All the paths of the Lord are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his decrees. (Psalm 25: 8-10)

Kind and pleasing is the Lord. He shows those who are lost the right way.

God leads those in need to develop good judgment. God teaches those in need a productive way of life.

If we are attentive to our experiences and relationship with God every step in life's journey may advance toward love and loyalty.

What is sin? What is humility? What is God's covenant? What are God's decrees? What is right? What is the way?

These are potentially dense and difficult concepts. They may also be exquisitely simple.

God, help me to choose your way.

2006-09-03T04:48:00.000-04:00

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars! Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. He established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command! Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds! Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! Young men and women alike, old and young together! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven. 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! (Psalm 148)

Let loose your light. Bring forth your inner self. Shine, show yourself, and praise God.

The Hebrew for praise in this psalm is halal. We are to praise God. In praising God we also untether our best selves.

Halal is to shine, as the sun shines, as the face of Moses was bright after talking with God, as we can be when we step from the shadows and embrace God.

2006-09-02T05:45:00.000-04:00

Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. (Psalm 126: 4-6)

For most of the year the wadis of the Negev desert are dusty dry.

For the lives of most, tears are more common than joy.

But joy can erupt like a desert storm.

Above is Thirsty Land by Ron Gang. The artist specializes in Negev landscapes.

A week ago I was confident that yesterday would complete 365 days of daily meditations on the psalms. I was wrong. Twelve more days remain.

2006-09-01T04:58:00.000-04:00

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel; in the night also my heart instructs me. I keep the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my heart is glad, and my soul rejoices; my body also rests secure. For you do not give me up to Sheol, or let your faithful one see the Pit. You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16: 7-11)

I depend on God. I love, ignore, need, neglect, and cherish God. I know that my best path is to walk with God. But I sometimes take different paths.

Might these other paths also be part of God's intention? I do not mean that I am foreordained or manipulated. I am confident of free will.

But the rocky ways, dead ends, and becoming lost in the thorns have certainly shaped my relationship with God as well.

My greatest failures - so far - have not been when I knew I had chosen a different path. I have caused the most harm when I was sure of doing God's will - but was really just being willful.

Apart from God I encounter a deep need. It is a need that expresses itself in a variety of wonderful and terrible ways.

In this profound need I have found my limitations and better understood God's lack of limitations. When I am with God I sometimes lose my sense of being separate. I am swept up into God. I feel whole, complete, fulfilled. But without a true humility, this experience is dangerous, even misleading. This is why I so much value, "lead us not into temptation."

Without humility I am tempted to think that my understanding is God's understanding, that my judgment is God's judgment, that my will is God's will.

Because I have left the path and experienced the absence of God I am sure that God's understanding is entirely beyond my understanding, God's judgment is loving, caring, intricate, and exquisite in ways far beyond my ability. From off the path I have learned that my will is full of need, while God's will is constantly giving and creating.

Separated from God I have also come to understand that, despite my limitations, I have a part to play in fulfilling God's will. It is often a small part - but it can be crucial. The lessons I have learned off-the-path and away from God are often helpful in playing this role.

God has shown me the path of life. God has protected my exploring off the path. God has always welcomed me back to the path. Thanks be to God.

2006-08-31T04:44:00.000-04:00

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so I shall be saved from my enemies. (Psalm 18: 1-3)

I began these meditations as an experiment. Several weeks before I had begun another faith-oriented blog. I was really focused more on blogging than on scripture.

The first blog was too premeditated. I was trying to build on a theme. But blogging, I seemed to discover, is more naturally reactionary. So I opened this new blog and decided that each day I would respond spontaneously to one of the psalms.

There were several days when none of the psalms especially attracted me. To respond I had to dig deeper than my immediate impression. I discovered layers, nuance, context, and texture that I would have otherwise missed.

This morning ritual became a ongoing source of happy surprise. I am not an especially spontaneous person. But through this exercise each day brought something new, unexpected, and meaningful.

While I actively avoided a thematic approach, connections certainly emerged. One of the most common themes of the psalms is dealing with enemies. Most of the psalmists - as above - are clearly discussing external enemies.

I am fortunate to have few external enemies. But these meditations helped me to see and accept internal enemies that distract me from fulfilling God's intention. Recognizing the enemy is not pleasant nor does it lead to immediate change. But seeing and accepting is much more productive than denying or neglecting.

Dear God, thank you for your watchfulness and your refuge in the face of my enemies.

2006-08-30T04:31:00.000-04:00

With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes. (Psalm 119: 10-12)

Given human tendencies it is not surprising that the psalms are often demanding, accusing, fearful, impatient, and self-justifying.

But out of this messy mix occasionally emerges significant self-awareness. From the muck a diamond suddenly glistens.

I read your word. I know your principles. But I need to be with you. I need your teaching, dear God. Help me to walk with you.

May I seek you with my whole heart.

Above is Wholeness. Artist is unknown.

2006-08-29T04:47:00.000-04:00

Rise up, O Lord; O God, lift up your hand; do not forget the oppressed. Why do the wicked renounce God, and say in their hearts, ‘You will not call us to account’? But you do see! Indeed you note trouble and grief, that you may take it into your hands;the helpless commit themselves to you; you have been the helper of the orphan. Break the arm of the wicked and evildoers; seek out their wickedness until you find none. The Lord is king for ever and ever; the nations shall perish from his land. O Lord, you will hear the desire of the meek; you will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear to do justice for the orphan and the oppressed, so that those from earth may strike terror no more. (Psalm 10: 12-17)

I often neglect the oppressed. I am aware of those who suffer tyranny. I know some who suffer from terrible depression. I meet others who have had the creativity and confidence with which they were born squeezed out.

Am I wicked? Seek out my wickedness until you find none. You have given me eyes, let me see. You have given me ears, let me hear. May I become your agent in opposing oppression. May my arm become your arm.

Alone I can do little. Together with others of faith I can achieve a great deal. But whether alone or not inspire and lead me to do what I can. Strengthen my heart and allow me to bring others to you and your promise of wholeness.

2006-08-28T05:27:00.000-04:00

Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers; but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night. They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper. (Psalm 1: 1-3)

American culture delights in illusion. Television, film, and the web provide varied escapes from reality. Some would say the same of our political life. Happiness is often perceived as the ability to separate from the challenges of reality and to wrap ourselves in a comforting cocoon of self-selected entertainment.

The Hebrew generally translated as happy is a family of verbs: 'esher, 'asher, and related. All of these words deal with walking, making progress, going straight. Happiness is closing in on a goal, achieving purpose, fulfilling intention. The happiness of the psalms comes from engaging reality, especially the ultimate reality of God.

Jesus regularly chose to separate himself from the world in order to reconnect with the ultimately real. Jesus sought to draw us away from a dangerous dependence on shallow waters of illusion and bring us to deep waters of reality. Jesus did not seek superficial success. He was committed to the achievement of profound happiness.

2006-08-27T06:40:00.000-04:00

For the righteous... they are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord. Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid; in the end they will look in triumph on their foes. They have distributed freely, they have given to the poor; their righteousness endures for ever; their horn is exalted in honour. (Psalm 112: 6-9)

When we behave in accordance with our origins and purpose - consistent with God's intention - we will not be afraid. We may very well encounter horrible and fearful events. But fear is even more a reaction to our own uncertainty than to an external threat.

If our heart is firm, if our sense of purpose is steady, then we are able to respond deliberately and confidently to the threats that come to us.

A horn amplifies. A clear sense of purpose, a commitment to God's intention, and being in relationship with God amplifies the power of the faithful. Outside of a relationship with God there is much to fear. Within a relationship with God our courage is amplified.

Above is Centerfold of Courage by Marcus Tyson a student at Crosman High School in Detroit, Michigan.

2006-08-26T05:48:00.000-04:00

May our sons in their youth be like plants full grown, our daughters like corner pillars, cut for the building of a palace. May our barns be filled with produce of every kind; may our sheep increase by thousands, by tens of thousands in our fields, and may our cattle be heavy with young. May there be no breach in the walls, no exile, and no cry of distress in our streets. Happy are the people to whom such blessings fall; happy are the people whose God is the Lord. (Psalm 144: 12-15)

In seven days it will be one year since I began this daily meditation on the psalms. I come to this milestone more fully recognizing the depth of my self-involvement.

The psalmists are quick to seek God's help, even to claim God's help as their right, and to complain regarding any delay in receiving help.

The psalmists are quick to perceive enemies and call down God's wrath on their enemies.

The psalmists usually assume that prosperity - as in the psalm above - is their reward for being attentive to God.

Very seldom does the psalmist bring his own error before God. Very seldom does the psalmist seem to seek a full relationship with God.

The psalmist is often so focused on the self - and self-justification - that there is barely any room left for God. But the psalms also demonstrate that on rare occasions we are able to step outside ourselves and to open ourselves to a true and full relationship with God.

And when we do so God is always there.

2006-08-25T05:17:00.000-04:00

Save me, O Lord, from my enemies; I have fled to you for refuge. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path. (Psalm 143: 9-10)

The psalmist is in trouble. "My spirit fails," he writes a few verses before. "The enemy has pursued me, crushing my life to the ground."

The psalmist turns to God. "Teach me the way I should go." He also prays, "destroy all my adversaries."

Especially under stress we will often have a specific vision of relief: destroy all my adversaries. Especially under stress we may not recognize the second or third order effects of our vision of success.

Crucially, the psalmist does not just pray for God to fulfill his vision, instead he prays to know God's vision.

The psalmist opens himself to know the will of God and to be led by God.

