Why are you cast down, O my soul,
and why are you disquieted within me?
Hope in God; for I shall again praise him,
my help and my God.
Two of the psalms assigned for today (also 42) close with this internal monologue.
Why, how, when, what, how long... the Hebrew מָה or mah is an all purpose interrogatory.
These are perpetual questions, never entirely resolved... at least in this life.
Yet we are to hope, wait, expect answers.
To hope in God is to have faith in possibilities beyond our understanding.
Psalm 43
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
Psalm 141
Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not turn my heart to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with those who work iniquity;
do not let me eat of their delicacies.
Translated here as delicacies, לָחַם or lacham means to devour.
But it is most commonly translated as to fight or do battle.
Evil can be delicate, delectable, it appeals to deep desires.
Evil promises to fulfill our longing, even as it deepens our addictions.
Evil enthralls, evil flatters, evil entices.
Psalm 141
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Psalm 140
Deliver me, O Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from those who are violent,
who plan evil things in their minds
and stir up wars continually.
They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s,
and under their lips is the venom of vipers.
In Hebrew evil is the outcome of breaking apart.
Good is wholeness. Evil is separateness.
Violent acts and poisonous words divide.
We are created for and encouraged to the opposite.
Psalm 140
protect me from those who are violent,
who plan evil things in their minds
and stir up wars continually.
They make their tongue sharp as a snake’s,
and under their lips is the venom of vipers.
In Hebrew evil is the outcome of breaking apart.
Good is wholeness. Evil is separateness.
Violent acts and poisonous words divide.
We are created for and encouraged to the opposite.
Psalm 140
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Psalm 124
Blessed be the Lord,
who has not given us
as prey to their teeth.
We have escaped like a bird
from the snare of the fowlers;
the snare is broken,
and we have escaped.
How often do we escape without noticing?
Just before being caught? Without recognizing the danger?
I have known a few close-calls. With a second's difference I might have been devoured. But a second the other way and I might not have seen any danger at all.
God of love help me be aware of your presence in every context.
May every sense I have be alive to your creation and intention.
Psalm 124
Monday, March 26, 2012
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Psalm 17
If you try my heart, if you visit me by night,
if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
my mouth does not transgress.
As for what others do, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
Who could confidently claim that God would "find no wickedness in me"?
I am not sure even the Psalmist meant quite that.
What I read in the Hebrew is that the psalmist has been tried and tested. He has been examined and refined - as heat refines silver - until nothing is left.
Not only no wickedness, but nothing. It is a new beginning.
May I begin this day and each day empowered by God's grace.
Psalm 17
if you test me, you will find no wickedness in me;
my mouth does not transgress.
As for what others do, by the word of your lips
I have avoided the ways of the violent.
My steps have held fast to your paths;
my feet have not slipped.
Who could confidently claim that God would "find no wickedness in me"?
I am not sure even the Psalmist meant quite that.
What I read in the Hebrew is that the psalmist has been tried and tested. He has been examined and refined - as heat refines silver - until nothing is left.
Not only no wickedness, but nothing. It is a new beginning.
May I begin this day and each day empowered by God's grace.
Psalm 17
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Psalm 7
Rise up, O Lord, in your anger;
lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies;
awake, O my God; you have appointed a judgement.
Let the assembly of the peoples be gathered around you,
and over it take your seat on high.
The Lord judges the peoples;
judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
and according to the integrity that is in me.
I read the psalms as an expression of the human struggle to know God.
Mostly we impose on God human limitations or we make an idol of our fantasies.
Yet God is present, observable, and discernible.
From scripture and more we have some sense of an unfolding encounter with God.
We can mindfully engage God in the present moment.
Knowing God's judgment and future is, I think, beyond our capacity.
Psalm 7
Friday, March 23, 2012
Psalm 107
Some went down to the sea in ships,
doing business on the mighty waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their calamity;
they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out from their distress;
he made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
Somehow I heard Prince Charles read this psalm at the funeral of Lord Mountbatten.
