Do not fret because of the wicked; do not be envious of wrongdoers, 2for they will soon fade like the grass, and wither like the green herb.
3Trust in the Lord, and do good; so you will live in the land, and enjoy security. 4Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Lord,
What an incredibly difficult piece of instruction this is to follow! Do not fret! Do not be envious! Trust in the Lord and do good. Take delight in the Lord.
And the promise is nearly as challenging; the wicked “will soon fade like the grass” and “he will give you the delight of your heart.”
Here the spiritual and the ethical converge in perfect marriage. Doing good has its roots in “trust in the Lord” and trust produces good works. “Trust in the Lord and do good.” Like the old song my Daddy sang, “You can’t have one without the other.”
And the promise: “Take delight in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Jesus said to seek first his Kingdom and all these things will be added and had said, “Whatever you ask in my name will be given to you.”
I’ll confess to some prayers that were disappointed, unanswered prayers. At the same time I cling to the hope of answered prayer. And I sit in the mystery of the way that “delight in the Lord” and “doing good” and the desires of the heart all come together in the poet’s experience. Grant to me trust and understanding.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to stir within you a delight in God, the will to do good, and trust that the desires of your heart will be fulfilled.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Psalm 36
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! All people may take refuge in the shadow of your wings. 8They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights. 9For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.
10O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart! 11Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me, or the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12There the evildoers lie prostrate; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
Lord,
The Great Divide between your steadfast love and the behavior of those who know nothing of loyalty, honesty, mercy, love or justice! It is by the power of your love that those who do evil are disabled, so writes the poet.
Fatigue and fear are the great enemies of a sustaining trust in you. When we are weary, we forget all that you have done and even who you are and we become captives to the moment. When we are afraid, the object of our fear demands all of our attention and drives out an awareness of your grace and kindness. Perhaps that is why scripture so often says, “Do not be afraid.”
Lord, grant me this day the daily bread of a persistent awareness of your constant love. And grant me confidence in your loving power to meet and beat all forces that would do harm both personal and impersonal.
Personal Prayers: Ask God to wrap you in the certainty of God’s faithful love.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In the name of Christ,
Amen.
10O continue your steadfast love to those who know you, and your salvation to the upright of heart! 11Do not let the foot of the arrogant tread on me, or the hand of the wicked drive me away. 12There the evildoers lie prostrate; they are thrust down, unable to rise.
Lord,
The Great Divide between your steadfast love and the behavior of those who know nothing of loyalty, honesty, mercy, love or justice! It is by the power of your love that those who do evil are disabled, so writes the poet.
Fatigue and fear are the great enemies of a sustaining trust in you. When we are weary, we forget all that you have done and even who you are and we become captives to the moment. When we are afraid, the object of our fear demands all of our attention and drives out an awareness of your grace and kindness. Perhaps that is why scripture so often says, “Do not be afraid.”
Lord, grant me this day the daily bread of a persistent awareness of your constant love. And grant me confidence in your loving power to meet and beat all forces that would do harm both personal and impersonal.
Personal Prayers: Ask God to wrap you in the certainty of God’s faithful love.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In the name of Christ,
Amen.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Psalm 36
Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in their hearts; before their eyes. 2For they flatter themselves in their own eyes that their iniquity cannot be found out and hated. 3The words of their mouths are mischief and deceit; they have ceased to act wisely and do good. 4They plot mischief while on their beds; they are set on a way that is not good; they do not reject evil.
5Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgements are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
Lord,
The poet must have had a really bad day! Somebody must have done something really bad to him. The “Transgressors” were scheming and plotting and lying and willing to do anything, no matter how unethical or immoral or just plain evil, to destroy the poet, or so the poet thought.
Thank you that this experience of betrayal is not something that happens every day but it is an experience that every mature person knows first hand. Some trusted person turns out not to be trustworthy. Some sacred promise is broken. An ally turns his or her back or simply stands on the sideline and watches as you struggle for your life. We all know some version of the story and we all know the deep and bitter disappointment that brings.
In the midst of that bitter sorrow and deep anger the poet turns to you Lord and reflects on the nature of your love. His description of your love, Lord, is an eternal reminder of the only place where trust will never be violated.
Let me meditate on the words and phrases:
Steadfast love
Extends to the heavens
Faithfulness
Righteousness
Judgments that save humans and animals alike
Thank you God for being you.
Personal Prayers:
Ask God to continually remind you of the steadfast trustworthiness of God’s love.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
5Your steadfast love, O Lord, extends to the heavens, your faithfulness to the clouds. 6Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains, your judgements are like the great deep; you save humans and animals alike, O Lord.
Lord,
The poet must have had a really bad day! Somebody must have done something really bad to him. The “Transgressors” were scheming and plotting and lying and willing to do anything, no matter how unethical or immoral or just plain evil, to destroy the poet, or so the poet thought.
Thank you that this experience of betrayal is not something that happens every day but it is an experience that every mature person knows first hand. Some trusted person turns out not to be trustworthy. Some sacred promise is broken. An ally turns his or her back or simply stands on the sideline and watches as you struggle for your life. We all know some version of the story and we all know the deep and bitter disappointment that brings.
In the midst of that bitter sorrow and deep anger the poet turns to you Lord and reflects on the nature of your love. His description of your love, Lord, is an eternal reminder of the only place where trust will never be violated.
Let me meditate on the words and phrases:
Steadfast love
Extends to the heavens
Faithfulness
Righteousness
Judgments that save humans and animals alike
Thank you God for being you.
Personal Prayers:
Ask God to continually remind you of the steadfast trustworthiness of God’s love.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Psalm 35
Let them be put to shame and dishonour who seek after my life.Let them be turned back and confounded who devise evil against me. 5Let them be like chaff before the wind, with the angel of the Lord driving them on. 6Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.
7For without cause they hid their net* for me; without cause they dug a pit* for my life. 8Let ruin come on them unawares.And let the net that they hid ensnare them; let them fall in it—to their ruin.
9Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his deliverance. 10All my bones shall say, ‘O Lord, who is like you?You deliver the weak from those too strong for them,
Lord,
This doesn’t sound like “Love your enemies” or “do good to them that misuse you.” But I get it, I totally get it. In the midst of the struggle to do the right thing in the right way, in the effort to be faithful to you and to your way, when the opponents are not impeded by the same rules and are free to lie and mislead and cheat and betray, there needs to be a great equalizer and the poet is praying that you will be the One who equalizes. The poet is praying that the misdeeds of those who would do him unjust harm will be turned back on them.
I wonder how Jesus would pray a prayer like this. From the cross he prayed, “Forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” He said to “love your enemies.” How did Jesus respond to those who would like and cheat and betray for the sake of defeating him? He went to the cross!
Hear my confession Lord. Most days, it’s easier to pray like the poet than like Jesus.
Lord, I pray that you would help me to do the right thing in the right way and, to borrow from Jesus’ prayer, that you will not “Lead me not into hard testing.”
I will pray with the poet, “You deliver the weak from those too strong for them.” Lord, deliver me from those things, circumstances and issues and problems and even principalities and powers, and even from opponents, who are too strong for me.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Name the biggest challenge that you are facing and ask God for help to do the right thing in the right way and to deliver you from defeat.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
7For without cause they hid their net* for me; without cause they dug a pit* for my life. 8Let ruin come on them unawares.And let the net that they hid ensnare them; let them fall in it—to their ruin.
9Then my soul shall rejoice in the Lord, exulting in his deliverance. 10All my bones shall say, ‘O Lord, who is like you?You deliver the weak from those too strong for them,
Lord,
This doesn’t sound like “Love your enemies” or “do good to them that misuse you.” But I get it, I totally get it. In the midst of the struggle to do the right thing in the right way, in the effort to be faithful to you and to your way, when the opponents are not impeded by the same rules and are free to lie and mislead and cheat and betray, there needs to be a great equalizer and the poet is praying that you will be the One who equalizes. The poet is praying that the misdeeds of those who would do him unjust harm will be turned back on them.
I wonder how Jesus would pray a prayer like this. From the cross he prayed, “Forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing.” He said to “love your enemies.” How did Jesus respond to those who would like and cheat and betray for the sake of defeating him? He went to the cross!
Hear my confession Lord. Most days, it’s easier to pray like the poet than like Jesus.
Lord, I pray that you would help me to do the right thing in the right way and, to borrow from Jesus’ prayer, that you will not “Lead me not into hard testing.”
I will pray with the poet, “You deliver the weak from those too strong for them.” Lord, deliver me from those things, circumstances and issues and problems and even principalities and powers, and even from opponents, who are too strong for me.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Name the biggest challenge that you are facing and ask God for help to do the right thing in the right way and to deliver you from defeat.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Psalm 35
Contend, O Lord, with those who contend with me; fight against those who fight against me! 2Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to help me! 3Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers;say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’
Lord,
With the poet, I really do want you to be on my side and I really do want for you to engage my struggles with me. Why would I pretend otherwise? Why would I want anything other thing?