2006-08-24T06:20:00.000-04:00

O Lord, who may abide in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Those who walk blamelessly, and do what is right, and speak the truth from their heart; who do not slander with their tongue, and do no evil to their friends, nor take up a reproach against their neighbours; in whose eyes the wicked are despised, but who honour those who fear the Lord; who stand by their oath even to their hurt; who do not lend money at interest, and do not take a bribe against the innocent. Those who do these things shall never be moved. (Pslam 15)

What can we do to enter into relationship with God?

We are to live with integrity, seeking to fulfill God's intent for wholeness.

We are to act authentically and consistently with God's purposes for us.

We are to speak the truth and avoid saying anything that attacks the integrity of others.

We are to act with respect toward our friends and neighbors.

We are to be cautious regarding those who always claim to have been hurt and never admit error.

We are to honor those who honor God.

We are to stand by our promises even when it hurts us.

We are not to exploit those in trouble.

We are not to attack or undermine the innocent.

Above is Lines of Integrity by Pietro Mantia.

2006-08-23T05:20:00.000-04:00

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with you, so that you may be revered. (Psalm 140: 3-4)

Often the psalmist claims to have earned God's protection. Psalm 119 is in this pattern, "My soul keeps your decrees; I love them exceedingly. I keep your precepts and decrees, for all my ways are before you." (verses 167-168)

In the Psalm above the argument for protection is God's self-interest. I may not have earned your protection, but if you allow my enemies to overcome me there will be one less prayer and one less sacrifice made to you.

In the example of Jesus we have learned that God does not need our reverence and we cannot earn God's love. But God loves us unconditionally. By fully accepting the love of God our fears can be transformed.

2006-08-22T05:37:00.000-04:00

Happy are those who observe justice, who do righteousness at all times. (Psalm 106: 3)

The Hebrew might also be translated as: "Those who act as guardians of the right way, who behave with integrity in every way will make progress."

Throughout the scriptures there is a sense of unfolding process. In part this is a reflection of Hebrew tenses which are either finished or unfinished, completed or becoming.

There is an intended path, a path to wholeness and peace. This is where we are to walk. Each of us may walk the path in our own way making our own choices. But all of our paths will be fulfilled in relationship with God.

Above is Becoming by Deborah Sokolove.

2006-08-21T04:58:00.000-04:00

Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labour in vain. Unless the Lord guards the city, the guard keeps watch in vain. It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives sleep to his beloved. (Psalm 127: 1-2)

God is the ulimate reality. God's intention is the only source of success.

Vanity - shav' - is empty and false. Self-assertion separated from God is meaningless.

Without God our efforts and skills are misplaced. Without God our targets are often illusions.

With God our goals are meaningful. With God our efforts are amplified through the work of others and the help of God.

As the Angel Gabriel proclaimed to Mary, "For with God nothing will be impossible." (Luke 1:37)

2006-08-20T06:19:00.000-04:00

The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfils the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them. The Lord watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy. (Psalm 145: 17-20)

To be wicked - rasha' - is to live outside the community, to be self-interested, and treat others with disinterest or worse. It is a verb.

Wickedness -resha' - is a masculine noun for someone who behaves in these ways. In Hebrew the noun and the verb are spelled the same.

Even in English I am far from a grammarian. But isn't wicked used above as a noun: the wicked? If so shouldn't this be wickedness?

In every translation I have accessed, it is consistently translated as wicked, not as wickedness. But it is also always treated as a noun.

If the Hebrew is truly a noun, it seems the translation would be "but all wickedness he will destroy."

If the Hebrew is truly a verb, I think the translation would be something like "but all sinning he will stop."

In any case, one way I hope the Lord is watching over me is to destroy my wickedness.

Part of the challenge here is the English use of wicked. In English it is almost always an adjective. But it is a very good parallel term with rasha'/resha'. In Old English the wike was the village or almost any boundary. To be wicked was to come from outside the village or behave in a manner outside accepted boundaries.

2006-08-19T06:44:00.000-04:00

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you. (Psalm 33: 20-22)

Our essential self - true self - waits for the Lord. The Hebrew suggests longing for the Lord.

Our inner self - true self - knows, rejoices and trusts in the identity of God. We know that we share in that identity. We recognize our origin in God's intention and purpose.

We have been given the gift of freedom. In this freedom we can choose to either be in relationship with God - or not.

Our true self seeks reunification with God. This seeking can be distracted by other purposes. The other purposes many even be in conflict with this goal of reunification.

To avoid distraction and resolve the conflict we must experience, understand, and accept the love of God.

Above is Origin of DNA by Zoe Martell.

2006-08-18T06:40:00.000-04:00

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress; he brought them out of darkness and gloom, and broke their bonds asunder. (Psalm 107: 13-14)

In this psalm four very different causes of distress are described. In each case those in trouble, "cried to the Lord."

The Hebrew for this cry is za'aq. It means to call out, to summon, and to join.

When we are in trouble we are to invite God into our troubles and to join with God in confronting the cause of our distress.

In joining with God - sharing the same intent and seeking the same outcome - we are promised deliverance and liberation.

To receive God's love we must invite it and share it.

2006-08-17T05:17:00.000-04:00

Then Israel came to Egypt; Jacob lived as an alien in the land of Ham. And the Lord made his people very fruitful, and made them stronger than their foes, whose hearts he then turned to hate his people, to deal craftily with his servants. (Psalm 105: 23-25)

The Hebrew scripture presents God in various ways. In many of the Psalms, Exodus, Job, and elsewhere God is the ultimate choreographer. "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." (Job 1: 20-21).

But there are also important stories, such as Esther, where God inspires, informs, and perhaps even transforms, but the actors clearly make their own choices and produce their own outcomes. Which is it?

If Jesus is God's most important intervention, what does this example suggest regarding God's role?

The intevention began quietly and in an unexpected way. Jesus gave priority to being in relationship with God and with one another. His teaching was clearly compelling to many, but it was also entirely possible to reject or neglect the teachings.

For the intervention to be effective many had to take risks and make sacrifices. People were persuaded to risk and sacrifice by a variety of means, but it remained their free choice. They were engaged, not manipulated.

The intervention - because it allowed for free choice - was not consistently successful. Whether it was the rejections of the Lakeside Ministry, or the multiple misunderstandings of the disciples, or the denials of Peter, God's intervention suffered set-backs.

It seems to me that while God almost certainly has the power to impose, God has chosen to exercise restraint. Through this restraint we have the ability to choose. God intervenes to encourage better choices.

Perhaps God was once a choreographer. But God has become more like the director of an extemporaneous play. God is a very helpful guide. What we do with the guidance is our choice.

2006-08-16T05:58:00.000-04:00

I have done what is just and right; do not leave me to my oppressors. Guarantee your servant’s well-being; do not let the godless oppress me. My eyes fail from watching for your salvation, and for the fulfilment of your righteous promise. (Psalm 119: 121-123)

I have from time to time neglected or rejected God. In these times I have experienced the distance of God's restraint. But I have never perceived God as absent.

I have, however, lived an easy life. In the midst of cataclysm I might not be so confident. Surrounded by perpetual threats, death, and destruction would I still walk with God?

The psalmist is hard-pressed. The psalmist is impatient. The psalmist may be angry, certainly he is afraid. But the psalmist is actively seeking for God.

When my easy life has been threatened I have - so far - found that vulnerability brings me closer to God. When events dissuade me from pretense and pride, God is even closer at hand, almost certainly because I reach out farther.

Dear God preserve me from disaster, but if disaster comes please help me hold tight to you and whatever my weakness, please hold tight to me.

Above is Blue Elegy by Robert Motherwell. An Elegy is a mournful song as might be sung at a funeral.

2006-08-15T06:22:00.000-04:00

Who rises up for me against the wicked? Who stands up for me against evildoers? If the Lord had not been my help, my soul would soon have lived in the land of silence. When I thought, ‘My foot is slipping’, your steadfast love, O Lord, held me up. When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul. (Psalm 94: 16-19)

God is here - now - and ready to help. We can receive the help of God through prayer, meditation, study, and mindful doing.

When we are confused, God can clarify. When we are afraid, God can provide courage. When we are weak, God can make us strong.

When evil is all about us, God can help us find confidence in the truth, intention, and purposes for which we were created.

2006-08-14T06:37:00.000-04:00

But now you have spurned and rejected him; you are full of wrath against your anointed. You have renounced the covenant with your servant; you have defiled his crown in the dust. You have broken through all his walls; you have laid his strongholds in ruins. All who pass by plunder him; he has become the scorn of his neighbours. You have exalted the right hand of his foes; you have made all his enemies rejoice. Moreover, you have turned back the edge of his sword, and you have not supported him in battle. You have removed the sceptre from his hand, and hurled his throne to the ground. You have cut short the days of his youth; you have covered him with shame. (Psalm 89: 38-45)

Faced with disaster the descendents of David perceive that God has withdrawn. They see in their pain God's punishment. They see God's hand in the ascent of their enemies.

It seems to me that, rather, the enemy can succeed despite God's help.

Perhaps the descendents had misunderstood God's intention. Perhaps at a crucial decision-point fear overcame faith. Perhaps on a particular day evil confounded good.

The enemy of good is creative, capable, and strong. On any particular day, the enemy many be stronger than we are, even at our most faithful.

Too often when we perceive God is absent it is because we have replaced God with something of our making: fear, pride, anger, or despair.

2006-08-14T03:40:00.000-04:00

SUNDAY, AUGUST 13, 2006

Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. Say to God, ‘How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.’ (Psalm 66: 1-4)

In this triumphant song of praise the psalmist has sounded a minor chord.