The ceremony was on September 5, 1979. Standing at the great lectionary in Westminster Abbey, dressed in full uniform, the then young prince read the words with a dignity and feeling that has remained with me for over thirty years.
The psalm was especially apt. The Earl had been assassinated by bomb hidden in his boat by terrorists.
The psalm was followed by singing I vow to thee my country.
Authentic worship honors our human potential even as it calls us to deep humility.
Psalm 107
doing business on the mighty waters;
they saw the deeds of the Lord,
his wondrous works in the deep.
For he commanded and raised the stormy wind,
which lifted up the waves of the sea.
They mounted up to heaven, they went down to the depths;
their courage melted away in their calamity;
they reeled and staggered like drunkards,
and were at their wits’ end.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he brought them out from their distress;
he made the storm be still,
and the waves of the sea were hushed.
Then they were glad because they had quiet,
and he brought them to their desired haven.
Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love,
for his wonderful works to humankind.
Somehow I heard Prince Charles read this psalm at the funeral of Lord Mountbatten.
The ceremony was on September 5, 1979. Standing at the great lectionary in Westminster Abbey, dressed in full uniform, the then young prince read the words with a dignity and feeling that has remained with me for over thirty years.
The psalm was especially apt. The Earl had been assassinated by bomb hidden in his boat by terrorists.
The psalm was followed by singing I vow to thee my country.
Authentic worship honors our human potential even as it calls us to deep humility.
Psalm 107
Thursday, March 22, 2012
Psalm 103
Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
The Hebrew בָּרַך or barak means to bless, translated above as praise.
Praise is part of it. But it also means a range of acts that serves another.
Barak also means to kneel. Specifically it is the kneeling of camels to drink water.
Blessing is action on behalf of another that allows the actor to receive what is essential.
I praise, I give thanks, I care for another and through these blessings my best self unfolds.
Psalm 103
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
The Hebrew בָּרַך or barak means to bless, translated above as praise.
Praise is part of it. But it also means a range of acts that serves another.
Barak also means to kneel. Specifically it is the kneeling of camels to drink water.
Blessing is action on behalf of another that allows the actor to receive what is essential.
I praise, I give thanks, I care for another and through these blessings my best self unfolds.
Psalm 103
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Psalm 119
Trouble and anguish have come upon me,
but your commandments are my delight.
Your decrees are righteous for ever;
give me understanding that I may live.
This Hebrew word for understanding is בִּין or biyn.
It usually implies close observation, discernment, and intelligence.
But in some contexts biyn also suggests caring and acting.
Objectivity does not always allow a full understanding.
There are realities that must be subjectively experienced to fully understand.
Psalm 119
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Psalm 46
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Hebrew has many names for God.
The two most frequent are 'elohiym and Yahweh.
There are many distinctions, but two stand out for me.
The 'elohiym, grammatically plural, are divine rulers: gods who control.
Yahweh is "that which exists", that who walks with us, that which creates.
When we are in trouble we often pray, as above, for the 'elohiym to take control.
We are encouraged to enter into relationship with Yahweh to avoid trouble or transform trouble as co-creators.
Psalm 46
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Hebrew has many names for God.
The two most frequent are 'elohiym and Yahweh.
There are many distinctions, but two stand out for me.
The 'elohiym, grammatically plural, are divine rulers: gods who control.
Yahweh is "that which exists", that who walks with us, that which creates.
When we are in trouble we often pray, as above, for the 'elohiym to take control.
We are encouraged to enter into relationship with Yahweh to avoid trouble or transform trouble as co-creators.
Psalm 46
Monday, March 19, 2012
Psalm 30
You have turned my mourning into dancing;
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.
We need to give thanks.
We do not need to win the lottery.
We do not need to pass the test.
We do not even need for our disease to be healed.
But we desperately need to give thanks.
Only in thankfulness can we enjoy the abundance already received.
Only in thankfulness can we apply whatever knowledge we have.
Only in thankfulness can we live fully and creatively whatever our condition.