Lord, never allow me to forget the other side of that holy equation. You have invited me to engage in your struggles. The fundamental vocation of life is to be on your side and to be a part of your mission in this world.
So, how am I to know that I am on your side? Two things come to mind. (1) Jesus commanded us in several ways to love you with all of our being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. If love is the dominant characteristic of what I think and do, there is a pretty good chance that I am on your side. (2) Last week I heard Bill Tillman say that the Spirit is the ethicist of the Trinity. I think that it is true and I believe that your Spirit will lead me into the way that you want me to go.
It sounds like a holy covenant. You are on my side and invite me to be on your side and in that holy relationship; you engage the struggles of life with me. I believe that to be true.
With the poet I pray, “Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’” Allow me, O God, to hear those words and to experience that reality at the very center of my being.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God for a fresh awareness of the salvation that God grants to us through his presence and through the witness of Jesus.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In the Christ’s name,
Amen.
Lord,
With the poet, I really do want you to be on my side and I really do want for you to engage my struggles with me. Why would I pretend otherwise? Why would I want anything other thing?
Lord, never allow me to forget the other side of that holy equation. You have invited me to engage in your struggles. The fundamental vocation of life is to be on your side and to be a part of your mission in this world.
So, how am I to know that I am on your side? Two things come to mind. (1) Jesus commanded us in several ways to love you with all of our being and to love our neighbors as ourselves. If love is the dominant characteristic of what I think and do, there is a pretty good chance that I am on your side. (2) Last week I heard Bill Tillman say that the Spirit is the ethicist of the Trinity. I think that it is true and I believe that your Spirit will lead me into the way that you want me to go.
It sounds like a holy covenant. You are on my side and invite me to be on your side and in that holy relationship; you engage the struggles of life with me. I believe that to be true.
With the poet I pray, “Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’” Allow me, O God, to hear those words and to experience that reality at the very center of my being.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God for a fresh awareness of the salvation that God grants to us through his presence and through the witness of Jesus.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In the Christ’s name,
Amen.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Psalm 34
The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and his ears are open to their cry. 16The face of the Lord is against evildoers, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. 17When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears, and rescues them from all their troubles. 18The Lord is near to the broken-hearted, and saves the crushed in spirit.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all. 20He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken. 21Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Lord,
Today I am grateful for the release of the journalists from North Korea. Your “rescue”, as promised by the Poet, is a remarkable thing to see. Of course it helps to have a former President, Vice President and First Lady who is now Secretary of State, involved. Regardless, I am grateful.
Lord, I pray that the poet’s vision is true, that the righteous will indeed be rescued and that Evil will be eradicated. I pray that those who do good and who are good will be blessed and those who do evil will be cut off from all of the resources that make evil possible.
I pray for your blessings. Grant me every grace for the living of my days. And bless those I love.
Lord, just when I am tempted to scream out against “hyper-optimism”, the poet injects a firm dose of reality into his hymn. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous”, he writes. The poet knows that the blessings of the righteous are sometimes delayed. Righteousness does not guarantee that the journey will be problem-free. “But the Lord rescues them from them all.”
As the poet sees it, or so it seems to me, we are not so much protected from difficulty and sometimes disaster as we are met in the midst of disaster by the rescuing and healing power of God. God meet us there, sees us through and sees us out.
Now for my personal experience Lord; sometimes the rescue comes on the other side. In death, we are made whole. In death, we experience eternal life in all of its fullness.
Here I confess my frustration and anger. Too many pandering preachers are promising more than you have promised to deliver. They seem to be promising inoculation against difficulty. “Say your prayers and send your money and you’ll never have another problem”, so they say. I am strongly tempted to use a scatological metaphor here but that would be a disservice to bulls. The truth is that cow manure has more nutritional value than the preaching of these false-prophets. Forgive me if I’m wrong – but I don’t think that I am.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Seek God’s blessing and, if needed, ask for God’s rescue as you wrestle with the problems that are afflicting you.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
19Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord rescues them from them all. 20He keeps all their bones; not one of them will be broken. 21Evil brings death to the wicked, and those who hate the righteous will be condemned. 22The Lord redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned.
Lord,
Today I am grateful for the release of the journalists from North Korea. Your “rescue”, as promised by the Poet, is a remarkable thing to see. Of course it helps to have a former President, Vice President and First Lady who is now Secretary of State, involved. Regardless, I am grateful.
Lord, I pray that the poet’s vision is true, that the righteous will indeed be rescued and that Evil will be eradicated. I pray that those who do good and who are good will be blessed and those who do evil will be cut off from all of the resources that make evil possible.
I pray for your blessings. Grant me every grace for the living of my days. And bless those I love.
Lord, just when I am tempted to scream out against “hyper-optimism”, the poet injects a firm dose of reality into his hymn. “Many are the afflictions of the righteous”, he writes. The poet knows that the blessings of the righteous are sometimes delayed. Righteousness does not guarantee that the journey will be problem-free. “But the Lord rescues them from them all.”
As the poet sees it, or so it seems to me, we are not so much protected from difficulty and sometimes disaster as we are met in the midst of disaster by the rescuing and healing power of God. God meet us there, sees us through and sees us out.
Now for my personal experience Lord; sometimes the rescue comes on the other side. In death, we are made whole. In death, we experience eternal life in all of its fullness.
Here I confess my frustration and anger. Too many pandering preachers are promising more than you have promised to deliver. They seem to be promising inoculation against difficulty. “Say your prayers and send your money and you’ll never have another problem”, so they say. I am strongly tempted to use a scatological metaphor here but that would be a disservice to bulls. The truth is that cow manure has more nutritional value than the preaching of these false-prophets. Forgive me if I’m wrong – but I don’t think that I am.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Seek God’s blessing and, if needed, ask for God’s rescue as you wrestle with the problems that are afflicting you.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Psalm 34
Come, O children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 12Which of you desires life, and covets many days to enjoy good? 13Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit. 14Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.
Lord,
Help me to listen to the poet. Help me to learn to fear you, to stand before you with reverence and respect.
In this paragraph, the poet connects long life with the things we say and the things we do and all if it is summarized in the phrase, “seek peace and pursue it.”
His instruction is not so hard to understand though the implementation is difficult. If I want to live long, then I need to watch my mouth, especially its truthfulness. I need to walk away from evil and do good things. And, above all, I need to do those things that make for peace in all of its dimensions. How hard is that? It’s easy to say and, for whatever reasons, very hard to do and least it seems hard for me to do.
Long life, good words, good deeds and peace: they are all a part of fearing the Lord.
Thus the poet teaches.
Jesus said, in the Beautitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers, they are the children of God.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to lead you to be a “peace maker” today.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Lord,
Help me to listen to the poet. Help me to learn to fear you, to stand before you with reverence and respect.
In this paragraph, the poet connects long life with the things we say and the things we do and all if it is summarized in the phrase, “seek peace and pursue it.”
His instruction is not so hard to understand though the implementation is difficult. If I want to live long, then I need to watch my mouth, especially its truthfulness. I need to walk away from evil and do good things. And, above all, I need to do those things that make for peace in all of its dimensions. How hard is that? It’s easy to say and, for whatever reasons, very hard to do and least it seems hard for me to do.
Long life, good words, good deeds and peace: they are all a part of fearing the Lord.
Thus the poet teaches.
Jesus said, in the Beautitudes, “Blessed are the peacemakers, they are the children of God.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to lead you to be a “peace maker” today.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Psalm 34
10The young lions suffer want and hunger, but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
Lord,
Help me to understand the phrase “lack no good thing.”
Clearly, few of us become kings like David and live in mansions and have servants to attend our every whim. I have known hundreds, perhaps thousands, of faithful souls who have lived very frugally and lacked lots of “good things”. There are some good things that I don’t have. So what is this poet talking about?
Could it be the “peace that passes all understanding”? Or could it be the thing that Jesus was talking about to Martha and Mary when he talked about the better thing? Or perhaps the thing that he was saying to the rich young ruler, “one thing you lack”? Maybe it’s to be found in Jesus’ metaphor of “being born again” or being “born from above.”
It must be the ineffable or indescribable thing that happens when your grace is injected into our lives and some very good things become less important. It must have to do with the rearrangement of the priorities or the hierarchy of “good” when Jesus becomes Lord.
“The young lions suffer want and hunger” and I do not think that the poet is talking about “The King of the Jungle.” The poet is talking about the ambitions of the young, the up and coming, the young lions of commerce, or perhaps the young pastors who are determined to “make it”.
Lord, age has partly tamed the “young lion” in me but a part of him still lives in my soul. So I pray that You will keep my eye fixed on that “good thing” that is above all other good things and grant me joy in it.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Pray that God grace you with an experience of “The Good Thing” that is above all others.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Lord,
Help me to understand the phrase “lack no good thing.”
