The Mainline Minister

Praise God for all he's done.   Hallelujah! Praise God with joy.  Hallelujah! Praise God with abandon.  Hallelujah! Praise God wherever you are, with whomever you find yourself.  Hallelujah! Praise God who does amazing things. Hallelujah! Praise God who gives new life, who loves his people, who is recreating the universe. Hallelujah! Praise God this Easter Day! Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Praise God in the holy temple; * give praise in the firmament of heaven. Praise God who is mighty in deed; * give praise for God’s excellent greatness. Praise God with the blast of the ram’s-horn; * give praise with lyre and harp. Praise God with timbrel and dance; * give praise with strings and pipe. Praise God with resounding cymbals; * give praise with loud-clanging cymbals. Let everything that has breath * praise the LORD. Hallelujah!

"Do you work wonders for the dead?" asks the psalmist in verse 11.  Today, in the aftermath of the crucifixion, the seemingly obvious answer would be no.  But our God is a mighty God, full of wonders, power, and love.  So we wait and we anticipate.  We join the author of Psalm 88 and ask the question hoping, praying, believing that the answer will be yes.  We do so, knowing that our God can do anything. On this day of waiting, we reflect, we prepare.  We consider all the cruelty and hate the world can offer and we ask if is there is another way.  We do so looking to the promise of Scripture, the commitment of our Lord, the hope of the Resurrection.  We do so knowing the answer, God's answer, will be yes, there is another Way. 1      O LORD, my God, my Savior, * by day and night I cry to you. 2      Let my prayer enter into your presence; * incline your ear to my lamentation. 3      For I am full of trouble; * my life is at the brink of the grave. 4  

Attentive readers of these reflections know that thanks to the vagaries of the Daily Office and one or two idiosyncratic choices, we have visited a psalm more than once during our Lenten journey.  Psalm 22 is among this cohort.  And as we stand before the cross this day, it is right that we return to this text, especially to its first, anguished verses. Jesus, we recall, cried out plaintively "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"  With the gift of time, we can engage in deep and valuable.  theological reflection.  We can look back upon that moment and try to discern its meaning.  But that, I would suggest, can wait.  At this hour, let us be present with Jesus.  As he holds us, as he nurtures us, let us do the same for him.  Let us be to him what he is to us: a reflection of God's steadfast presence.  Let us stand with him, knowing that even though God has not forsaken him, even as God never forsakes us, we can still feel bereft, alone, and abandoned.

The psalmist harbors no doubt.  God is surely listening to his prayers. It's easy to make this assertion when all is going well. But what about during times of trouble?  What about now, Maundy Thursday, when Jesus will meet with is disciples, one of whom will betray him?  What about now, the eve of Jesus' crucifixion?  Was God listening to Jesus?  Will he listen to us? Yes. Yes. Yes. God is listening.  Though it may not be obvious, God is listening as if nothing else in the world matters, as if there is nothing else in the world to hear.  God hears his people.  To God, each person is precious. Remember this.  Respond to this.  And yes, as odd as this word may seem today, rejoice in this. 116:1 I love the LORD, because he has heard my voice and my supplications. 116:2 Because he inclined his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live. 116:12 What shall I return to the LORD for all his bounty to me? 116:13 I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on

In verses 7 - 9, the psalmist writes of fleeing his troubles, of wishing he could take flight like a dove.  This expression of hope, of an escape from one's woes and travails, is lyrical and moving.  When troubles seem insurmountable, the desire to take flight, to run away, can be very appealing. The words "running away" don't always have the most positive connotation.  They can suggest cowardice and avoidance.  Of an evasion of responsibility.  But under the right circumstances, running away can be prudent, wise, and, yes, even brave.  Think about running away from a bear.  Or a fire.  Or, all those things that tempt us to stray from God. Then there's the question of where one is heading when one runs.  Is it into further trouble, deeper into the woods?  Or is it towards our rock and our salvation, to the God who sustains and nurtures us? At some time, each of us will run away.  In these final days of Lent, we are invited by this psalm to consi

It can be hard to repent.  As we reflect on our actions, our choices, our priorities, we can lose heart.  Sometimes, it's possible to lose any sense of self worth.  And when that happens, when we can't forgive ourselves, we wonder how anybody else, including God, could.  Here, the psalmist calls us back to the truth with honesty and pathos.  As far as we've fallen, as grievously as we've erred, as blatantly as we've sinned if we are willing to turn back to God with open and willing hearts, if we're willing to own to what we've done and not done to separate ourselves from God and God's people, we can be sure that we will be accepted by the One who has made, who loves us, and who will heal us. 1  LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger; * do not punish me in your wrath. 2  Have pity on me, LORD, for I am weak; * heal me, LORD, for my bones are racked. 3  My spirit shakes with terror; * how long, O LORD, how long? 4  Turn, O LORD, and deliver