Psalm 30
you have taken off my sackcloth
and clothed me with joy,
so that my soul may praise you and not be silent.
O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you for ever.
We need to give thanks.
We do not need to win the lottery.
We do not need to pass the test.
We do not even need for our disease to be healed.
But we desperately need to give thanks.
Only in thankfulness can we enjoy the abundance already received.
Only in thankfulness can we apply whatever knowledge we have.
Only in thankfulness can we live fully and creatively whatever our condition.
Psalm 30
Sunday, March 18, 2012
Psalm 27
I believe that I shall see the goodness of the Lord
in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong, and let your heart take courage;
wait for the Lord!
"I know with my own eyes the goodness of God from the liveliness of the earth."
We are surrounded by the verdant abundance of the natural world.
The Hebrew חַי or chay means living, green, flowing, active.
There is the promise of life renewed, restored, and fully revived.
But first we must notice.
Psalm 27
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Psalm 90
Satisfy us in the morning with your steadfast love,
so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
What is translated as "afflicted" is better understood as "humbled".
The last phrase is better translated as, "and for as many years as we have been the friend of the king."
The friend of the king -- a courtier, a royal dependent -- is constantly deferring.
The friend of the king exists to serve the king.
In serving others may I find cause to rejoice and be glad.
Psalm 90
so that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
Make us glad for as many days as you have afflicted us,
and for as many years as we have seen evil.
What is translated as "afflicted" is better understood as "humbled".
The last phrase is better translated as, "and for as many years as we have been the friend of the king."
The friend of the king -- a courtier, a royal dependent -- is constantly deferring.
The friend of the king exists to serve the king.
In serving others may I find cause to rejoice and be glad.
Psalm 90
Friday, March 16, 2012
Psalm 92
The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
I am not righteous, but I aspire to righteousness.
I aspire to be just and bring justice.
I seek to be myself, fully the self God intends.
I seek to love God, neighbor and myself.
I want to be whole and contribute to wholeness.
Psalm 92
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
I am not righteous, but I aspire to righteousness.
I aspire to be just and bring justice.
I seek to be myself, fully the self God intends.
I seek to love God, neighbor and myself.
I want to be whole and contribute to wholeness.
Psalm 92
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Psalm 43
O send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy;
and I will praise you with the harp,
O God, my God.
The moonless night is dark, the sky full of stars.
Nearly straight above a faint red light shines.
Jupiter and Venus rendezvous in the West.
There are truths here, but they are not especially holy.
Where joy and praise meet, a more profound truth may be found.
Psalm 43
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Psalm 82
Give justice to the weak and the orphan;
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.’
They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk around in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I say, ‘You are gods,
children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals,
and fall like any prince.’
We are wicked. Yet we are children of the most high.
We are gods. Yet we are human.
We abide in paradox.
We betray our inheritance when we fail to protect the weak.
We betray ourselves when we do not actively love God and neighbor.
Psalm 82
maintain the right of the lowly and the destitute.
Rescue the weak and the needy;
deliver them from the hand of the wicked.’
They have neither knowledge nor understanding,
they walk around in darkness;
all the foundations of the earth are shaken.
I say, ‘You are gods,
children of the Most High, all of you;
nevertheless, you shall die like mortals,
and fall like any prince.’
We are wicked. Yet we are children of the most high.
We are gods. Yet we are human.
We abide in paradox.
We betray our inheritance when we fail to protect the weak.
We betray ourselves when we do not actively love God and neighbor.
Psalm 82
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Psalm 78
He gave his people to the sword,
and vented his wrath on his heritage.
Fire devoured their young men,
and their girls had no marriage song.
Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows made no lamentation.
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a warrior shouting because of wine.
He put his adversaries to rout;
he put them to everlasting disgrace.
The first verse shown above does not match my understanding of God.
"He gave his people to the sword, and vented his wrath on his heritage."
When I input the Hebrew into an online translator, here's the result:
"And closed up the sword with him or his property, pregnant."
Nearly gobbly-gook.