Clearly, few of us become kings like David and live in mansions and have servants to attend our every whim. I have known hundreds, perhaps thousands, of faithful souls who have lived very frugally and lacked lots of “good things”. There are some good things that I don’t have. So what is this poet talking about?
Could it be the “peace that passes all understanding”? Or could it be the thing that Jesus was talking about to Martha and Mary when he talked about the better thing? Or perhaps the thing that he was saying to the rich young ruler, “one thing you lack”? Maybe it’s to be found in Jesus’ metaphor of “being born again” or being “born from above.”
It must be the ineffable or indescribable thing that happens when your grace is injected into our lives and some very good things become less important. It must have to do with the rearrangement of the priorities or the hierarchy of “good” when Jesus becomes Lord.
“The young lions suffer want and hunger” and I do not think that the poet is talking about “The King of the Jungle.” The poet is talking about the ambitions of the young, the up and coming, the young lions of commerce, or perhaps the young pastors who are determined to “make it”.
Lord, age has partly tamed the “young lion” in me but a part of him still lives in my soul. So I pray that You will keep my eye fixed on that “good thing” that is above all other good things and grant me joy in it.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Pray that God grace you with an experience of “The Good Thing” that is above all others.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Psalm 34
I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall continually be in my mouth. 2My soul makes its boast in the Lord; let the humble hear and be glad. 3O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together.
4I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5Look to him, and be radiant; so your* faces shall never be ashamed. 6This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. 7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. 9O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want.
Lord,
The poet wrote, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” This sounds like a “guardian angel” to me. There are times when I really believe it, when I know that you are looking out for me. There have been moments when I would only attribute my good fortune to your presence and to good gifts from you.
And yet, I had a conversation yesterday that involved a friend who died with cancer. Her last year or more was really tough. She suffered and her family with her. The family is still suffering. So Lord, where is the guardian angel?
I know, you have heard me question and complain and whine about this for a long time and to be honest, I’m not sure that I really expect an answer. The testimony of folk far wiser than I is that we live without knowing the answer to this one. But dog-gone-it Lord, it continues to perplex.
So now, Lord, I am stumbling into what may be the “prayer’s sin”. I have been invited into a moment of joy and gratitude and immediately my mind went to problems and frustrations and the moment of prayer became a season for frustration. Forgive me for not first seeing the wonder and beauty of life and the failure to celebrate the health and salvation and all of the escapes from disaster that you have provided.
Now, Lord, in the absence of words, let me sit for a time in the joy and peace of your presence.
Life really is good and for that, I am very very grateful.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
In the presence of God, enjoy the blessings that are yours today.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say thank you to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
4I sought the Lord, and he answered me, and delivered me from all my fears. 5Look to him, and be radiant; so your* faces shall never be ashamed. 6This poor soul cried, and was heard by the Lord, and was saved from every trouble. 7The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them. 8O taste and see that the Lord is good; happy are those who take refuge in him. 9O fear the Lord, you his holy ones, for those who fear him have no want.
Lord,
The poet wrote, “The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him, and delivers them.” This sounds like a “guardian angel” to me. There are times when I really believe it, when I know that you are looking out for me. There have been moments when I would only attribute my good fortune to your presence and to good gifts from you.
And yet, I had a conversation yesterday that involved a friend who died with cancer. Her last year or more was really tough. She suffered and her family with her. The family is still suffering. So Lord, where is the guardian angel?
I know, you have heard me question and complain and whine about this for a long time and to be honest, I’m not sure that I really expect an answer. The testimony of folk far wiser than I is that we live without knowing the answer to this one. But dog-gone-it Lord, it continues to perplex.
So now, Lord, I am stumbling into what may be the “prayer’s sin”. I have been invited into a moment of joy and gratitude and immediately my mind went to problems and frustrations and the moment of prayer became a season for frustration. Forgive me for not first seeing the wonder and beauty of life and the failure to celebrate the health and salvation and all of the escapes from disaster that you have provided.
Now, Lord, in the absence of words, let me sit for a time in the joy and peace of your presence.
Life really is good and for that, I am very very grateful.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
In the presence of God, enjoy the blessings that are yours today.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say thank you to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Psalm 33
18Truly the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, 19to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.
20Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. 21Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Lord,
To make personal the words of the poet, your eye is on me. Do I fear you? Absolutely! It is not that I am afraid of you, though perhaps I am, but I stand in absolute awe of you and your creation and Jesus whom you sent. Even with all my sin, I stand in awe of you and my mind and heart are overwhelmed with wonder and I fear you. Do I hope in your steadfast love? Yes I hope, help my uncertainty. Though I say the words with overwhelming humility and ineffable gaps in understanding, I believe that you love me with a steadfast love and I am grateful.
Even as I engage the day and the work that is before me, I wait for your continuing wisdom and guidance and I trust myself completely to your steadfast love.
Forgive my failures to trust and continually put me in the right path.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to help you to receive the “steadfast love” that God has for you.
Affirm that God steadfastly loves you.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
20Our soul waits for the Lord; he is our help and shield. 21Our heart is glad in him, because we trust in his holy name. 22Let your steadfast love, O Lord, be upon us, even as we hope in you.
Lord,
To make personal the words of the poet, your eye is on me. Do I fear you? Absolutely! It is not that I am afraid of you, though perhaps I am, but I stand in absolute awe of you and your creation and Jesus whom you sent. Even with all my sin, I stand in awe of you and my mind and heart are overwhelmed with wonder and I fear you. Do I hope in your steadfast love? Yes I hope, help my uncertainty. Though I say the words with overwhelming humility and ineffable gaps in understanding, I believe that you love me with a steadfast love and I am grateful.
Even as I engage the day and the work that is before me, I wait for your continuing wisdom and guidance and I trust myself completely to your steadfast love.
Forgive my failures to trust and continually put me in the right path.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to help you to receive the “steadfast love” that God has for you.
Affirm that God steadfastly loves you.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Psalm 33
The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; he frustrates the plans of the peoples. 11The counsel of the Lord stands for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all generations. 12Happy is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage.
13The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all humankind. 14From where he sits enthroned he watches all the inhabitants of the earth— 15he who fashions the hearts of them all, and observes all their deeds. 16A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 17The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save.
Lord,
As I follow the poet, you deserve to be praised because you are God. More than that, you are a supremely ethical God, one who is inherently moral. You created the world to embody your justice and righteousness.
Now he comes to the “nations”. Standing next to you, no nation has much to brag about. Those who would create their own “wisdom” and an independent sense of power, apart from your wisdom and ethical structure, will come to nothing – sounds like annihilation to me.
Lord, we must remember the poet’s wisdom, “A king is not saved by his great army.” That which contradicts the Creator and the Creator’s ethical universe, you and your universe, will, some day becomes nothing. But there is another way, your way, that leads to life.
Now Lord, now that we know the rule, what is the strategy? How do we, as a people, attune ourselves to you and your way?
Show us the way. Show me my way.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to lead you to see and follow your personal path to bring the nations into conformity with God’s ethical universe.
Name 5 things for which your are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.”
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
13The Lord looks down from heaven; he sees all humankind. 14From where he sits enthroned he watches all the inhabitants of the earth— 15he who fashions the hearts of them all, and observes all their deeds. 16A king is not saved by his great army; a warrior is not delivered by his great strength. 17The war horse is a vain hope for victory, and by its great might it cannot save.
Lord,
As I follow the poet, you deserve to be praised because you are God. More than that, you are a supremely ethical God, one who is inherently moral. You created the world to embody your justice and righteousness.
Now he comes to the “nations”. Standing next to you, no nation has much to brag about. Those who would create their own “wisdom” and an independent sense of power, apart from your wisdom and ethical structure, will come to nothing – sounds like annihilation to me.
Lord, we must remember the poet’s wisdom, “A king is not saved by his great army.” That which contradicts the Creator and the Creator’s ethical universe, you and your universe, will, some day becomes nothing. But there is another way, your way, that leads to life.
Now Lord, now that we know the rule, what is the strategy? How do we, as a people, attune ourselves to you and your way?
Show us the way. Show me my way.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to lead you to see and follow your personal path to bring the nations into conformity with God’s ethical universe.
Name 5 things for which your are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.”
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Psalm 33
By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and all their host by the breath of his mouth. 7He gathered the waters of the sea as in a bottle; he put the deeps in storehouses.
8Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
Lord,
As I read this poet, first he exhorts praise, second he affirms your highly ethical character and third he reflects on your creation. We praise you because the creation itself is marked by your justice and righteousness – so the poet seems to imply.
We know all about “The Law of the Jungle”; The big cats eat Bambi! But the poet doesn’t seem to be thinking about the laws of the animal kingdom. This poet is moving towards your expectation of the nations, your expectation of human nature. Woven into the fabric of the universe is your expectation that humanity, individually and corporately, will conform to your character. What a mess we’ve made of it!