During Lent people often talk about the things they've given up as a sacrifice.  That offering can seem like a burden.  Sometimes that's good, sometimes that's not.  It's good when we part with something that matters so that we can deepen our faith.  It's not when in doing so, we act as if we're doing God some kind of favor, one that deserves praise and acknowledgment.  The psalmist, along with the prophets and others in Scripture, not to mention Jesus, knew this reality.  They knew that it was all too easy for people to fake sacrifice, to look like they were doing something for God but in reality were doing something to boost their own reputation righteousness.  Here, in verses 17 and 18 and Psalm 51 we are told what God really seeks from us: not an animal on an altar, but real introspection and an honest accounting of our sins.  "Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice, but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.  The sacrifice o

The psalmist declares that God has done a wondrous thing: he has chosen to use the one that others have rejected.  The Christian church has often read this text as pointing to Jesus. While potentially satisfying, such an anachronistic approach isn't appropriate.  The psalm should be read on its own terms.  When we do that, we find a testimony to God's power and his love.  The psalmist reminds us that God isn't bound by the standards of the world; those we might reject as unsuitable can be just the one's to do God's work.  We can take heart from this good news for there will be times in our lives when we will feel like the rejected stone.  At those moments, God may be sizing us up to be the cornerstone for some new work of divine love and mercy.  Keep this in mind as you enter in Holy Week.  Draw strength from this knowledge of what God can and does do with us and then honestly and forthrightly engage in reflection, repentance and renewal. 118:1 O giv

The psalmist asks, "O LORD, what are we that you should take care for us? mere mortals that you should think of us?"  He observes that, "We are like a puff of wind; our days are like a passing shadow."  Then, without hesitations, he asks God to do mighty things on behalf of his people.  Though our lives may be short and we may seem inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, the author of these verses knew that God still loved his people, that to him they mattered.  We can take heart from this and rejoice.  But as this is Lent, we should also take pause: for the God who loves his people care about what they do.  He wants them to live righteously, to do justice, to show mercy, to walk humbly.  During this season we should reflect on whether we responding fully and faithfully to God's call and then act accordingly, not hesitating to call on God for his support and encouragement as we seek to do and discern his will. Blessed be the LORD my rock! *

We encounter this psalm in one week as we mark Good Friday.  The first verse gives voice to a sense of abandonment that many of us have felt in one point in our lives, of being alone and wondering where God might be.  The psalmist, in offering up this lament, like Jesus who echo these words, reminds us that part of the life of faith includes doubts.  But it also involves engagement and an element of blind trust in our Creator.  Read on and the confidence that the author of these words has in the steadfastness of God is breathtaking and inspiring.  It offers us encouragement and support as we move through the dark periods of our lives, a reminder that while God may seem far, he is always by our side. 1  My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? * and are so far from my cry and from the words of my distress? 2  O my God, I cry in the daytime, but you do not answer; * by night as well, but I find no rest. 3  Yet you are the Holy One, * enthroned upon the praises of Israe

Four short verses.  Four profound verses. Here we are offered an attitude and approach for faithful living.  As Lent draws to a close, it's worth reflecting on how much closer we are to stilling our souls and making them quiet so that we can wait upon the LORD.  We may still have more to do, and we may not do it all by Easter but we need not worry: God will be reaching out to us as we reach out to him, whenever and wherever we are. 1  O LORD, I am not proud; * I have no haughty looks. 2  I do not occupy myself with great matters, * or with things that are too hard for me. 3  But I still my soul and make it quiet, like a child upon its mother’s breast; * my soul is quieted within me. 4  O Israel, wait upon the LORD, * from this time forth for evermore.

Make your way down to verse 164 and consider what the psalmist has to say about his daily prayer routine.  Talk about commitment!  He's serious about offering praise to God.  He's all in.  After you've taken sometime to reflect on this verse, continue reading, and give thought to what else is said about the life of prayer.  Does this comport with the reality of your prayer life? All too often in our modern world, we want to do and we want to do it now.  Prayer, though, calls us in another direction, one of being attentive.  We offer up our hopes and dreams, joys and concerns, fears and wishes, but we also listen and wait and pause.  The psalmist's way of prayer isn't the only valid model, but it does speak to a seriousness of purpose, a dedication, a devotedness and devoutness, that we should all aspire to bring to this most fundamental of spiritual disciplines, particularly during Lent, when we turn to God, seeking to turn back to him and his way.