The sentence consists of five words:
Cagar: To shut, close, closely join, shut up, deliver up, imprison (verb)
'am: Nation, people, kinsman, kindred
Chereb: Sword, knife, cutting tool
'abar: Pass over, cross over, pass beyond, leave, take away (verb)
Nachalah: Possession, property, portion, inheritance
Perhaps: The closely joined kindred were cut apart as by a sword, passing beyond their old inheritance.
Psalm 78
and vented his wrath on his heritage.
Fire devoured their young men,
and their girls had no marriage song.
Their priests fell by the sword,
and their widows made no lamentation.
Then the Lord awoke as from sleep,
like a warrior shouting because of wine.
He put his adversaries to rout;
he put them to everlasting disgrace.
The first verse shown above does not match my understanding of God.
וַיַּסְגֵּר לַחֶרֶב עַמּוֹ; וּבְנַחֲלָתוֹ, הִתְעַבָּר.
"He gave his people to the sword, and vented his wrath on his heritage."
When I input the Hebrew into an online translator, here's the result:
"And closed up the sword with him or his property, pregnant."
Nearly gobbly-gook.
The sentence consists of five words:
Cagar: To shut, close, closely join, shut up, deliver up, imprison (verb)
'am: Nation, people, kinsman, kindred
Chereb: Sword, knife, cutting tool
'abar: Pass over, cross over, pass beyond, leave, take away (verb)
Nachalah: Possession, property, portion, inheritance
Perhaps: The closely joined kindred were cut apart as by a sword, passing beyond their old inheritance.
Psalm 78
Monday, March 12, 2012
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Psalm 96
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ is coming.
Usually it is: Christ will come again.
But I understand he is already coming, unfolding, fulfilling.
Working with us, through us and even despite us to complete creation.
Psalm 96
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.
Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ is coming.
Usually it is: Christ will come again.
But I understand he is already coming, unfolding, fulfilling.
Working with us, through us and even despite us to complete creation.
Psalm 96
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Psalm 27
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?
...Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.
Worry, fear, envy, anger are not helpful.
Watchfulness, caution, attention, and action are very helpful.
Through my relationship with God fear can be overcome.
This does not mean I will be spared fearful experience.
But I can choose to be bold and confident by trusting in God.
Psalm 27
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
...Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.
Worry, fear, envy, anger are not helpful.
Watchfulness, caution, attention, and action are very helpful.
Through my relationship with God fear can be overcome.
This does not mean I will be spared fearful experience.
But I can choose to be bold and confident by trusting in God.
Psalm 27
Friday, March 9, 2012
Psalm 73
But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled;
my steps had nearly slipped.
For I was envious of the arrogant;
I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For they have no pain;
their bodies are sound and sleek.
They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not plagued like other people.
Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them like a garment.
Their eyes swell out with fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
They set their mouths against heaven,
and their tongues range over the earth.
I am envious.
I envy artists, old money, fine clothes, beauty, style...
It is mostly ephemera.
Many who I envy are troubled and unhappy.
We are all hungry and often settle for a sugar rush.
But we need something much more substantial.
We have been invited to a feast.
Psalm 73
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Psalm 70
Let all who seek you
rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
say evermore, ‘God is great!’
But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay!
What is translated above as poor can also mean busy, preoccupied, distracted.
We are oppressed by petty demands, wasted time, and self-destructive habits.
God: That Which Exists: Reality, hurry to re-claim me to your truth. Do not delay!
Psalm 70
rejoice and be glad in you.
Let those who love your salvation
say evermore, ‘God is great!’
But I am poor and needy;
hasten to me, O God!
You are my help and my deliverer;
O Lord, do not delay!
What is translated above as poor can also mean busy, preoccupied, distracted.
We are oppressed by petty demands, wasted time, and self-destructive habits.
God: That Which Exists: Reality, hurry to re-claim me to your truth. Do not delay!
Psalm 70
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Psalm 119
I have seen a limit to all perfection,
but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
I have seen but a small part of the wholeness intended.