God has enemies. The enemies are clever. Above the translator has used "cringe." The Hebrew is kachash. Cringe is accurate, but this is a forced and feigned groveling. The enemies have not truly submitted to God. Rather, they are going through the motions, waiting for an opportunity to assert themselves.

God is the ultimate reality. The enemies of God seek to twist reality and confuse our understanding. The enemies of God are deceptive. M. Scott Peck has suggested that evil is, at its source, the manipulation of reality to hurt others as a way of helping ones self. When Satan encountered Jesus in the wilderness the temptations were all self-serving and were fortified by quoting scripture.

Satan tried to use scripture in a way that would push Jesus to self-assertion and self-satisfaction. Jesus consistently responded with restraint. Even at the beginning of his ministry Jesus was sufficiently at one with God - and confident of his understanding of reality - to recognize his enemy's twisting of reality.

Jesus knew that fulfillment is the result of authentic submission to God, rather than assertion of a separate self.

Above is The Ascension of Christ by Salvador Dali.

2006-08-12T05:57:00.000-04:00

O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures for ever. O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures for ever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures for ever; who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures for ever; who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures for ever; who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures for ever; who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures for ever; the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures for ever; the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures for ever; (Psalm 136: 1-9)

Love is complex and can be a complicating. There is often an expectation of mutual love. A casual dinner partner once announced that she did not believe in unconditional love. For her love needs to be a balanced exchange of value. In her view the best way to ensure the health of any relationship is for all parties to be mindful of and take responsibility for fulfilling the needs of one another.

My dinner partner had been married to the same man for many years and was the wife of three grown children. She was involved in a caring profession and engaged in many creative endeavors. I do not know her well, but her philosophy of love had seemingly served her well. And certainly to be attentive and responsive to the needs of others is an important characteristic of love.

But it seems to me the deepest love is when I value another for who they are, not for what they do for me.

The psalmist writes of God's steadfast love. Elsewhere the translation is everlasting love. The Hebrew is chesed which can mean self-love. The same Hebrew word can also mean to be ashamed. This is to love others as we love ourselves. We almost always give ourselves the benefit of the doubt. Even when we are ashamed of ourselves, we can explain away our failure. Even when we are deeply disappointed in ourselves, we very seldom condemn our motives and can usually defend our intentions. Even when we hold ourselves accountable we do so with some confidence in our ability to more fully achieve our intentions next time. Sometimes all of this can be self-justifying and delusional. But often our intentions are good, even when our outcomes are bad.

Chesed might also be understood as deep-awareness. To love in this way is to be fully aware and accepting of another. I don't know how I might ever balance the exchange of value with God. Trying to do so would be an impediment to my relationship with God. I perceive that even when I am ashamed of myself, God is aware of a potential that transcends the shame. I perceive that I am encouraged to accept this love and extend this same love to others. I understand that I am also encouraged to an awareness and acceptance of God, even when God's intentions may be obscure and the outcome is painful.

2006-08-11T06:02:00.000-04:00

Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honour them. With long life I will satisfy them, and show them my salvation. (Psalm 91: 14-16)

This psalm closes with the sudden appearance of God speaking in the first person. The promises of the psalmist are endorsed and amplified by the author of life.

These are powerful and encouraging promises.

I am concerned by one aspect of the translation. The English uses a future tense that is not, in my opinion, consistent with the original Hebrew.

"Those who love me, I am delivering; I am protecting those who know my character. When they call to me, I am answering them; I am with them in trouble, I am rescuing them and honouring them. With length of life I am satisfying them, and causing them to see my fulfillment."

The Hebrew tense is unfinished, not future. But being unfinished also means it is already underway.

2006-08-10T04:38:00.000-04:00

The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. He fulfils the desire of all who fear him; he also hears their cry, and saves them. (Psalm 145: 17-19)

God is just - tsaddiyq - righteous, authentic, fully one's self.

God is kind - chaciyd - faithful, gracious, loving.

God is near - qarowb - proximate in time, space, and relationship; in kinship with.

God fulfills - 'asha - does, fashions, makes, prepares, presses.

God hears - shama' - listens, perceives, understands, consents, agrees.

God saves - yasha' - delivers, preserves, liberates, gives victory.

Above is the Power of Kindness by AI. Zapolyansky.

2006-08-09T04:42:00.000-04:00

My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word. Put false ways far from me; and graciously teach me your law. (Psalm 119: 28-29)

We no longer much use the word "vex." As in, I am vexed. It is an old word with even older roots. For the Romans vexare meant to set in motion. Vexare emerged from the Indo-European wegh as in wegh-ya which means voyage or journey.

The Hebrew for sorrow, as used above, is tugah. This is derived from yagah, which is derived from the Indo-European wegh-ya. This is a sorrow that is related to the burdens of travel, something we have all experienced at some time or another.

Most journeys begin with great enthusiasm. Some journeys are afflicted with delays, distractions, break-downs, detours, wrong turns, getting lost, back-tracks, and more. In making the journey we may entirely lose our initial enthusiasm.

But usually we persist. Most of the time we continue to our destination and usually I am glad to have made the trip. The troubles can become material for hilarious stories. If I shared the trip with others, we often emerge better friends than when a journey goes as planned.

But still I would prefer to stay mostly on the right way and make reasonable progress. There are enough vexing problems in making life's journey without seeking out more. Dear God, put false ways far from me. Keep me on the path you intend.

2006-08-08T05:03:00.000-04:00

O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvellous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gained him victory. The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God. Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. (Psalm 98: 1-4)

How often, I wonder, do I take credit for what God has done? Perhaps worse, how often do I fail to notice what God has done?

Yesterday was a pleasant and productive day. I spent ten hours encouraging others, creating new possibilities, and walking a bit farther down the path I have chosen. After dinner my wife and I drove into the little town nearby. We discussed friends, family, and our life together. After mailing two letters we shared a small carmel sunday. After returning home, I called my parents and shared good news. I climbed into bed tired but satisfied.

More often than not this is the nature of my days. Too often I allow worries to obscure these simple but profound pleasures. Too seldom do I thank God.

2006-08-07T05:03:00.000-04:00

You are the God who works wonders; you have displayed your might among the peoples. With your strong arm you redeemed your people, the descendants of Jacob and Joseph. (Psalm 77: 14-15)

People of faith struggle with the covenant that God made with Abraham and his descendents. What does the covenant say about God, God's love, human nature, human disobedience, and God's intervention?

The core of the covenant seems to be love God and all will be well with you. Follow the divine rules and you will be healthy, wealthy, and wise. Make your relationship with God your most important relationship and you will be beyond harm. Otherwise, watch out.

So when Israel became corrupt it was understood that Assyria was used to cleanse and redeem the people. Later the elite of Judah was taken in captivity to Babylon. Once again, this was explained as God's "tough love."

Some have argued that divine cleansing also explains Hitler's Final Solution. Most minds rebel at the thought. Certainly the God that I know would have nothing to do with something so hideous.

For many the Holocaust of the Jews - and the profound pain of so many millions this very day - is sufficient proof that there is no God. For many any God worth worshiping would intervene to stop the gross injustice that we see about us each day.

The Hebrew for redeem, used above, is ga'al which means to act as a kinsman. The usage and implication is to be present and helpful in time of trouble. As the family gathers for support at a funeral, as the family is to be source of help in time of need, so can God act as redeemer.

The person of faith perceives that God has intervened: in the courage of Moses, in the life of Jesus, in the love and wisdom of millions of good men and women throughout history. The person of faith knows that he or she is to be the strong arm of the Lord on this day.

God calls us to be as a kinsman to one another. God offers us inspiration, insight, and courage to become agents of redemption. But God has given us the freedom to choose. Will we choose to act as kinsmen of God and one another, or will we deny these elemental relationships and our role in the covenant?

Above is The Clash by Hans Hofmann.

2006-08-06T06:16:00.000-04:00

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. (Psalm 34: 4-8)

Today many churches recall the Transfiguration of Jesus (Matthew 17: 1-8), which reflects a similar experience of Moses (Exodus 34: 29-35). After an encounter with God both Jesus and Moses physically radiated the light of God.

David tells us we too can be radiant. The Hebrew verb is nahar which means a stream of burning light. The love and light of God can flow from us.

The light of love can be warming, cleansing, empowering but it can also be painful. The light of love can transform us, redirect us, take us to unexpected places. When we seek the face of God we are likely to be surprised, even as we are fulfilled.

2006-08-05T05:02:00.000-04:00

No good thing does the Lord withhold from those who walk uprightly. O Lord of hosts, happy is everyone who trusts in you. (Psalm 84: 11-12)

To walk uprightly is to come and go or to live in a manner that is whole, complete, and consistent with God's intention.

To be happy is to be blessed. The Hebrew is derived from 'ashar which means to go straight, advance, make progress, sometimes to be led.

To trust is to be confident, secure, bold, and sometimes to be careless. If we have confidence in God we will live with integrity. In this way we will make progress.

Aristotle taught that human happiness is found in the process of becoming our best. Many of the psalms teach the same lesson.

We are to live as those seeking, making a journey, pioneering. Our goal is a full relationship with God. Our compass is trust and wholeness is our walking stick.

2006-08-04T04:43:00.000-04:00

Truly God is good to the upright, to those who are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant;I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For they have no pain; their bodies are sound and sleek. They are not in trouble as others are; they are not plagued like other people. (Psalm 73: 1-5)

Each generation and each personality has its own objects of envy: athletes, musicians, movie stars, artists, architects or whatever. We envy those who seem to have found their most powerful, creative, and honest selves.

It is reported that John Lennon envied the Rolling Stones. Lennon felt trapped in a set of expectations that were not his own. He perceived that Mick and the Stones were the real thing.