So how does all of this fit with the debate about health care and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Palestinian conflict and racial stress in America and children in poverty? You know, O Lord, and in some measure, so do we.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God for wisdom and will to personally reflect God’s character in the affairs that so powerfully shape the lives of God’s children everywhere.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
8Let all the earth fear the Lord; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. 9For he spoke, and it came to be; he commanded, and it stood firm.
Lord,
As I read this poet, first he exhorts praise, second he affirms your highly ethical character and third he reflects on your creation. We praise you because the creation itself is marked by your justice and righteousness – so the poet seems to imply.
We know all about “The Law of the Jungle”; The big cats eat Bambi! But the poet doesn’t seem to be thinking about the laws of the animal kingdom. This poet is moving towards your expectation of the nations, your expectation of human nature. Woven into the fabric of the universe is your expectation that humanity, individually and corporately, will conform to your character. What a mess we’ve made of it!
So how does all of this fit with the debate about health care and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the Palestinian conflict and racial stress in America and children in poverty? You know, O Lord, and in some measure, so do we.
Well, perhaps we know what we want to know or what our fears and greed allow us to know.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God for wisdom and will to personally reflect God’s character in the affairs that so powerfully shape the lives of God’s children everywhere.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Psalm 33
For the word of the Lord is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness. 5He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the Lord.
Lord,
The words that the poet uses to describe your character:
Upright
Faithfulness
Righteousness
Justice
Steadfast love
And the Genesis writer declares that we were made in your image!
What do you think when you see this world populated be women and men “made in your image"?
What do you think when you look at me as one made in your image?
How do I measure up against this check-list; upright, fruitful, righteous, just and steadfastly loving?
I immediately run to Christ, to forgiveness and grace and I am grateful. But I don’t want to cop out either. I don’t want to use grace as an excuse for bailing out on my own essential identity, "made in your own image". So I pray that you will shape my character to conform to your own and forgive me when I fail.
I just noticed; I immediately went from a description of your character to a preoccupation with my own. For some reason, I did not give a lot of time to thinking about You. How’s that for arrogance and self-absorption? These next quiet moments I give myself to you, considering you and your character and offering prayer and praise. You are God; upright, faithful, righteous, just and steadfastly loving.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
In God’s presence, consider God’s character.
Ask God to shape your character to conform to God’s own.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Lord,
The words that the poet uses to describe your character:
Upright
Faithfulness
Righteousness
Justice
Steadfast love
And the Genesis writer declares that we were made in your image!
What do you think when you see this world populated be women and men “made in your image"?
What do you think when you look at me as one made in your image?
How do I measure up against this check-list; upright, fruitful, righteous, just and steadfastly loving?
I immediately run to Christ, to forgiveness and grace and I am grateful. But I don’t want to cop out either. I don’t want to use grace as an excuse for bailing out on my own essential identity, "made in your own image". So I pray that you will shape my character to conform to your own and forgive me when I fail.
I just noticed; I immediately went from a description of your character to a preoccupation with my own. For some reason, I did not give a lot of time to thinking about You. How’s that for arrogance and self-absorption? These next quiet moments I give myself to you, considering you and your character and offering prayer and praise. You are God; upright, faithful, righteous, just and steadfastly loving.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
In God’s presence, consider God’s character.
Ask God to shape your character to conform to God’s own.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Psalm 33
1Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous. Praise befits the upright. 2Praise the Lord with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings. 3Sing to him a new song; play skilfully on the strings, with loud shouts.
Lord,
Here I confess my learning disability.
“Rejoice in the Lord”, I do with joy. But the lyre and harp and strings are beyond my ability. What’s a non-musician to do? The poet said, “play skillfully on strings”. That leaves most of us out.
I think that I could do it if music were indeed an instrument of praise. But in recent years, instead of being an instrument of praise, it’s been an occasion for performance and narcissistic self-aggrandizement. I recently attended “worship” and came away wondering if the organ was God and You were merely an excuse to listen to the music. The preacher nearly apologized for preaching the sermon!
Forgive me Lord. I really don’t want to be this way. But I am weary of the arguments and the egos and even the wars that have marked my church musical experience.
In a few minutes, I’ll go to worship and try again to praise you with singing but, please do not expect too much. Forgive me where I am wrong.
Don’t let me stop here. The poet began with the word “Rejoice.” For the beauty of this day, the deep security of your love, the promise that you listen even to my nonsense, the guidance of your Spirit, the life, death, and resurrection of your Son, the joy of abiding friendship, the memory of loving parents, the experience of children and grandchildren, a lifetime with a loving wife, the hope of heaven and more than I can enumerate, I rejoice and give you thanks.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Be aware of God’s presence and declare your joy.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen
Lord,
Here I confess my learning disability.
“Rejoice in the Lord”, I do with joy. But the lyre and harp and strings are beyond my ability. What’s a non-musician to do? The poet said, “play skillfully on strings”. That leaves most of us out.
I think that I could do it if music were indeed an instrument of praise. But in recent years, instead of being an instrument of praise, it’s been an occasion for performance and narcissistic self-aggrandizement. I recently attended “worship” and came away wondering if the organ was God and You were merely an excuse to listen to the music. The preacher nearly apologized for preaching the sermon!
Forgive me Lord. I really don’t want to be this way. But I am weary of the arguments and the egos and even the wars that have marked my church musical experience.
In a few minutes, I’ll go to worship and try again to praise you with singing but, please do not expect too much. Forgive me where I am wrong.
Don’t let me stop here. The poet began with the word “Rejoice.” For the beauty of this day, the deep security of your love, the promise that you listen even to my nonsense, the guidance of your Spirit, the life, death, and resurrection of your Son, the joy of abiding friendship, the memory of loving parents, the experience of children and grandchildren, a lifetime with a loving wife, the hope of heaven and more than I can enumerate, I rejoice and give you thanks.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Be aware of God’s presence and declare your joy.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Psalm 32
10Many are the torments of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord. 11Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
Lord,
“Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.”
Lord, I pray for your blessing and my best guess is that this is the blessing that underlies all others blessings, your “steadfast love.” I’m wondering how many hours of fretting would never have been if I had trusted in your steadfast love. How many times would “gut-emptiness” not have happened if I had but trusted? How many knee-jerk reactions and impulsive decisions?
Erickson said that the very first issue in life, nearly from the moment of birth, revolves around the question of trust. Upon that, says the psychologist, everything else depends. If it is true psychologically, it is even more true spiritually. Everything depends upon the development of trust in your steadfast love.
So Lord, is this trust a gift or is it something that is developed or grown? I’m thinking that both dimensions are necessary. You give the possibility but I must receive it and nurture it. It is a gift-seed to be grown, or so it seems to me. Lord, grow in me the seed of trust in your steadfast love.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Say to God, “I trust in our steadfast love. Help my distrust.”
Name 5 things for which your are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Lord,
“Steadfast love surrounds those who trust in the Lord.”
Lord, I pray for your blessing and my best guess is that this is the blessing that underlies all others blessings, your “steadfast love.” I’m wondering how many hours of fretting would never have been if I had trusted in your steadfast love. How many times would “gut-emptiness” not have happened if I had but trusted? How many knee-jerk reactions and impulsive decisions?
Erickson said that the very first issue in life, nearly from the moment of birth, revolves around the question of trust. Upon that, says the psychologist, everything else depends. If it is true psychologically, it is even more true spiritually. Everything depends upon the development of trust in your steadfast love.
So Lord, is this trust a gift or is it something that is developed or grown? I’m thinking that both dimensions are necessary. You give the possibility but I must receive it and nurture it. It is a gift-seed to be grown, or so it seems to me. Lord, grow in me the seed of trust in your steadfast love.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Say to God, “I trust in our steadfast love. Help my distrust.”
Name 5 things for which your are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Psalm 32
I will instruct you and teach you the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you. 9Do not be like a horse or a mule, without understanding, whose temper must be curbed with bit and bridle, else it will not stay near you.
Lord,
What an amazing promise, “I will instruct you…teach you…counsel you.” Jesus promised to send a counselor, an advocate, a paraclete. You are the instructor. What an amazing promise it is!
Now the question, how are we to learn your lessons? How are we to discern your instruction? The answer we know but tend to ignore: Jesus, scripture, community, prayer, attentiveness to the still small silent voice.
Be the instructor, teacher and counselor of my life, today and every day, O Lord.
Personal Prayers: Ask God to lead you in the way that you should go today – large matters and small.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Lord,
What an amazing promise, “I will instruct you…teach you…counsel you.” Jesus promised to send a counselor, an advocate, a paraclete. You are the instructor. What an amazing promise it is!
Now the question, how are we to learn your lessons? How are we to discern your instruction? The answer we know but tend to ignore: Jesus, scripture, community, prayer, attentiveness to the still small silent voice.
Be the instructor, teacher and counselor of my life, today and every day, O Lord.