Your intention is exceedingly large.
May I find the time and place you have intended for me.
Psalm 119
but your commandment is exceedingly broad.
לְכָל-תִּכְלָה, רָאִיתִי קֵץ; רְחָבָה מִצְוָתְךָ מְאֹד.
Perhaps...I have seen but a small part of the wholeness intended.
Your intention is exceedingly large.
May I find the time and place you have intended for me.
Psalm 119
Psalm 50
Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me;
to those who set a way
I will show the salvation of God.’
The Hebrew strongly suggests that we are to choose a way.
We are to choose a direction and make a journey.
The implication is that in making the choice and giving thanks we have done our part.
God cannot help the indecisive or the passive or those who complain.
God will guide those who move forward trusting in the love of God.
Psalm 50
Monday, March 5, 2012
Psalm 65
The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
We abide in abundance.
We are invited to participate in co-creation.
We are meant to be happy.
Psalm 65
the hills gird themselves with joy,
the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
We abide in abundance.
We are invited to participate in co-creation.
We are meant to be happy.
Psalm 65
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Psalm 29
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!
Voice is certainly the most common translation.
But the Hebrew can also mean lightness or frivolity.
This is not the tone our psalmist seeks above.
But we also know this aspect of God: in the cricket's song, water dancing over rocks in the creek, or a light breeze tickling the tree's leaves.
That which exists, is becoming, is ultimately real is awesome and accessible,
Psalm 29
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
and Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord flashes forth flames of fire.
The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness;
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the forest bare;
and in his temple all say, ‘Glory!
Voice is certainly the most common translation.
But the Hebrew can also mean lightness or frivolity.
This is not the tone our psalmist seeks above.
But we also know this aspect of God: in the cricket's song, water dancing over rocks in the creek, or a light breeze tickling the tree's leaves.
That which exists, is becoming, is ultimately real is awesome and accessible,
Psalm 29
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Psalm 138
The Lord will fulfil his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures for ever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
יְהוָה, יִגְמֹר בַּעֲדִי: יְהוָה, חַסְדְּךָ לְעוֹלָם; מַעֲשֵׂי יָדֶיךָ אַל-תֶּרֶף.
That Which Exists will complete the context.
That Which Exists is good, kind and self-giving.
Do not forsake powerful acts.
It is not clear if the last is aimed at God or the reader.
Psalm 138
Friday, March 2, 2012
Psalm 40
You have multiplied, O Lord my God,
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted.
I am surrounded, engulfed by miracles.
I have learned to filter, even neglect them.
Or I would be overwhelmed.
But today may I notice the marvelous works of God.
And give thanks.
Psalm 40
your wondrous deeds and your thoughts towards us;
none can compare with you.
Were I to proclaim and tell of them,
they would be more than can be counted.
I am surrounded, engulfed by miracles.
I have learned to filter, even neglect them.
Or I would be overwhelmed.
But today may I notice the marvelous works of God.
And give thanks.
Psalm 40
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Psalm 50
Those who bring thanksgiving as their sacrifice honour me;
to those who go the right way
I will show the salvation of God.
This thanksgiving is a verb closely related to shooting an arrow or throwing something.
This right way is a verb closely related to setting, putting, or making something.
In each case a choice is made regarding where and how to act.
The Hebrew word most often used for sin - chata'- means to miss the mark, to lose our way, to become separated from where we ought to be or, perhaps, to not choose anyplace.
Dear God may my choosing recognize the sacred potential of each place and each act.
Psalm 50
to those who go the right way
I will show the salvation of God.
This thanksgiving is a verb closely related to shooting an arrow or throwing something.
This right way is a verb closely related to setting, putting, or making something.
In each case a choice is made regarding where and how to act.
The Hebrew word most often used for sin - chata'- means to miss the mark, to lose our way, to become separated from where we ought to be or, perhaps, to not choose anyplace.
Dear God may my choosing recognize the sacred potential of each place and each act.
Psalm 50
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