Our celebrity culture reflects a fundamental human desire for raw authenticity, a fierce engagment with reality, and a boldness we too often do not allow ourselves. In many cases our envy is badly placed. Those we admire can be carefully constructed illusions.

We should give our envy its due. But instead of living vicariously we should seek to live more and more coherently with our real self, our bold self, our righteous self.

God's intention for you and me is not an illusion. It is always an adventure. Rather than envy others, we should engage God and become fully our selves.

Above is the Rolling Stones by Henk Veen.

2006-08-03T04:31:00.000-04:00

O God, why do you cast us off for ever? Why does your anger smoke against the sheep of your pasture? Remember your congregation, which you acquired long ago, which you redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage. Remember Mount Zion, where you came to dwell. Direct your steps to the perpetual ruins;the enemy has destroyed everything in the sanctuary. (Psalm 74:1-3)

A synagogue is destroyed. A poor rural church is arsoned. An entire neighborhood is bombed. Children die. Mothers mourn. Fathers curse. Many cry for vengeance.

We can easily feel cast off and far from God. We may in our grief make choices that take us even farther from God.

Our hopes are in ruin. Our hearts are broken. Our faith is shaken. O God, direct your steps to the perpetual ruin of all that is separated from you. Restore us to wholeness.

2006-08-02T04:31:00.000-04:00

I have seen a limit to all perfection, but your commandment is exceedingly broad. (Psalm 119: 96)

What does this mean? What do those words organized in that way intend to tell me? How is the first clause related to the second clause? I read it two times and it means nothing to me.

I can imagine a limit to perfection. But is this a limit to human perfection or divine perfection? I can agree that God's commandments cover a broad purpose, but I don't see how that applies to perfection being limited.

I read the context a few times. No clues (at least for me, at least not this morning). I consider the possibility that the author just needed something to complete a stanza. Psalm 119 is really long. But that seems too much a cop-out for both the author and me.

The Hebrew translated here as perfection is tiklah which is less our modern (rather Platonic) understanding of perfect and much more a completion, fulfillment, and ending. There is a double limiting in the first clause.

Broad is a straightforward English translation of rachab. But rachab is closely related and derived from the Hebrew meaning a large and roomy pasture. For some reason that image stirs my synapses.

At this point in the analysis for the first time I consider commandment or mitzvah. The military has a term that I like for understanding mitzvah. Every specific order needs to be considered in terms of the "commander's intent." This is very close to the meaning of mitzvah.

This little study - combined, no doubt, with my own situation - leads me to finally understand the phrase as meaning: I am inclined to see limits to everything even to God, but God's intention is much broader than I can imagine.

May God enliven and empower our understanding.

2006-08-01T04:33:00.000-04:00

Hear my cry, O God; listen to my prayer. From the end of the earth I call to you, when my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I; for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me abide in your tent for ever, find refuge under the shelter of your wings. (Psalm 61: 1-4)

We seek a secure place - a high rock, a strong tower - that will withstand the storms, survive the flood, and protect against all manner of threats.

But the psalmist suggests the security of God is of a different kind.

God does not abide in a tall tower of stone, but in a tent. God is flexible, adaptable, and always on the move. God will give us refuge by joining us in the storm or flood.

God will pull us close and cover us with love.

We are not promised the absence of harm. But if in harm's way we reach out to God, we are promised that God will reach out to us.

Above is Desert Storm by Syddick Napaltjarri Linda.

2006-07-31T05:12:00.000-04:00

You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges,softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. (Psalm 65: 9-13)

In prior generations our role as co-creators with God was easier to perceive. Dependence on the natural world led early humans to perceive that the divine was immanent. This remains a common aspect of religious inspiration.

A hundred or more generations went by before we began to understand the possibility of a transcendent God. But still, we experienced God in daily life, we understood that God worked through humans, most humans could not imagine an existence without God.

But today - at least in the modern West - most of us are detached from nature and perceive we are largely self-created. The ideology of individualism is sufficiently strong to complicate every relationship and especially a dependent relationship with a loving God.

People of faith are called to relationship. We find that apart from God there is no meaning or purpose or joy. We find that only in relationship with God does our individuality make sense. We find that only in working with God is our work able to be truly fruitful.

Dear God, thank you for visiting the earth. May I be a good, generous, and attentive host. May I set aside my plans in order to be with you.

2006-07-30T05:19:00.000-04:00

Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the Lord, and vindication from the God of their salvation. (Psalm 24: 3-5)

Some perceive a progressive revelation of God. In this view over the generations God has gradually allowed humankind to come into a fuller understanding of God's character, purposes, and intention.

Others perceive that God has changed. In their view God has responded creatively to human behavior, developing new principles and different processes for achieving the same purposes.

I am inclined to perceive that God has been consistent but we have failed to accurately understand and have often mischaracterized God. We constantly do this with each other.

In the Old Testament there are two paths to God. One is a path of sacrifice, observing the law, and earning merit. The other emphasizes thankfulness, love, and being in relationship.

Jesus walked and taught this second path. Despite knowing this and preferring this, I am still sometimes drawn to the first path. Dear God, bring me to and keep me on your path.

2006-07-29T04:43:00.000-04:00

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. The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever. (Psalm 138: 7-8)

There are several Hebrew words that can mean hand and most simply mean hand. But the Hebrew here is yad. This is hand as an instrument of power, strength, productivity, and creativity.

The psalmist emphasizes that not only is God's hand extended to us, but it is the right hand or yamiyn. This is the feminine form: gentle, nurturing, and caring. This hand does not cast lightening bolts, but sooths and comforts.

I especially like the phrase, "The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me." But the original Hebrew is Yehovah gamar ba'ad. This can also be translated as "the Lord will carry through to the end." Does this suggest being with us whether or not we make the choices leading to fulfillment?

Above is Cosmic Hand by Douglas Blair.

2006-07-28T05:14:00.000-04:00

But surely, God is my helper; the Lord is the upholder of my life. He will repay my enemies for their evil. In your faithfulness, put an end to them. With a freewill-offering I will sacrifice to you; I will give thanks to your name, O Lord, for it is good. For he has delivered me from every trouble, and my eye has looked in triumph on my enemies. (Psalm 54: 4-7)

Recently I sat across from a faithful and capable man who - with modern phrases - might have been quoting these verses. In this case his troubles are my troubles and his deliverence would be my deliverence.

I was humbled by his confidence in God's personal care. My response was something similar to "If so, for me, it would be an extraordinary example of grace because I do not deserve it." He seemed surprised by this response and gently argued otherwise.

My troubles are nothing compared to millions of others. Compared to others my troubles are blessings. My sin is no less than millions of others. Compared to the hungry and orphaned children of a dozen wars I have no special claim to God's attention.

I was surprised by my friend's argument that I might deserve grace, and the implication that he, too, might deserve it. I have not earned God's grace. I can accept that Jesus earned this grace for me, but that is very different than deserving it.

Yet I am certainly, if reluctantly, a recipient of God's grace. The reluctance is a problem. This is pride disguised as humility. This is a continued effort to be in control rather than defer to God's intention for me. This is an impediment to being in full relationship with God.

Teach me wisdom in my secret heart. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. (Psalm 51: 6-10)

2006-07-27T05:23:00.000-04:00

But truly God has listened; he has given heed to the words of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me. (Psalm 66: 19-20)

To be heard, truly heard, and fully understood is unusual. Linguists have found that - at best - listeners only understand about 70 percent of what is said. The typical level of understanding is much lower.

To speak of our greatest fear, deepest shame, or profound sadness and not just be understood but accepted, respected, and loved is a source of healing and courage. Some have suggested that careful hearing was the means for many of the miracles of Jesus.

Surely God listens. But we must choose to speak. Surely it is God's intention that we each listen carefully to one another. As Jesus said so often, "if anyone has ears to hear, let them hear."

2006-07-26T04:11:00.000-04:00

The earth, O Lord, is full of your steadfast love; teach me your statutes. You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word. Teach me good judgement and knowledge, for I believe in your commandments. (Psalm 119: 63-66)

I want to know the rules for living. Even more I want to understand God's intention for those rules. I ask for good judgement and knowledge in order to fully and properly engage the rules and God's intention.

The Bible begins with rules and over the course of centuries gives increasing attention to the principles behind the rules. The principles were always explicit, but it is almost as if God discovered that humanity - when given a choice - prefers rules to the exclusion of principles. When given the chance we will ignore the principles behind the rules and apply the rules in accordance with our own preferences.

At the Last Supper Jesus said to his disciples, "A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you." Just before his death as a culmination of his ministry Jesus emphasized the rule has no benefit separated from its principle. The final rule and the ultimate principle is to love.

Above is Understanding Life by Javier Lopez Barbosa

2006-07-25T06:36:00.000-04:00

Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it. (Psalm 34: 11-14)

War, famine, disease, tsunami, earthquake, hurricane and much more threaten us. There are malevolent men and women who delight in evil. There are satanic forces that we may confront only with God's help.

But for millions the source of suffering is not the stuff of headlines or history, but instead results from the envy, rumors, unloving criticism, disdain, neglect, and abuse of family and neighbors. The pain caused by evil tongues is often the origin of even greater evils.

May we listen more and say less. When we speak may we be loving, affirming, and encouraging. Whatever we say and do may we seek peace, wholeness, and the intention of God.

2006-07-24T06:50:00.000-04:00

But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God for ever and ever. I will thank you for ever, because of what you have done. In the presence of the faithful I will proclaim your name, for it is good. (Psalm 52: 8-9)

Today's psalms are full of wicked victories, betrayals, plots, mischief, and evil. Today's gospel lesson is Jesus at Gethsemane asking that the cup of crucifixion be allowed to pass from him.