Personal Prayers: Ask God to lead you in the way that you should go today – large matters and small.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Psalm 32
Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you;at a time of distress,* the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them. 7You are a hiding-place for me; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with glad cries of deliverance. Selah
Lord,
“Let all who are faithful offer prayer to you.” Do we pray because we are faithful or are we faithful because we offer prayer? This morning I pray that you will make me faithful. I ask that through the course of this day, I will be attentive to your wisdom and grace. And I pray that through the course of this day, I may hear, as Jesus heard a the time of his baptism, “This is my son and I am well pleased.”
Personal Prayers:
Pray that you will be attentive to the grace of God through this day.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Lord,
“Let all who are faithful offer prayer to you.” Do we pray because we are faithful or are we faithful because we offer prayer? This morning I pray that you will make me faithful. I ask that through the course of this day, I will be attentive to your wisdom and grace. And I pray that through the course of this day, I may hear, as Jesus heard a the time of his baptism, “This is my son and I am well pleased.”
Personal Prayers:
Pray that you will be attentive to the grace of God through this day.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Psalm 32
While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up* as by the heat of summer. Selah
5Then 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. Selah
6Therefore let all who are faithful offer prayer to you; at a time of distress,* the rush of mighty waters shall not reach them.
Lord,
The Poet is clear. When he refused to face and name his sin, he was miserable. “My body wasted away.” The inability to face and name his own sin in the presence of God seems to have affected, not only his spiritual connection with God, it affected him physically as well. Sin, guilt is a powerful force. The denial of sin can hurt, even kill the denier.
The he looked to you and confessed. He named this destructive reality in his own life. He faced it and he named it both to you and, I suspect, to himself. He is not even explicit that he repented, that he promised to do better – though I suppose it could be assumed.
He confessed and he was forgiven! Now, why is that so hard? Why is it so hard to face the simple destructive realities of my own life? Why is it so hard, even in secret prayer, where nobody else is listening and nobody else has to know, to say to you, “Let me tell you about me. Here are the sordid details.”?
Maybe, when I am in the midst of the mess, I don’t really want to talk to you. It could be the embarrassment of the thing. Or, as likely, I don’t want deal with me. When I name it, it’s mine to own. I cannot pretend to myself any more. Maybe that’s it. All I know for certain today is that honest confession is a hard thing to do.
But the poet is clear that confession is indeed good for the soul. And it is really good for the body too. So grant me the grace I need to stand before you in complete honesty. Grant me the courage to face myself in those moments when it’s ugly do so.
Lord, in this world, we need good strong defenses to protect ourselves. But, in your presence, grant me the grace to let my defenses down and to trust you with the stories of my life, the all too true stories of my life. Allow me to trust you to love me anyway and to have confidence in your pardon.
Personal Prayers:
Name one personal sin before God. You can name other sins later but start with just one that you can say. Name it in the fullness of its reality and ask God to forgive.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you to God.”
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Psalm 32
Psalm 32
Of David. A Maskil.1Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up* as by the heat of summer. Selah
5Then 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. Selah
Lord,
You give the gift of guilt as a warning that we are moving away from you, that we are seriously off the track. You shape the conscience as an inner navigational system to keep us, as the poet of the 23rd said, “in the paths of righteousness for your name sake.” The loss of conscience and the capacity for guilt would mean the loss of our humanity. Compassion, mercy, love and all of the virtues of our humanity would all be swept away in orgies of self-centeredness. No longer would be we men and women created in your image, so thoroughly would be our spiritual and moral degeneration.
But, thank you, thank you, thank you, the guilt that is given is also taken away by the power of your forgiveness. You intend for guilt to go away once it has served its purpose. You want us to live as a forgiven people, choosing to live as you made us to live. Happy are those whose transgressions are forgiven!
So for the guilt that keeps me close to you and for the forgiveness that takes the guilt away, thank you.
Name your transgressions to God and ask forgiveness.
Say, “Lord, I accept my forgiveness. Please take the burden of guilt away.”
Name 5 things for which you are grateful.
In Christ’s name.
Amen.
Of David. A Maskil.1Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. 2Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
3While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up* as by the heat of summer. Selah
5Then 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. Selah
Lord,
You give the gift of guilt as a warning that we are moving away from you, that we are seriously off the track. You shape the conscience as an inner navigational system to keep us, as the poet of the 23rd said, “in the paths of righteousness for your name sake.” The loss of conscience and the capacity for guilt would mean the loss of our humanity. Compassion, mercy, love and all of the virtues of our humanity would all be swept away in orgies of self-centeredness. No longer would be we men and women created in your image, so thoroughly would be our spiritual and moral degeneration.
But, thank you, thank you, thank you, the guilt that is given is also taken away by the power of your forgiveness. You intend for guilt to go away once it has served its purpose. You want us to live as a forgiven people, choosing to live as you made us to live. Happy are those whose transgressions are forgiven!
So for the guilt that keeps me close to you and for the forgiveness that takes the guilt away, thank you.
Name your transgressions to God and ask forgiveness.
Say, “Lord, I accept my forgiveness. Please take the burden of guilt away.”
Name 5 things for which you are grateful.
In Christ’s name.
Amen.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Psalm 31
To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. 2Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily.Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.
3You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, 4take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge. 5Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Lord,
It’s been a while since I have written. Forgive me. Not that the excuse matters much to you, nor to me for that matter. Life just got busy and I slipped out of the habit. Apologies.
The Poet writes as if he or maybe she, is in a really rough place. This poet needs a rescue.
I don’t feel quite so desperate. Maybe if I knew the dangers around me, I would abandon this computer and fall on my knees and beg for mercy. But I don’t feel that needy.
Even so, I ask that you will be my rock, my refuge, my fortress. I cannot fulfill all of the obligations that are before me and without your guidance and presence, I am doomed to failure in some ways. That’s the truth and I need your wisdom and help.
Do I feel strange asking for your help? Yes! I should be helping you. But here we are: I want to do what you ask me to do and to do that, I need you to be my Paraclete; my counselor, my companion, my advocate, my protector, my wisdom.
Here is my case. If I am doing what you want me to do for the sake of your purpose, then it is in your best interest to help me out! As the poet said, I cannot sing your praises from the Pit! (Dog gone it,that sounds arrogant.)
So while I will do everything that is within my ability to do, I also will rely on the presence of your Spirit to take me through. And, you will be praised and your purpose served.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful.
In Christ’s name we pray,
Amen
1In you, O Lord, I seek refuge; do not let me ever be put to shame; in your righteousness deliver me. 2Incline your ear to me; rescue me speedily.Be a rock of refuge for me, a strong fortress to save me.
3You are indeed my rock and my fortress; for your name’s sake lead me and guide me, 4take me out of the net that is hidden for me, for you are my refuge. 5Into your hand I commit my spirit; you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Lord,
It’s been a while since I have written. Forgive me. Not that the excuse matters much to you, nor to me for that matter. Life just got busy and I slipped out of the habit. Apologies.
The Poet writes as if he or maybe she, is in a really rough place. This poet needs a rescue.
I don’t feel quite so desperate. Maybe if I knew the dangers around me, I would abandon this computer and fall on my knees and beg for mercy. But I don’t feel that needy.
Even so, I ask that you will be my rock, my refuge, my fortress. I cannot fulfill all of the obligations that are before me and without your guidance and presence, I am doomed to failure in some ways. That’s the truth and I need your wisdom and help.
Do I feel strange asking for your help? Yes! I should be helping you. But here we are: I want to do what you ask me to do and to do that, I need you to be my Paraclete; my counselor, my companion, my advocate, my protector, my wisdom.
Here is my case. If I am doing what you want me to do for the sake of your purpose, then it is in your best interest to help me out! As the poet said, I cannot sing your praises from the Pit! (Dog gone it,that sounds arrogant.)
So while I will do everything that is within my ability to do, I also will rely on the presence of your Spirit to take me through. And, you will be praised and your purpose served.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful.
In Christ’s name we pray,
Amen
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
psalm 31
Psalm 31 (NRSV)
19 O how abundant is your goodness
that you have laid up for those who fear you,
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of everyone!
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
from contentious tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was beset as a city under seige.
22 I had said in my alarm,
“I am driven fard from your sight.”
But you heard my supplications
when I cried out to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you his saints.
The Lord preserves the faithful,
but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord.
[1]
Lord,
The poet has settled his inner argument, at least for the moment. With a clear awareness of the dangers that surrounded him and with a glaring honesty about his own sense of uncertainty, he chose to remember your faithfulness and to trust himself into your loving care.
Lord, help me to love you with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Help me to love you with reason and emotion and will. Help me to love you with behavior as much as with feeling. As the potter shapes the clay, shape my character so that I may be more like Christ himself.
Lord, the economic avalanche that has rolled over so many people continues its rumbling rush downhill. For all who are being buried in its destructive path, I pray your protection. Lord, see us through. And keep the words of the poet firmly planted in our hearts, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.”
