Psalm for Today ~ Authored by Creation

 

Read Psalms 19-21

 

Psalm 19 is meant to be read outside in creation.  More than that, Psalm 19 is meant for you to stop reading the words of the Hebrew Hymnal and start being read by creation.  Psalm 19 celebrates that we are connected to a web of life.  You are the soil ~ because the carrots and corn and strawberries you eat grew in the dirt and now it is in you.  You are like the trees because the oxygen we breathe is given to us by this holy part of creation that exchanges our carbon dioxide for that which gives us life.  You are like the birds when you sing ~ remember back to the Morning Mediations from April 28 ~ your unfinished life is a symphony.  More than that, you are being authored by creation.  God sings through the earth to you ~ but as we have paved over paradise, as we binge watch Netflix, as we spend more and more time inside ~ we miss the Creator’s hymn to our souls.  When we spend too much time inside ~ we miss the beauty of the outside.  Go outside and let God sing to you today.

 

If you hold Psalm 20 close to your ear, you can hear the Rocky Theme music or Chariots of Fire or Queen singing, “We are the champions.”  So often in the Christian church we have a humble-mumble approach.  We are taught and caught to say, “It was nothing,” when someone compliments or thanks us.  We are told to not think highly of ourselves, because we don’t want to catch narcissism.  Here is the truth: a narcissist is never concerned about being ego centric or getting a big head.  So the very fact that you want to be careful means that you are okay.  So, what/when was a moment recently you felt the joy of accomplishment?  It doesn’t have to be splashy or spectacular, sometimes just making your bed and calling a friend is a holy day.  Let God celebrate with you in that moment. 

 

Finally, read Psalm 21, which reminds you that part of your human condition is that there will always be people cheering us on and others who criticize.  There will be those who embody God’s unconditional love and those who think it is their job (even though you didn’t ask for them to apply or hire them or pay them) to cut you down.  People are messy.  When you hold Psalm 20 and 21 together, let them speak to your story right now.  Maybe there was a moment when you felt joy at crossing off something off the list you had been working on ~ like completing a brand-new Lego set.  And there is someone right now saying, “Humph, a 50-year-old man working on a Lego set??  Sounds like someone needs to work out his childhood issues.”  Did you know that negative comments need mere seconds to wedge and work their way into our soul, while positive comments take at least three times as long.  You must sit with a compliment more than a criticism, because the criticism immediately we think is true, while the compliment we are skeptical of.  Wait!  What?  Why???  Why do we automatically believe that the one who is criticizing us is being honest while the person sharing love has an agenda and is blowing smoke?  Hold this today.  Open your ears to someone who shares God’s love, and may you trust the honesty of me saying to you, “You are God’s beloved!”  Amen.