I perceive that humankind might have chosen to accept Jesus and what a wholly different life we would now be living. I perceive that Jesus might have chosen to put aside or never take up his ministry. What a wholly different life we would now be living. But Jesus prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me; yet not what I want but what you want."

Jesus was like a green olive tree deeply rooted in God's purpose. Even on the edge of an unjust and torturous death Jesus not only deferred to God's will but gave thanks for it.

2006-07-23T06:07:00.000-04:00

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. (Psalm 63: 1)

Tradition says that David wrote this psalm while hiding in the wilderness of Judah. It was in this same wilderness that John the Baptist prophesied. It was to here that Jesus came after his baptism and was tempted by Satan.

I am inclined to take water for granted. In my life water has always been plentiful, clean, and basically free. Water is essential to my survival. It cleanses, cools, and serves me in many ways, most of which I barely notice. Many others on this planet are not so fortunate.

The analogy is, perhaps, too easy. But do I treat God any better than I treat water? With the next long bath or tall glass or steady rain will I give thanks? Will I recognize and take responsibility for a relationship on which my life depends?

Like David I am more likely to notice water when there is drought. When I have taken myself far from the sources of water, then I will notice its absense. When I am in desperate need of what I have taken for granted, then I am mindful of it.

Dear God, make me mindful in both prosperity and poverty. Help me to see how your grace is all about me, sustaining me, and calling to me. May I drink of your waters with thanksgiving and praise.

2006-07-22T06:15:00.000-04:00

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God? (Psalm 42: 1-2)

Freud theorized that our fundamental motivation is to reproduce. Nietzche argued that we have a will to power. There are many explanations for our human condition.

I thirst for God. Sometimes I mistake this as a thirst for something else. Human intimacy - both sexual and non-sexual - is analogous to intimacy with God. If I find God and follow God into human intimacy, it can be a pathway to the divine. But if I mistake a potentially helpful analogy for a fundamental reality I will never satisfy my thirst.

In all that I seek, may I first seek the will of God and do my best to commit myself to that underlying relationship.

Today many churches recall the life and ministry of Mary of Magdala, the first witness of the resurrection. Her life has recently experienced an explosion of interest. Two places to begin learning more are www.magdalene.org and the Catholic Encyclopedia.

2006-07-21T05:28:00.000-04:00

My times are in your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors. Let your face shine upon your servant; save me in your steadfast love. (Psalm 31: 15-16)

Some suggest that time is a human creation and largely an illusion.

In this psalm "my times" is the Hebrew 'eth meaning much the same as the English time. 'Eth is derived from the 'ad which means continuing future, perpetuity, forever.

The human experience of time is, usually, as something limited or something to be managed. Sometimes we can even come to perceive time as the enemy.

God's time is infinite, inexhaustible, always unfolding, never closing, and always producing new possibilities.

Perhaps time is a creation of God, but - as with so many of God's gifts - we have misunderstood and misused time.

More on time is available at The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

2006-07-20T06:15:00.000-04:00

The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; he is their refuge in the time of trouble. The Lord helps them and rescues them; he rescues them from the wicked, and saves them, because they take refuge in him. (Psalm 37: 39-40)

God can protect and deliver those who choose to live in a manner coherent with God's intention.

I perceive that the choice is more important than the coherence. If our choice is true, God is very indulgent of inconsistent and erroneous execution.

When we choose to trust in God - the Hebrew can also mean hope in God - this allows God to work with us and through us.

God is quick and generous in responding to our openness.

Choosing to walk with and trust in God is the way we invite God to enter into our lives with power and grace.

Above is a tapestry entitled Rescue by Lynne McIlvride Evans.

2006-07-19T04:31:00.000-04:00

Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes, and I will observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it. Turn my heart to your decrees, and not to selfish gain. Turn my eyes from looking at vanities; give me life in your ways. (Psalm 119: 33-37)

Can I honestly ask for what the psalmist asks?

Teach me your statutes. I am open to teaching. Give me understanding. Yes, that would be good.

So that I may keep the law of God with my whole heart. Give myself wholly to the law of God? What does that mean?

Lead me on your path. Well... where will your path lead me? Turn my heart from selfish gain. I don't want to be selfish, but toward what purpose will I turn?

Turn my eyes from vanities. The Hebrew is shav' meaning emptiness, nothingness, illusion, ephemera. Well, if you put it that way, of course. But I have a foreboding that when specific vanities are on the table I might not be so agreeable.

Be careful, we are told, for what we pray. When I often pray, "thy kingdom come, thy will be done." Do I really mean it? What if I prayed for this with full intention, purpose, and will?

2006-07-18T04:14:00.000-04:00

Blessed be the Lord, for he has heard the sound of my pleadings. The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts; so I am helped, and my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him. (Psalm 28: 6-7)

I am helped because God has listened. I exult because God has heard.

This is the Hebrew shama. This is the physical act of hearing, but it is also to listen attentively, to understand, and to consent.

Because I have confidence that God has listened I am strengthened. I feel empowered and enboldened.

God listens. I trust. In faith and trust I am given the courage to undertake what God intends.

I must also listen to God. May I shama.

2006-07-17T04:58:00.000-04:00

The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap. (Psalm 92:12- 14)

The palm tree lives long and well even in the middle of the desert. From the rocky crags of the mountain the great cedars of Lebanon extend their reach. The righteous likewise flourish in adversity because their roots are close to God. Like these great trees we are to reach down to our foundations. In our origins with God we will find what is needed to continue flexible, flowing, and fruitful.

Above is an early 20th Century painting of a Marionite Christian festival taking place around a Cedar of Lebanon (artist unknown)

2006-07-16T04:05:00.000-04:00

Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host! Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created. He established them for ever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed. (Psalm 148: 1-6)

We are to boast about God. We are to brag about God. In Middle English boast is closely related to brag. Originally brag was an adjective not a verb. Something was brag when it was exceptionally fine. God is very brag.

We are to praise God. The Hebrew is halal which can also be to act madly or as a fool. We are to fall madly in love with God. We are to lose our senses, even lose ourselves in our love for God. We are to receive God's love with abandon.

Halal also means to shine or flash. We are to demonstrate our love for God and confidence in God in how we conduct ourselves. We should be as mirrors reflecting heavenly light. In us others should perceive the light of God.

2006-07-15T03:55:00.000-04:00

May he grant you your heart’s desire, and fulfil 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 fulfil all your petitions. (Psalm 20: 4-5)

The psalmist has put into words what is all too often my own understanding. I come into relationship with God pursuing my own plans.

With anyone whom we truly love there is a readiness to put aside our plan for their plan, forsake our heart's desire for theirs. In a healthy relationship there is a mutual helpfulness and shared commitment to being with the other in fulfilling his or her potential. We certainly may come into the relationship with plans and desires. But in an alchemy of loving one another these plans and desires are transformed. If this is our experience in earthly love, would it not be even moreso in our relationship with God?

Dear God, enable me to know your intention, help me to fulfill your plan for me and this world. May we shout for joy in knowing and doing your will. May we fulfill all your teachings.

2006-07-14T04:04:00.000-04:00

You show me the path of life. In your presence there is fullness of joy; in your right hand are pleasures for evermore. (Psalm 16:11)

Apart from God I am lost, confused, and unhappy. Yet there have been many days - perhaps weeks - when I have chosen to separate myself from God.

Most of the time I am not so much separated as just not paying attention. It is a bit like walking with a spouse, child, or friend and suddenly realizing you have no idea what they just said.

God is due my attention. When I am truly present with God and engaged in a real relationship with God I am more alive, more fulfilled, and much more myself.

Above is Sacred Path by Angelo Mazzoleni.

2006-07-13T04:26:00.000-04:00

The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation. (Psalm 18: 46)

In the Eighteenth Psalm David is feeling especially full of himself. His pride, arrogance, and aggressiveness pour off the page. But the saving grace of this most complex of saints was David's real and deep relationship with God. In defeat or in victory, at his most rational or his most delusional, David lived with God.

For who is God except the Lord? And who is a rock besides our God?— the God who girded me with strength, and made my way safe. He made my feet like the feet of a deer, and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand has supported me; your help has made me great. You gave me a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. I pursued my enemies and overtook them; and did not turn back until they were consumed. (Psalm 18:31-37)

I am convinced that David often misunderstood God's intention. David often applied his great gifts and fulsome faith to purposes that God despised. Scripture recounts that David was not allowed to build the temple because of his bloody deeds. But God forgave and loved David, despite his profound errors - and David knew and received this love and forgiveness because of his total openness to God.

I am surely as error-prone as David. I may avoid his most aggressive and murderous sins. But in comparison with God's intention and the potential God has given me, my sins of omission are at least as grave as those David boldly committed.

Do I live with God, as David clearly did? This is a crucial question. I will never be so sufficient in wisdom and love that I might avoid sin. But in a full relationship with God even my failures can be transformed. In relationship with God, my misunderstandings and mistakes are not just forgiven, they can become a source of healing, creating, and loving.

Dear God, I am inclined to judge David. Help me instead to learn from him.

2006-07-12T05:00:00.000-04:00

With my whole heart I seek you; do not let me stray from your commandments. I treasure your word in my heart, so that I may not sin against you. Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes. With my lips I declare all the ordinances of your mouth. I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches. I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways. I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word. (Psalm 119: 10-16)

A good friend recently called the Bible our "rule book. " As today's psalmist suggests there are many different kinds of rules.

Commandment - mitzvah - to order, to charge, to empower.

Word - 'imrah - promise, saying, sometimes also a command.