PERSONAL PRAYERS
Speak your fears to God even as you remember God’s abundant blessings over time.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
d Another reading is cut off
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
19 O how abundant is your goodness
that you have laid up for those who fear you,
and accomplished for those who take refuge in you,
in the sight of everyone!
20 In the shelter of your presence you hide them
from human plots;
you hold them safe under your shelter
from contentious tongues.
21 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to me
when I was beset as a city under seige.
22 I had said in my alarm,
“I am driven fard from your sight.”
But you heard my supplications
when I cried out to you for help.
23 Love the Lord, all you his saints.
The Lord preserves the faithful,
but abundantly repays the one who acts haughtily.
24 Be strong, and let your heart take courage,
all you who wait for the Lord.
[1]
Lord,
The poet has settled his inner argument, at least for the moment. With a clear awareness of the dangers that surrounded him and with a glaring honesty about his own sense of uncertainty, he chose to remember your faithfulness and to trust himself into your loving care.
Lord, help me to love you with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. Help me to love you with reason and emotion and will. Help me to love you with behavior as much as with feeling. As the potter shapes the clay, shape my character so that I may be more like Christ himself.
Lord, the economic avalanche that has rolled over so many people continues its rumbling rush downhill. For all who are being buried in its destructive path, I pray your protection. Lord, see us through. And keep the words of the poet firmly planted in our hearts, “Be strong, and let your heart take courage, all you who wait for the Lord.”
PERSONAL PRAYERS
Speak your fears to God even as you remember God’s abundant blessings over time.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
d Another reading is cut off
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
Sunday, February 22, 2009
psalm 31
Psalm 31 (NRSV)
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief,
my soul and body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,b
and my bones waste away.
11 I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horrorc to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many—
terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
16 Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.
17 Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
for I call on you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be stilled
that speak insolently against the righteous
with pride and contempt.
Lord,
The poet is having a really bad day and he is in a battle for his own soul. Despair or faith, which will claim his core identity?
Thank you for his honesty. He feels as worthless as worthless can be. He feels that everybody is against him and that his life has been wasted. Is there an objective reality to his complaint? I don’t know. It really doesn’t matter. He is honestly confessing the reality of his soul to You.
But he refuses to stop with whining. He chooses to remember your faithfulness and he deliberately baptizes himself in the recollections of your goodness and grace. He chooses to place his trust in you. He chooses to trust in you rather than allow himself to be defined by the despair of the day.
Lord, let it be so with me. I know well the dark times of the soul. There are seasons when the emotions of the poet are my emotions too. Let me choose with the poet to trust in you – to trust you. And grant me the joy and hope of that constant trust.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Give the darkness of your soul to God and ask for the ability to trust God.
Say with the poet, “But I trust in you.”
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
[1]
b Gk Syr: Heb my iniquity
c Cn: Heb exceedingly
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
9 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am in distress;
my eye wastes away from grief,
my soul and body also.
10 For my life is spent with sorrow,
and my years with sighing;
my strength fails because of my misery,b
and my bones waste away.
11 I am the scorn of all my adversaries,
a horrorc to my neighbors,
an object of dread to my acquaintances;
those who see me in the street flee from me.
12 I have passed out of mind like one who is dead;
I have become like a broken vessel.
13 For I hear the whispering of many—
terror all around!—
as they scheme together against me,
as they plot to take my life.
14 But I trust in you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my God.”
15 My times are in your hand;
deliver me from the hand of my enemies and persecutors.
16 Let your face shine upon your servant;
save me in your steadfast love.
17 Do not let me be put to shame, O Lord,
for I call on you;
let the wicked be put to shame;
let them go dumbfounded to Sheol.
18 Let the lying lips be stilled
that speak insolently against the righteous
with pride and contempt.
Lord,
The poet is having a really bad day and he is in a battle for his own soul. Despair or faith, which will claim his core identity?
Thank you for his honesty. He feels as worthless as worthless can be. He feels that everybody is against him and that his life has been wasted. Is there an objective reality to his complaint? I don’t know. It really doesn’t matter. He is honestly confessing the reality of his soul to You.
But he refuses to stop with whining. He chooses to remember your faithfulness and he deliberately baptizes himself in the recollections of your goodness and grace. He chooses to place his trust in you. He chooses to trust in you rather than allow himself to be defined by the despair of the day.
Lord, let it be so with me. I know well the dark times of the soul. There are seasons when the emotions of the poet are my emotions too. Let me choose with the poet to trust in you – to trust you. And grant me the joy and hope of that constant trust.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Give the darkness of your soul to God and ask for the ability to trust God.
Say with the poet, “But I trust in you.”
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
[1]
b Gk Syr: Heb my iniquity
c Cn: Heb exceedingly
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
Psalm 31
Psalm 31 (NRSV)
1 In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,
4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
6 You hatea those who pay regard to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.
7 I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my affliction;
you have taken heed of my adversities,
8 and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet in a broad place.
Lord,
I confess that this doesn’t feel very “prayerful.” I’m sitting in the Denver airport between flights and wanting to get this done! How is that for prayer? But it’s all I have and I will either write to you here or maybe, today, not write at all.
Years ago, Malcom Boyd wrote a little book of prayers called “Run with Me Jesus.” How about, “Fly with me Jesus?” So here I sit, wanting to meet you through the Psalm.
Help me to pray with the poet, “But I trust in the LORD.” The question that, like you, is always as near as the air we breath is this, “In whom or in what do you trust?” The presence or absence of trust shapes every decision and controls every attitude. When there is nobody to trust, anxiety prevails, the stomach roils, and every decision is pushed by the need to find a safe place. When anxiety and fear prevail, every decision will be a quest for security and the quest for security, by itself, is seldom sufficient for wisdom and never the ground for courage.
Idolatry is always the misplacing of trust. It is trusting something or someone as being more trustworthy than you.
The questions Lord, I have always been stalked by questions. How can I trust you? For what can I trust you? In what way can I rely on you?
This is the bottom line for me. I pray that I am right. Show me more. I trust you never to abandon me and to grant me the grace to meet anything that comes my way.
I place my trust in you.
PERSONAL PRAYERS
As God to grow the spirit of trust in God within you.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen
a One Heb Ms Gk Syr Jerome: MT I hate
1 In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,
4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
6 You hatea those who pay regard to worthless idols,
but I trust in the Lord.
7 I will exult and rejoice in your steadfast love,
because you have seen my affliction;
you have taken heed of my adversities,
8 and have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;
you have set my feet in a broad place.
Lord,
I confess that this doesn’t feel very “prayerful.” I’m sitting in the Denver airport between flights and wanting to get this done! How is that for prayer? But it’s all I have and I will either write to you here or maybe, today, not write at all.
Years ago, Malcom Boyd wrote a little book of prayers called “Run with Me Jesus.” How about, “Fly with me Jesus?” So here I sit, wanting to meet you through the Psalm.
Help me to pray with the poet, “But I trust in the LORD.” The question that, like you, is always as near as the air we breath is this, “In whom or in what do you trust?” The presence or absence of trust shapes every decision and controls every attitude. When there is nobody to trust, anxiety prevails, the stomach roils, and every decision is pushed by the need to find a safe place. When anxiety and fear prevail, every decision will be a quest for security and the quest for security, by itself, is seldom sufficient for wisdom and never the ground for courage.
Idolatry is always the misplacing of trust. It is trusting something or someone as being more trustworthy than you.
The questions Lord, I have always been stalked by questions. How can I trust you? For what can I trust you? In what way can I rely on you?
This is the bottom line for me. I pray that I am right. Show me more. I trust you never to abandon me and to grant me the grace to meet anything that comes my way.
I place my trust in you.
PERSONAL PRAYERS
As God to grow the spirit of trust in God within you.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen
a One Heb Ms Gk Syr Jerome: MT I hate
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Psalm 31
Lord,
It’s been a while since I’ve been here. I’ve been in several worship services and have certainly prayed along the way but it’s been a long time since I have sat with the poet and contemplated your presence. It’s been a while since I’ve prayed the Psalm.
Why? I’ve been travelling a lot and I’ve been busy and it’s not been convenient. And, for reasons that I do not know, I found this Psalm to be intimidating. It’s feels long. I know that longer ones are coming but this seems like a lot.
And since I am confessing, I’m feeling a bit of repetition. The newness of the thing has worn off and you know how I with routine. I am addicted to periodic doses of adrenalin, the rush that comes with things new. Staying with things has never been the strength of my life.
Lord, make these moments fruitful. Grant to me your presence, your Spirit.
Psalm 31 (NRSV)
1 In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,
4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Lord,
The poet is praying for deliverance from defeat and failure. To speak the obvious, he wants to win. And he believes that he deserves to win, that he really should win, because his cause is your cause.
