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
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
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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