Statute - 'choq - prescribed action, specific instruction, rule.

Ordinance - mishpat - judgment, decision, plan of action.

Decree - 'eduwth - testimony, story, warning.

Precept - piqquwd - observation, visitation, principle.

Way - 'orach - direction, journey, way of living.

The Talmud teaches that the are 613 rules in the Torah, the first five books of the Bible.

When Jesus was growing up two great rabbis argued over how these rules should be applied. Rabbi Shammai, perhaps president of the Sanhedrin (Chief Religious Council) at the time of the crucifixion, was very much a stickler for detail. Rabbi Hillel, his predecessor as president, had taught, "What is hateful to you, do not do to your fellow man. This is the entire Torah, all of it. Go and study it."

Jesus made a positive principle of Hillel's teaching: "Do unto others as you would have them do to you."

2006-07-11T04:29:00.000-04:00

For you are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil will not sojourn with you. The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak lies; the Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful. But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down towards your holy temple in awe of you. Lead me, O Lord, in your righteousness because of my enemies; make your way straight before me. (Psalm 6:4-8)

Francis S. Collins, a distinguished geneticist, has written The Language of God. This one-time atheist explains how he arrived at faith through reason. I have not yet read the book.

A review in the Washington Post's Book World is complimentary. But the reviewer does complain, "Why God permits the suffering of innocents is a puzzle Collins does not pretend to solve, although he speculates, following C.S. Lewis, that we may need to suffer in order to learn." (The complete review is available here.)

The innocent suffer because the children of God fail in our responsibilty. God has given us freedom to choose. God has given us the power to create. God will actively support our creative choosing. But we often fail even to make a choice. We neglect the needs of the innocent. We are distracted and leave the choosing to those with evil purpose.

God is ready to right the wrongs of the world. God is ready to destroy the sources of evil. God is ready to intervene: using you and me as agents of love and justice. But it is our choice.

Dear God I bring before you the decisions of this day. Please make clear to me your way. Please give me the wisdom, courage, humility, and love to make choices that allow me and others to advance on your way. Make your way straight before me.

Above is Circle Limit III by M.C. Escher. This is a study in hyperbolic geometry where each fish is following a straight line.

2006-07-10T04:28:00.000-04:00

O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, you who test the minds and hearts, O righteous God. (Psalm 7: 9)

I am not well-acquainted with evil. I know neglect, distraction, selfishness, carelessness, and stupidity. Each of these are regular sources of trouble and pain. But they lack the intention, cunning, and strength of the truly wicked.

At least from afar there seems to be a pattern to which evil conforms. Considering Hitler, Stalin, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, and Osama bin-Laden I notice that each was empowered by a sense victimization. Each sought vengeance against their oppressors. Each was inspired by a transcendent vision. Each was able to twist that vision to justify their evil. Each saw themselves as executors of a righteous cause.

Jesus taught us to forgive those who oppress us. Jesus taught us to love our enemies. Forgiveness and love are the best ways to ensure we do not contribute to evil. May forgiveness and love be strongly established. May we pass the test.

2006-07-09T05:13:00.000-04:00

Praise the Lord! Happy are those who fear the Lord, who greatly delight in his commandments. Their descendants will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches are in their houses, and their righteousness endures for ever. They rise in the darkness as a light for the upright; they are gracious, merciful, and righteous. (Psalm 112: 1-4)

Happiness is the outcome of honoring God, taking delight in God's instruction, and behaving with grace, mercy, and righteousness.

To be gracious - the Hebrew is channuwn - is to be considerate of others and to be sympathetic to the condition of others.

To have mercy - the Hebrew is rachuwn - is to be compassionate, to empathize, to engage another on their own terms.

To be righteous - the Hebrew is tsaddiyq - is to be consistent, to be just, and to have integrity.

Our happiness is an outcome of how we order our relationship with God and with others. I am not so confident in the psalmist's promise of wealth and family power. But the promise of good progress, blessings, and happiness these are surely the fruits of grace, mercy, and righteousness.

2006-07-08T04:53:00.000-04:00

You have made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. You make darkness, and it is night, when all the animals of the forest come creeping out. The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God. When the sun rises, they withdraw and lie down in their dens. People go out to their work and to their labour until the evening. (Psalm 104: 19-23)

There are two contradictory traditions in scripture regarding work. In one - perhaps better known - labor is a punishment for eating of the fruit of the tree of knowledge.

In the other tradition work is a gift. Just as the sun is meant to rise and the lion to roar, men and women are meant to work. The masculine noun is po'al, translated above as work. The feminine noun is 'abodah, translated above as labour.

The Hebrew can also be translated as to create and to serve. A recent study of happiness found that two of the most important preconditions of happiness are the opportunity to create and the experience of voluntarily serving others.

Work can be a punishment. In certain contexts the same words can mean to be as slaves. In too many cases work is not creative and it does not serve others. When work is only drudgery and merely self-serving it is a source of oppression.

This psalm begins with a vision of God working. Our work is to be a reflection of God's work. In creating and serving we are able to contribute to the fulfillment of God's intention for each of us and the whole of the universe.

Above is The Universe at a Glance by Painted Universe, Inc.

2006-07-07T04:22:00.000-04:00

Save me, O Lord, from my enemies; I have fled to you for refuge. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good spirit lead me on a level path. For your name’s sake, O Lord, preserve my life. In your righteousness bring me out of trouble. In your steadfast love cut off my enemies, and destroy all my adversaries, for I am your servant. (Psalm 143: 9-12)

The psalmist is threatened by enemies (ayab) and adversaries (tsarar). The translator has, in my opinion, softened the language. The final verse might be understood to say "annihilate my enemies, and exterminate all my adversaries." The verbs are violent in the extreme.

The psalm is not explicit, but we assume these are external threats.

I cannot call any other person an enemy. I am not aware of anyone who actively seeks to harm me. There are others who frustrate me. They are inconsistent, fail to keep their promises, are negligent, and misleading. They complicate my life and from time-to-time present a real threat.

But there is no one who has purposefully "crushed my life to the ground."

My greatest adversaries are internal. Fear, doubt, selfishness, anger and their cousins are my enemies. These enemies are beyond my strength. To be freed from these threats I must depend on God. Only God's love can cut off the influence of these evil powers.

2006-07-06T04:51:00.000-04:00

For the Lord will vindicate his people, and have compassion on his servants. (Psalm 135: 14)

In other translations the verse reads that the Lord will judge his people. The Hebrew - diyn - suggests a leader, a master, someone who decides.

Nacham or compassion will influence the deciding. The decision will be comforting or consoling.

To receive God's compassion we must be servants of God, those who work for God and are ready to accept the decision of God.

2006-07-05T04:36:00.000-04:00

Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word. (Psalm 119:169)

In Hebrew the second clause is Yahovah biyn dabar. This is probably too simple, but my preferred translation would be "God give me understanding of your word."

Dabar can also mean command, warning, threat, speech, song, act or occupation. To understand God's word is to understand a great deal.

According to the gospel of John, God created the universe with a word. Help me to hear and understand.

Above is Logos by Lee Hodges.

2006-07-04T07:06:00.000-04:00

Restore our fortunes, O Lord, like the watercourses in the Negeb. May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves. (Psalm 126: 4-6)

Scripture does not promise a life of ease. The prophets preach struggle more than success. The life of Jesus is not a model of painless contemplation.

But God is a source of renewal, redemption, and restoration. With God we can make meaning of failure. With God we can find the courage to continue the struggle.

With God we abide the drought and keep hope with the season ahead. With God we can be confident in our purpose, sure of God's help, and have faith in an ultimate outcome consistent with God's intention.

2006-07-03T06:39:00.000-04:00

They angered the Lord at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses on their account; for they made his spirit bitter, and he spoke words that were rash. (Psalm 106: 32-33)

God was angered - qatsaph is the Hebrew - at Meribah (Exodus 17: 7). The Hebrew can encompass a range of feeling from mild displeasure to full fury. The specific attitude of God is not clear.

But the story of Moses at Meribah is well-known. Moses joined God in being angry. Moses was frustrated and impatient at the constant contentiousness of his people.

God may have been angry, but God also recognized the thirst of the people. God instructed Moses in how to satisfy their thirst. But before doing so Moses behaved rashly in expressing his anger and, according to some scholars, acting in a self-justifying manner inconsistent with God's purposes.

As a result of his bitter behavior at Meribah, God did not allow Moses to enter the Promised Land. God continued to love and bless Moses. But God also held Moses accountable for angry and impatient action.

Even God experiences qatsaph. But God is wise enough to not allow anger to inform action. God holds us accountable but in love not anger.

2006-07-02T07:17:00.000-04:00

You open your hand, satisfying the desire of every living thing. The Lord is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings. The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. (Psalm 145: 16-18)

Fundamental to my understanding of God is restraint. I perceive and experience a God who does not insist, does not intervene, does not interfere unless there is an invitation.

With an invitation God can be very active, but only as long as we remain open to God. Like a good guest or friend God will not remain any longer than we want.

The psalmist affirms that God is near "to all who call on him in truth." When we invite another we are to behave as a good host: lively, generous, caring, open, and giving.

Above is Calling by Patrick Burke.

2006-07-01T06:36:00.000-04:00

He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord. (Psalm 33: 5)

In Hebrew to be righteous is to have just cause, to behave justly toward others, and to be fully consistent and coherent with God's intention.

Because we are created in God's image we have just cause. To behave justly toward others is to extend them the love that God has extended to us.

God loves. God intends for us to love. In loving God and our neighbor we fulfill the intention for which we were created.