He is anxious and fearful and decidedly short of confidence. (Who hasn’t been in that place?) So he declares that he is taking refuge Lord, in you. He wants you to do for him what he cannot do for himself.
You, he prays, you are capable of stepping up and saving the day. In his anxiety, he deliberately speaks of your ability to save and he calls you his Rock and Fortress.
Lord, I don’t want to fail either. I don’t want to be caught in the net of frustration and incompetence. So, with the poet I pray, be my strength, my fortress, my rock, my protection and my guide. May your cause be mine and grant me victory in it.
PERSONAL PRAYERS
Give your fear and anxiety to God and ask God to be your rock and fortress.
Ask God to make the intentions of your life consistent with God’s purpose and character.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
[1]
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
It’s been a while since I’ve been here. I’ve been in several worship services and have certainly prayed along the way but it’s been a long time since I have sat with the poet and contemplated your presence. It’s been a while since I’ve prayed the Psalm.
Why? I’ve been travelling a lot and I’ve been busy and it’s not been convenient. And, for reasons that I do not know, I found this Psalm to be intimidating. It’s feels long. I know that longer ones are coming but this seems like a lot.
And since I am confessing, I’m feeling a bit of repetition. The newness of the thing has worn off and you know how I with routine. I am addicted to periodic doses of adrenalin, the rush that comes with things new. Staying with things has never been the strength of my life.
Lord, make these moments fruitful. Grant to me your presence, your Spirit.
Psalm 31 (NRSV)
1 In you, O Lord, I seek refuge;
do not let me ever be put to shame;
in your righteousness deliver me.
2 Incline your ear to me;
rescue me speedily.
Be a rock of refuge for me,
a strong fortress to save me.
3 You are indeed my rock and my fortress;
for your name’s sake lead me and guide me,
4 take me out of the net that is hidden for me,
for you are my refuge.
5 Into your hand I commit my spirit;
you have redeemed me, O Lord, faithful God.
Lord,
The poet is praying for deliverance from defeat and failure. To speak the obvious, he wants to win. And he believes that he deserves to win, that he really should win, because his cause is your cause.
He is anxious and fearful and decidedly short of confidence. (Who hasn’t been in that place?) So he declares that he is taking refuge Lord, in you. He wants you to do for him what he cannot do for himself.
You, he prays, you are capable of stepping up and saving the day. In his anxiety, he deliberately speaks of your ability to save and he calls you his Rock and Fortress.
Lord, I don’t want to fail either. I don’t want to be caught in the net of frustration and incompetence. So, with the poet I pray, be my strength, my fortress, my rock, my protection and my guide. May your cause be mine and grant me victory in it.
PERSONAL PRAYERS
Give your fear and anxiety to God and ask God to be your rock and fortress.
Ask God to make the intentions of your life consistent with God’s purpose and character.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
[1]
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Psalm 30
Psalm 30 (NRSV)
8 To you, O Lord, I cried,
and to the Lord I made supplication:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
12 so that my soulb may praise you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
[1]
Lord,
I love the way that the poet negotiates with you, or thinks that he is negotiating. To paraphrase; “Look Lord, what good am I to you if I am dead?” Did he think that you would be worse off without him?
Perhaps he really did believe that you needed him.
Perhaps you did need him.
In what way do you need us? In what way do you need me? It’s clear that there are some things that you won’t do without us. You don’t build bridges over rivers and you don’t build power grids to light the cities. You don’t hold babies in warm physical arms and you certainly use your people to tell your story. It appears that in some real ways, you do need us to fulfill your intention for your world. Perhaps it not too bold to say that, in some way, you need me to fulfill that part of your purpose that you have entrusted into my keeping.
Emotionally it’s nearly paradoxical to say that you need me. It’s a direct highway to arrogance – the Lord needs me! And it is a driver to deep humility, that you would entrust a part of your purpose to me.
I suppose that I should remember that you needed the ancient poet for only a very short time. He left the stage thousands of years ago. And so it will be with me. That is a very humbling thought.
The poet negotiates and then the poet is made whole and the poet gives you the credit and praise. He brings his hymn to a crescendo of praise and thanksgiving. What a great way to live! He was neither too proud to ask nor was he too proud to say “thank you”. Let it be so with me.
PERSONAL PRAYERS
Speak candidly to God about your deepest need and perhaps even to negotiate a little.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
b Heb that glory
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
8 To you, O Lord, I cried,
and to the Lord I made supplication:
9 “What profit is there in my death,
if I go down to the Pit?
Will the dust praise you?
Will it tell of your faithfulness?
10 Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me!
O Lord, be my helper!”
11 You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
12 so that my soulb may praise you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever.
[1]
Lord,
I love the way that the poet negotiates with you, or thinks that he is negotiating. To paraphrase; “Look Lord, what good am I to you if I am dead?” Did he think that you would be worse off without him?
Perhaps he really did believe that you needed him.
Perhaps you did need him.
In what way do you need us? In what way do you need me? It’s clear that there are some things that you won’t do without us. You don’t build bridges over rivers and you don’t build power grids to light the cities. You don’t hold babies in warm physical arms and you certainly use your people to tell your story. It appears that in some real ways, you do need us to fulfill your intention for your world. Perhaps it not too bold to say that, in some way, you need me to fulfill that part of your purpose that you have entrusted into my keeping.
Emotionally it’s nearly paradoxical to say that you need me. It’s a direct highway to arrogance – the Lord needs me! And it is a driver to deep humility, that you would entrust a part of your purpose to me.
I suppose that I should remember that you needed the ancient poet for only a very short time. He left the stage thousands of years ago. And so it will be with me. That is a very humbling thought.
The poet negotiates and then the poet is made whole and the poet gives you the credit and praise. He brings his hymn to a crescendo of praise and thanksgiving. What a great way to live! He was neither too proud to ask nor was he too proud to say “thank you”. Let it be so with me.
PERSONAL PRAYERS
Speak candidly to God about your deepest need and perhaps even to negotiate a little.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
b Heb that glory
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
Monday, January 26, 2009
psalm 30
Psalm 30 (NRSV)
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.a
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
Lord,
How wise is this poet! “I said in my prosperity, ‘I shall never be moved.’” You had made him as strong as a mountain. And then, in the midst of all of that prosperity and security, “you hid your face; I was dismayed”!
It could have been written this morning. We were wealthy. The market was sky high. We were indestructible. Like the Rockies, nobody could do anything to us. And then it crashed. Portfolios and annuities evaporated like shallow water on a hot day. Jobs have disappeared and suddenly it seems as if “you hid your face.” We are dismayed.
So here we are, making our supplication. Take us through this time. Where in our prosperity, we took you for granted, restore us to a rightful relationship with you. Let our fear be the occasion for our repentance and our losses the cause of a new quest for justice and mercy.
Do we ask for the restoration of our resources? We do. We pray for jobs and the financial means necessary for all to have the lives that you intend for all of your children. Do not forsake us Lord in our time of confusion and anxiety. And make true again the ancient words of the poet that your anger is but for a moment but your favor lasts a lifetime.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to calm your fears and to transform your anxiety into confidence in God’s gracious favor.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
[1]
a Or that I should not go down to the Pit
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.a
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
6 As for me, I said in my prosperity,
“I shall never be moved.”
7 By your favor, O Lord,
you had established me as a strong mountain;
you hid your face;
I was dismayed.
Lord,
How wise is this poet! “I said in my prosperity, ‘I shall never be moved.’” You had made him as strong as a mountain. And then, in the midst of all of that prosperity and security, “you hid your face; I was dismayed”!
It could have been written this morning. We were wealthy. The market was sky high. We were indestructible. Like the Rockies, nobody could do anything to us. And then it crashed. Portfolios and annuities evaporated like shallow water on a hot day. Jobs have disappeared and suddenly it seems as if “you hid your face.” We are dismayed.
So here we are, making our supplication. Take us through this time. Where in our prosperity, we took you for granted, restore us to a rightful relationship with you. Let our fear be the occasion for our repentance and our losses the cause of a new quest for justice and mercy.
Do we ask for the restoration of our resources? We do. We pray for jobs and the financial means necessary for all to have the lives that you intend for all of your children. Do not forsake us Lord in our time of confusion and anxiety. And make true again the ancient words of the poet that your anger is but for a moment but your favor lasts a lifetime.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God to calm your fears and to transform your anxiety into confidence in God’s gracious favor.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
[1]
a Or that I should not go down to the Pit
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Psalm 30
Psalm 30 (NRSV)
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Lord,
The poet give you thanks for having been brought up from the pit. He gives thanks for being healed. It seems clear to me that he could not have been brought up if he had not gone down! He could not have been healed if he had not been sick. Even the biblical poet gives testimony to the ebb and flow of the spiritual life. The unbroken brightness of spiritual bliss doesn’t happen here. Instead our walk with You is one that involves both the dark night of illness and the bright day of healing. Let me be neither surprised nor faithless in the dark times nor allow me to neglect you when all seems to be well.
