This morning we took time to pray for ourselves and the world, sharing with one another the good and the difficult of our lives, and praying in response to stories from the news. Before that, we sought to ground ourselves in the words of Psalm 27 through a series of reflective readings.
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The Lord is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life—
of whom shall I be afraid?
What does it mean to say that the Lord is our light? For me it says that God is the means by which I see and understand the world. But it does not mean that God is only in the light or that only the light is good. Babies grow in the dark of the womb and seeds grow in the dark of the earth. The Lord is my protective and nurturing darkness too. Does that mean we should never be afraid or does it mean there is always someone with us to push back against the fear?
When the wicked advance against me
to devour me,
it is my enemies and my foes
who will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me,
my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me,
even then I will be confident.
What armies are besieging us right now? For David as I wrote these words, they may have been quite literally true. For people living in areas of conflict, they will cut very close to home. We may not have to fear soldiers or bombs, but we may face discrimination or hatred or our own internal battles. What can give us confidence in the face of them?
One thing I ask from the Lord,
this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord
and to seek him in his temple.
What does the beauty of the Lord look like and is it only to be found in his temple? When Jesus died the temple curtain was torn in two. This was not the moment God was released from the Holy of Holies but a sign that God was never limited to the Holy of Holies. This whole world is sacred and full of the beauty of the Lord. So how do we seek God and dwell in his house even as we continue to live in our world?
For in the day of trouble
he will keep me safe in his dwelling;
he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent
and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted
above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord.
Are we sheltered in his sacred tent or set high upon a rock? The images seem to pull in different directions. Perhaps David did not know which he preferred or which he needed. Perhaps he trusted God to know best. Perhaps we need to have that same trust in our day of trouble. And what then will we sing to the Lord?
Hear my voice when I call, Lord;
be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me,
do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me,
God my Saviour.
Though my father and mother forsake me,
the Lord will receive me.
Teach me your way, Lord;
lead me in a straight path
because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me,
spouting malicious accusations.
Have you been forsaken by others? It is desperately painful. But God is constant and that can ease the pain even if it cannot remove it entirely. God is true to us whether or not we are true to God but the truer we are the straighter our path will be. So how can we learn to follow in the way of the Lord?
I remain confident of this:
I will see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
What does it look like to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living? For me it is found most often in the goodness of others. In gentleness and in generosity. It is those things that strengthen me to take heart and wait for even more of that goodness. What is it that helps you be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord?
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