2006-06-30T06:22:00.000-04:00

Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wonderful works to humankind. (Psalm 107: 31)

Those lost in the desert find their way to help. Those lost in depression find their way to wholeness. Those on the edge of death find their way to health. Those threatened by the storms of life find their way to a quiet haven.

Each are encouraged by the psalmist to give thanks - but not just for themselves. They are to recognize and give thanks for the love and loving care of God extended to all.

The Hebrew translated here as humankind is ben 'adam: children of Adam or children of man. The wonders of God are generously given to all. God loves each of us and all of us. God is ready to help everyone find their way.

2006-06-29T05:29:00.000-04:00

So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. He gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the wealth of the peoples, that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 105: 43-45)

When we emerge from pain we often exult in simply feeling normal. When we escape a threatening situation our sense of relief is often joyful. Comfort and confidence may be the most effective antidote to exuberance. Somehow we are often unable to fully value what we have until we have lost it or nearly lose it. Dear God you have given me so many sources of joy. Help me, my God, to fully value your gifts.

Above is Gladness by Michael Kuznetsov.

2006-06-28T04:40:00.000-04:00

Your decrees are righteous for ever; give me understanding that I may live. (Psalm 119: 144)

Today's psalmist is in trouble. Like most of us his response to trouble is self-indulgent and far from self-critical. He writes, "For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues. They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause."

The psalmist is vengeful. He expects God's grace for himself. But for his enemies he seeks only punishment. He writes, "Let my assailants be put to shame; may your servant be glad. May my accusers be clothed with dishonour; may they be wrapped in their own shame as in a mantle."

The psalmist is impatient. He wants God to fix the troubles immediately. He writes, "It is time for the Lord to act, for your law has been broken."

The psalmist is consumed by self-pity. He writes, "I am small and despised, yet I do not forget your precepts."

But the psalmist is wise enough, or disciplined enough, or perhaps sufficiently poor and needy to truly come to God. As the psalm proceeds there are fewer assertions, fewer demands, more praise, and - instead of asking for action against the adversary - a prayerful request for God to transform the life and understanding of the psalmist.

2006-06-27T06:03:00.000-04:00

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing. Know that the Lord is God. It is he that made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, bless his name. For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures for ever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100)

To worship is to serve, to work, to recognize what needs to be done. To worship well is to do what needs to be done. The original Hebrew is 'abad which outside a religious context means to labor for another.

In the service professions one of the most prized characteristics is the ability to anticipate the needs and wants of those to be served.

What does God want? Joy, gladness, and singing are at the top of the list. Recognize that God rules. Recognize that God created us and seeks an ongoing relationship with us.

Give thanks and offer praise. In all of your work focus on blessing God. Work to fulfill the intent of God. Work with God.

If we worship - serve - God in this way we will be redeemed. We are fortunate to serve one who is good, loving, and faithful. In anticipating the wants of God, we fulfill our needs.

2006-06-26T04:27:00.000-04:00

Then you spoke in a vision to your faithful one, and said: ‘I have set the crown on one who is mighty, I have exalted one chosen from the people. I have found my servant David; with my holy oil I have anointed him; my hand shall always remain with him; my arm also shall strengthen him. The enemy shall not outwit him, the wicked shall not humble him. I will crush his foes before him and strike down those who hate him. My faithfulness and steadfast love shall be with him... (Psalm 89:19-24)

The love of David for God - and the love of God for David - is a great teaching.

David was a complex man: courageous, creative, and affectionate. He was a talented poet, skilled musician, and fearsome warrior. He was a man of deep faith.

David was also a murderer, adulterer, manipulator, and audacious teller of lies.

God loved David. God chose David. God also held David accountable. But God's love for David was steadfast, unconditional, and faithful.

God did not love David despite his flaws. God loved David including his flaws. God valued David fully, wholly, and completely.

David was always open to God. David was constantly in relationship with God. David did not trust in himself. David trusted only in God.

Because David - even in his sinfulness - remained open to and in relationship with God the redemptive potential of God's love was always with him.

Above is King David Chooses Bathsheba by Willie Rodger.

2006-06-25T04:55:00.000-04:00

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea; though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. (Psalm 46: 1-3)

Fear comes in many forms. Hebrew has twenty-six different words that are sometimes translated into the English word "fear."

Above the word is yare'. The implication is we will not run away or faint.

'Eymah means to be terrorized.

'Guwr means to fear that which is unfamiliar.

Da'agah is to be anxious, often without a clear source or focus.

Chathath is to be scared, shattered, or broken by disappointment.

Macah means to be intimidated.

'Arats was a favorite of Moses and Isaiah. It is to be shocked, surprised, to tremble in awe.

Isaiah also liked pachad which is to be overcome with a sustained sense of dread.

Rogez is to be agitated, troubled, emotionally unbalanced, and excited. Job describes both himself and God with this word. An early example of psychological projection.

Mowra is often translated as fear, but means to be reverent or to respect. In faith and love of God we should fear nothing. But we are to honor and respect God.

2006-06-24T05:14:00.000-04:00

Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved. (Psalm 80:19)

Today many churches celebrate the birth of John the Baptist. John was a prophet. He considered himself the forerunner of the Messiah.

John preached repentence in order to prepare for the forthcoming judgment of the annointed one. He baptized as a symbolic act of purification and preparation.

There are two Hebrew words meaning repent. One - nacham - also means to be sorry, to regret, and to be comforted.

The other is shuwb which means to turn away, turn back, return, restore, and to refresh. We cannot be certain which repentence John preached.

But I am fairly confident he preached shuwb. If his listeners were anything like me many nonetheless heard nacham.

Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine, the stock that your right hand planted. They have burned it with fire, they have cut it down; may they perish at the rebuke of your countenance. But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself. Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name. (Psalm 80:14-18)

2006-06-23T06:18:00.000-04:00

Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love, so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us, and for as many years as we have seen evil. Let your work be manifest to your servants, and your glorious power to their children. Let the favour of the Lord our God be upon us, and prosper for us the work of our hands —O prosper the work of our hands! (Psalm 90: 14-17)

We read that in creating the universe God would pause occasionally and perceive, "It is good."

God would step back from creating, assess the work, and confirm the outcome.

The psalmist is asking that his work be motivated by God's steadfast love. He is asking to know - and be led - by the example of God's work.

The psalmist is asking - I am asking - for God's help so that our work, our creation, our outcomes might also be good.

May our purpose and God's purpose be as one and our pathways the same.
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Note for future study: God's work in verse 16 is po'al. Our work in verse 17 is ma'aseh. The distinction is not clear to me.

Above is Creation by Kathy Thamann

2006-06-22T04:15:00.000-04:00

Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet; righteousness and peace will kiss each other. Faithfulness will spring up from the ground, and righteousness will look down from the sky. The Lord will give what is good, and our land will yield its increase. Righteousness will go before him, and will make a path for his steps. (Psalm 85: 10-13)

Jesus was very attuned to hypocritical behavior. In Matthew 23 it is one of the principal accusations he throws at the Pharisees and Scribes.

Faithfulness, steadfastness, and truth are principal characteristics of righteousness.

Most scholars perceive Jesus spoke mostly in Aramaic. But it is likely he understood Greek. Hypocrite is a Greek word for actor. Before the criticism in Matthew the word did not have an especially negative meaning.

Matthew may be offering a Greek translation of Ce'eph an Aramaic word that means double-minded, ambivalent, or half-hearted.

We should not spend our life pretending. We should not try to mislead others. We should - especially - not try to fool ourselves. We should find the self that God intended and live out that intention boldly, steadily, and with love.

2006-06-21T05:16:00.000-04:00

Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob. Raise a song, sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our festal day. (Psalm 81: 1-3)

The law of Moses mandated celebration. Exuberant singing, dancing, eating, and drinking were a form of worship.

Resting every seventh day was a requirement. Long vacations were scheduled each Spring and Fall.

Unlike most modern forms of recreation these times were to be focused on God: remembering God's blessings in the past and listening to God's intention for today.

The worshiper no doubt benefited from - and enjoyed - the rest and party. But the purpose was worship not indulgence.

Of course many of the people of Moses were - so much like us - inclined to misuse the sabbath and festivals. Instead of focusing on God, we choose a different focus... and miss out on most of the fun.

"O that my people would listen to me... I would feed you with the finest of the wheat, and with honey from the rock I would satisfy you." (Psalm 81: 13, 16)

2006-06-20T04:31:00.000-04:00

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our ancestors have told us. We will not hide them from their children; we will tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. (Psalm 78: 1-4)

The relationship of God with the people of Moses is almost always troubled. It is an ongoing story of love, betrayal, fear, anger, arrogance, abuse, hope, forgiveness, and redemption. Dark sayings and glorious deeds.

Contentiousness is key to the story's survival and power.

Leo Tolstoy begins Anna Karenina with "All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way." We tire of hearing the same happy story. Unhappiness is a constantly new source of fascination.

The rules of happiness are simple: faith, hope, and love.

The sources of unhappiness are complicated. Unhappiness is almost always the result of a mistaken sense of happiness. It is the passionate pursuit of an illusion that often gives a story its dramatic power and keeps us reading.

Above is Pursuing Happiness by an unknown artist.

2006-06-19T05:05:00.000-04:00

Will the Lord spurn for ever, and never again be favourable? Has his steadfast love ceased for ever? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?’ And I say, ‘It is my grief that the right hand of the Most High has changed.’ I will call to mind the deeds of the Lord; I will remember your wonders of old. I will meditate on all your work, and muse on your mighty deeds. Your way, O God, is holy. What god is so great as our God? You are the God who works wonders... (Psalm 77: 7-14)

The psalmist is literally worried sick. "I have held my eyelids open. I am so troubled I cannot speak."