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Lord,
The poet knows better than to expect You to protect him from all disturbance and difficulty. Faith is not an inoculation against hard times but is instead the anticipation that You will take us through the darkness toward the bright dawn of a fresh tomorrow. In the words of another generation’s wisdom, “This too shall pass.”
And here is another piece of wisdom demonstrated by the poet. He makes a point of saying “thank you.” He remembers the difficulty and he remembers who led him through and he remembers to say “thank you.” In his spirituality, there is an inherent gratitude. “Sing praises”, he says and “give thanks.”
Lord, to you I give my struggles of today. Some things seem too heavy to bear; some things are too heavy to bear without you. Help me to carry the load and keep me forever mindful of the poet’s wisdom that “weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” About some things we simply say, “This too shall pass.”
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Give the sorrow of this day to God and ask God to take you to a brighter tomorrow.
Name 5 thing for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
1 I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up,
and did not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you brought up my soul from Sheol,
restored me to life from among those gone down to the Pit.
Lord,
The poet give you thanks for having been brought up from the pit. He gives thanks for being healed. It seems clear to me that he could not have been brought up if he had not gone down! He could not have been healed if he had not been sick. Even the biblical poet gives testimony to the ebb and flow of the spiritual life. The unbroken brightness of spiritual bliss doesn’t happen here. Instead our walk with You is one that involves both the dark night of illness and the bright day of healing. Let me be neither surprised nor faithless in the dark times nor allow me to neglect you when all seems to be well.
4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his faithful ones,
and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment;
his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may linger for the night,
but joy comes with the morning.
Lord,
The poet knows better than to expect You to protect him from all disturbance and difficulty. Faith is not an inoculation against hard times but is instead the anticipation that You will take us through the darkness toward the bright dawn of a fresh tomorrow. In the words of another generation’s wisdom, “This too shall pass.”
And here is another piece of wisdom demonstrated by the poet. He makes a point of saying “thank you.” He remembers the difficulty and he remembers who led him through and he remembers to say “thank you.” In his spirituality, there is an inherent gratitude. “Sing praises”, he says and “give thanks.”
Lord, to you I give my struggles of today. Some things seem too heavy to bear; some things are too heavy to bear without you. Help me to carry the load and keep me forever mindful of the poet’s wisdom that “weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” About some things we simply say, “This too shall pass.”
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Give the sorrow of this day to God and ask God to take you to a brighter tomorrow.
Name 5 thing for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Psalm 29
Psalm 29 (NRSV)
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,a
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
worship the Lord in holy splendor.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,b
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
[1]
Lord,
This morning I want to affirm with the poet your glory and strength.
I want to affirm glory:
In the mystery of your being
In the majesty of creation
In the crisp cold air of a Midwestern January
And in the gentle breezes of a southern winter day
In the wonder of being alive
In the beauty of the senses
And the ability to absorb the majestic hues of day and night
In children and grandchildren
In all the is right and just and good
Lord there is not enough time nor do I have the words to declare your glory.
And your strength, I want to affirm your strength.
You speak and:
The universe is created
Lives are transformed
Nastiness becomes the opener to something good
Death becomes life
Crucifixion becomes resurrection.
Lord, give strength to your people.
Lord, give strength to me.
As I live through this day, give me eyes to behold your glory and a heart to receive your strength for the journey.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Name the places where you see God’s glory.
Ask for strength to meet the day.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
a Heb sons of gods
b Or causes the deer to calve
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
1 Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings,a
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the Lord the glory of his name;
worship the Lord in holy splendor.
3 The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
4 The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,b
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, “Glory!”
10 The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.
11 May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!
[1]
Lord,
This morning I want to affirm with the poet your glory and strength.
I want to affirm glory:
In the mystery of your being
In the majesty of creation
In the crisp cold air of a Midwestern January
And in the gentle breezes of a southern winter day
In the wonder of being alive
In the beauty of the senses
And the ability to absorb the majestic hues of day and night
In children and grandchildren
In all the is right and just and good
Lord there is not enough time nor do I have the words to declare your glory.
And your strength, I want to affirm your strength.
You speak and:
The universe is created
Lives are transformed
Nastiness becomes the opener to something good
Death becomes life
Crucifixion becomes resurrection.
Lord, give strength to your people.
Lord, give strength to me.
As I live through this day, give me eyes to behold your glory and a heart to receive your strength for the journey.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Name the places where you see God’s glory.
Ask for strength to meet the day.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
a Heb sons of gods
b Or causes the deer to calve
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
Monday, January 5, 2009
psalm 28
Psalm 28 (NRSV)
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors,
while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work,
and according to the evil of their deeds;
repay them according to the work of their hands;
render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord,
or the work of his hands,
he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 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.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage;
be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
[1]
Lord,
Let me speak personally. It’s been a wonderful holiday season and it’s been aggravating beyond description and I have to confess that my heart has been a little shaky. I love the family Christmas gathering. Nearly everybody is there, brother and sister, nieces and nephews, in-laws and potential in-laws, children and grandchildren all together in one place. Only one family had to miss and while grieving their absence I am grateful for all who could gather. It was wonderful and that is the good part.
But there was the accident. I drove the car straight into the ditch and we had to be pulled out. We had to get a brake job. There was a nail in the tire. Our old puppy Christie nearly died and still may. Peggy took on a virus (we think) that completely disabled her for 36 hours. (I would tell you more but you already know and those sharing this prayer may not be able to pray and imagine her plight at the same time.) On the way home, the brakes started to smell and then we saw the smoke and then the garage discovered that a caliper on one of the brakes had frozen and nearly turned one brake pad to charcoal. Then we drove in rain that made us think that Noah’s ark was coming. O, and on the way home, Peggy accused me of being grumpy!
And I began to pray, “What’s wrong here?”
In the midst of all of this stuff, I want to remember that you are the strength of my heart. Help me to distinguish between things that are inconvenient or aggravating and things that are genuine problems. I confess that there were times when the aggravations were a little hard to handle.
While the dog is sick and the vet sent a substantial bill, some among us cannot afford to take medical care of their children. While our old car cost us some significant money (by our standards) others have no car at all. While we had to come back to work, some cry out for a chance to work. Lord, keep our perspective. Let perspective be a part of the confidence that we have in you.
So, I’m giving it to you Lord, confessing both my frustration and my gratitude which are all mixed up in the weeks surrounding Christmas.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God for the grace that you need for this new year.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
3 Do not drag me away with the wicked,
with those who are workers of evil,
who speak peace with their neighbors,
while mischief is in their hearts.
4 Repay them according to their work,
and according to the evil of their deeds;
repay them according to the work of their hands;
render them their due reward.
5 Because they do not regard the works of the Lord,
or the work of his hands,
he will break them down and build them up no more.
6 Blessed be the Lord,
for he has heard the sound of my pleadings.
7 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.
8 The Lord is the strength of his people;
he is the saving refuge of his anointed.
9 O save your people, and bless your heritage;
be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
[1]
Lord,
Let me speak personally. It’s been a wonderful holiday season and it’s been aggravating beyond description and I have to confess that my heart has been a little shaky. I love the family Christmas gathering. Nearly everybody is there, brother and sister, nieces and nephews, in-laws and potential in-laws, children and grandchildren all together in one place. Only one family had to miss and while grieving their absence I am grateful for all who could gather. It was wonderful and that is the good part.
But there was the accident. I drove the car straight into the ditch and we had to be pulled out. We had to get a brake job. There was a nail in the tire. Our old puppy Christie nearly died and still may. Peggy took on a virus (we think) that completely disabled her for 36 hours. (I would tell you more but you already know and those sharing this prayer may not be able to pray and imagine her plight at the same time.) On the way home, the brakes started to smell and then we saw the smoke and then the garage discovered that a caliper on one of the brakes had frozen and nearly turned one brake pad to charcoal. Then we drove in rain that made us think that Noah’s ark was coming. O, and on the way home, Peggy accused me of being grumpy!
And I began to pray, “What’s wrong here?”
In the midst of all of this stuff, I want to remember that you are the strength of my heart. Help me to distinguish between things that are inconvenient or aggravating and things that are genuine problems. I confess that there were times when the aggravations were a little hard to handle.
While the dog is sick and the vet sent a substantial bill, some among us cannot afford to take medical care of their children. While our old car cost us some significant money (by our standards) others have no car at all. While we had to come back to work, some cry out for a chance to work. Lord, keep our perspective. Let perspective be a part of the confidence that we have in you.
So, I’m giving it to you Lord, confessing both my frustration and my gratitude which are all mixed up in the weeks surrounding Christmas.
Emmanuel, God is with us.
PERSONAL PRAYERS:
Ask God for the grace that you need for this new year.
Name 5 things for which you are grateful and say “Thank you” to God.
In Christ’s name,
Amen.
[1] The Holy Bible : New Revised Standard Version. Nashville : Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989
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