God transforms the psalmist's attitude, alters his perspective, changes his grief. The Hebrew for grief means to become tired, weak or sick, to be made sick, or to make oneself sick.

Chalah, used here for grief, could be translated as to be depressed, with all our complicated modern meanings of depression.

God transforms this grief through memory, meditation, and musing.

We remember the good that has come before. We consider deeply the good that is happening right now. We actively imagine the good that can still be achieved.

2006-06-18T05:21:00.000-04:00

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it; let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord; for he is coming, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth. (Psalm 96: 11-13)

Use of the future tense is audacious. With it we view the future as something predictable and sometimes even within our control. Other languages and cultures condition their use of the future tense with "God willing," as in "I will join you tomorrow, God willing."

Hebrew does not have a future tense. Rather than a time-oriented grammar, it uses an action-oriented grammar. In Hebrew something is either finished or unfinished. Something is either done or is being done.

"For he is coming..." is a good example of the unfinished tense translated into English. In the last sentence above the translator has chosen to use future tense. A more literal translation is "He is judging..." The same Hebrew words can mean, "He is governing..."

For two thousand years many people of faith have expected to see the second coming of Christ. They have predicted it, depended on it, sometimes been disappointed when it did not seem to arrive.

What if we have misunderstood the teaching? What if the redemption of the world - and our lives - is already underway? Rather than happening in the future, it is something being done right now. Can we choose to live as if, "God is governing the world with righteousness and the peoples with truth."

2006-06-17T05:41:00.000-04:00

Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff — they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. (Psalm 23: 4-6)

I have lived a blessed life. Compared to the tragedies that befall so many the challenges of my first fifty years have been light. My cup has certainly overflowed.

For many months I have been walking through a dark valley. Despite knowing that God is nearby I have often been afraid. This morning I have awakened in fear.

There is good cause to be attentive, creative, and realistic in dealing with the cause of my fear. There is no need to be afraid. There is no benefit in worry.

I abide in the house of God. My host cannot protect me from my own bad choices. My host will not interfere in the bad choices of others. Even in God's house evil can occur.

But God loves. God is kind. God helps. God inspires. And if all else fails, God will restore.

Above is Red Car through Dark Valley by Max Grover.

2006-06-16T04:29:00.000-04:00

But as for me, my prayer is to you, O Lord. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love, answer me. (Psalm 69: 13)

The psalmists - like myself - are usually impatient. There is great urgency. They demand immediate justice. They pray for lightening bolts, fiery chariots, and a host of angels descending in divine intervention.

The prayer Jesus taught is specific about what is needed, but silent on how to achieve it. "Give us this day our daily bread." The output is specific. The inputs are left open. When asking for God's help we should trust in God's sense of timing and technique.

God listens. God loves. God helps. But God often depends on us to listen, watch, and wait for an acceptable time. The Hebrew implies a favorable time, a ready context, in season. May I be clear regarding my real needs. May I be faithful in working with God to fulfill those needs at the right time and in the right way.

2006-06-15T04:10:00.000-04:00

Let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you. Let those who love your salvation say evermore, ‘God is great!’ But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lord, do not delay! (Psalm 70: 4-5)

In each of the psalms assigned for today there is turmoil and trouble. The psalmist is threatened from every side. He is under attack and in great peril.

He is profoundly poor and needy. He is poor - the Hebrew is anah - hassled, under pressure, stressed, busy, depressed, ashamed and humiliated.

He is needy - 'ebyown - vulnerable, financially strapped, and requiring help.

The Hebrew 'ebyown is derived from 'abah, which means to be willing, consent, to yield, to accept, and to desire.

Too often I have been poor, but have resisted being needy. Too often I respond to trouble with ego rather than faith. May I be more often needy: willing, yielding, accepting, and desiring a relationship with God.

2006-06-14T04:05:00.000-04:00

I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. Look to him, and be radiant; so your faces shall never be ashamed. This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. (Psalm 34: 4-8)

The Hebrew word translated above as "look" also means to give close attention, to regard, and to consider. When we look to God we can reflect the character of God. Our reflection may be dim in comparison, but it is more than sufficient.

It is now three days past the full moon. Yesterday morning the sky was clear. The moon brightened the early morning. Today the clouds are thick. But still moonlight penetrates the dark and shows the way.

The moon has no light of its own. Without the sun it is just a lump of rock. But when the moon turns its face to the sun the reflection transforms the night. When we turn to God we may also brighten a black night.

Above is a photograph of the moon from UtahSkies.

2006-06-13T05:27:00.000-04:00

For God alone my soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my deliverance and my honour; my mighty rock, my refuge is in God. (Psalm 62: 5-7)

Each of us face challenges which are beyond our own solution. We might be the wealthiest man, the wisest woman, or the most powerful person and still the problems will persist.

At such times the psalmist counsels waiting in silence. The Hebrew is damam meaning to enter into a disciplined quiet or to be made silent by an awe inspiring event.

In this quiet we should watch and wait for hope. The Hebrew is tiqvah which in common language means a cord or rope. It is as if we have fallen over a cliff and are perched on a crumbling ledge. A saving rope is thrown from above us.

In such times if we can quiet our passions and anxieties - and if we seek and welcome God's help - we are more likely to see the cord of hope in the midst of the tangled vines of trouble.

We must perceive it, grasp it, and choose to use the cord. But we can be certain that God is a constant source of hope and help.

2006-06-12T04:49:00.000-04:00

Be merciful to me, O God, be merciful to me, for in you my soul takes refuge; in the shadow of your wings I will take refuge, until the destroying storms pass by. I cry to God Most High, to God who fulfils his purpose for me. (Psalm 57:1-2)

There are storms. There are times of peril. There are many days when we pay the cost of a bad choice. There are years spent struggling with evil. There are seasons of grief. There are hours of agony.

In need we seem especially to turn toward God. We seek God's mercy: the Hebrew suggests God bending down toward us. We seek a place of refuge: it can also mean a place of hope and trust. We seek - or should seek - to know God's purpose for us.

To what end does God intend us? How will we be completed? What will make us whole? In working earnestly to answer these questions we are most likely to share in God's purpose. In God's purpose we are most likely to find a place of abiding hope and trust.

There are also sunny and pleasant days. Flowers grow. Birds sing. A loved one returns. A fine day of work is completed. A child, a spouse, or a friend pauses to listen. A wonderful meal is shared with friends. There is satisfaction. There is celebration. There is love. There is purpose fulfilled.

God is surely with us in all that we do. The greater issue may be whether we choose to acknowledge - and honor - the presence of God.

You visit the earth and water it, you greatly enrich it; the river of God is full of water; you provide the people with grain, for so you have prepared it. You water its furrows abundantly, settling its ridges, softening it with showers, and blessing its growth. You crown the year with your bounty; your wagon tracks overflow with richness. The pastures of the wilderness overflow, the hills gird themselves with joy, the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, the valleys deck themselves with grain, they shout and sing together for joy. (Psalm 65: 9-13)

2006-06-11T10:55:00.000-04:00

Praise the Lord! How good it is to sing praises to our God; for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting. The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. He heals the broken-hearted, and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. (Psalm 147: 1-5)

All of the psalms assigned for this morning begin with Praise the Lord!

Here the Hebrew word for praise (there are at least eleven) means to shine or flash forth light.

Some understand the soul to be a sliver of fire or a source of light given to each of us. In this way our individual souls are connected to, yet separated from, the universal light of God.

In praising God we rejoin our light with its origins. Our flash of light is embraced within the everflowing light of God.

In praise our inner self - our essential self - returns home.

Above is River Light by David Hibbard.

2006-06-10T05:46:00.000-04:00

Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. Let your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in You. (Psalm 33: 20-21)

We trust in the holy name - unique identity - of God. We are in relationship with the great I AM WHO I AM (Exodus 3:14). God is male and female, old and young, with us and beyond us.

We seek to know God.

Scripture tells how others have experienced God and understood their relationship with God. By observing the world about us we may perceive much of God's nature and purpose.

But I want to be with God.

To be with God, to talk with God, to know God is to unmask myself, to dig deep into myself, to shed those aspects of myself that are false and fearful. To find God I must reclaim the unique identity that I share with God.

2006-06-09T03:44:00.000-04:00

I waited patiently for the Lord; he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the desolate pit, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God... Happy are those who make the Lord their trust... (Psalm 40: 1-4)

The pursuit of happiness may be the preeminent American characteristic. I presume that Adams, Franklin, and Jefferson had Aristotle's eudaimonia in mind when they enshrined happiness in the Declaration of Independence.

In the psalms to be happy is almost always to be blessed. 'Esher is the noun, 'asher is the verb. It means to make progress, to advance on a goal, or to straighten what is crooked.

For both Aristotle and the psalmist to be happy is to fulfill one's unique character by becoming one's true self. It is the process of becoming - the experience of growth and progress - that is the source of happiness.

2006-06-08T04:36:00.000-04:00

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. ‘Mark this, then, you who forget God, or I will tear you apart, and there will be no one to deliver. Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me; to those who go the right way I will show the salvation of God.’ (Psalm 50: 21-23)

A friend has said, "We find the God we are looking for." Another has said, "We find the God we need."

The psalmist's God retorts, "you thought that I was one just like yourself."

We are created by God and of God. We share God's nature. But we have chosen - most of us have chosen - to neglect our origins and go another way.

Along our way we often choose to worship that which reaffirms what we have chosen. We choose to worship our selves.

To give thanks is to recognize what is beyond our self. In thanksgiving we sacrifice a false image of our self and may reclaim our true self.

Above is How Many am I by Annelise Jarvis Hansen.