This is one of the great pilgrimage psalms, sung by those heading to Jerusalem to worship. The anticipation, the wonder, the excitement are evident.  Here, the psalmist and his compatriots stand at the gates of the city.  They've almost arrived.  Almost. So too with Holy Week and Easter.  In just a few days we'll celebrate Holy Week and begin a spiritual and liturgical journey that will bring us to the depths of despair before delivering us to a place of joy and life triumphant.  But we're not ready to start, not yet.  We still have a few days of "ordinary" Lent before us.  We still have time to prepare ourselves for what's to come.  Let's take a moment, let's reflect, let's pray, let's sing a song of peace.  Then we will be better prepared to enter into Jerusalem. 1  I was glad when they said to me, * “Let us go to the house of the LORD.” 2  Now our feet are standing * within your gates, O Jerusalem. 3  Jerusalem is built as

Troubles and travails beset the psalmist.  He feels isolated, afflicted, abandoned.  Yet throughout it all, he is confident that he can call upon God, that the LORD will be steadfast and faithful - even if he, the psalmist has "become a reproach ... even to my neighbors."  No matter how far he has fallen, the author of the psalm knows that he can call on the Most High, the God of Israel.  It is with similar confidence that we are invited, no called, to turn to God during Lent, to repent, to reflect, to pray for the inspiration, the courage, the faith to pursue a new course, the Way of Jesus, the way of life and love. 1  In you, O LORD, have I taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; * deliver me in your righteousness. 2  Incline your ear to me; * make haste to deliver me. 3  Be my strong rock, a castle to keep me safe, for you are my crag and my stronghold; * for the sake of your Name, lead me and guide me. 4  Take me out of the net that they have secret

Who are you waiting for?  What are you waiting for?  Samuel Becket mined this question for all its existential worth in his play "Waiting for Godot."  So, too, does the psalmist.  True, there's nothing of the absurd to Psalm 130, but it still confronts us with the matter of our expectations, the repository of our hopes, even the focus of our lives.  Here, the psalmist waits on the LORD, and he waits in hope.  What about you?  What about me?  Do we have the patience, do we have the faith?  Who do we watch for?  Jesus or the latest celebrity?  As we begin this fifth week of Lent, let's pray about and reflect on our priorities, asking our Creator to set us on a new path so that our waiting is not in vain.  Remember, while Godot never shows up, God already has. 130:1 Out of the depths I cry to you, O LORD. 130:2 Lord, hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! 130:3 If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities, Lord, who could st

I am grateful for the notion of the psalmist waking up the dawn, especially on a gray, dreary, cool day when my Lenten abstention from coffee is beginning to wear on me.  These verses are full of a joy and enthusiasm that is invigorating, that reorients and refreshes me, which is perfect for this season of renewal. Pray, repent, reflect, rejoice.  It's Lent! My heart is firmly fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; * I will sing and make melody. Wake up, my spirit; awake, lute and harp; * I myself will waken the dawn. I will confess you among the peoples, O LORD; * I will sing praises to you among the nations. For your loving-kindness is greater than the heavens, * and your faithfulness reaches to the clouds. Exalt yourself above the heavens, O God, * and your glory over all the earth. So that those who are dear to you may be delivered, * save with your right hand and answer me.

Vultures. Owls. Sparrows.  This psalm is a veritable aviary. Birds have long fascinated humans.  Their beauty, their variety, and, of course, their ability to fly, something that was beyond the reach of our kind until just the last century.  Nowadays, we can fly, even to the moon.  But we still need the help of machines.  Not so birds.  They are made to fly.  Yet hear they do something else: they scavenge and they are alone.  Symbols of freedom have become emblems of desperation.  Hope is lost.  Yet, the psalmist knows that loss can be reversed by God; indeed, he's counting on it.  Though he never writes as much, we can imagine the birds of his psalm once again taking flight, soaring above God's creation.  And during Lent, we are a reminded that we too, empowered by a renewed relationship with our Creator and our Creator's people, can also take flight again. 1  LORD, hear my prayer, and let my cry come before you; * hide not your face from me in the day of

Psalm 69 is a truly extraordinary prayer, and deserves far more than a morning blog post.  The language, the imagery, the theology, the faith are all remarkable.  Take time to read the words, savor them, pray on them; you will be fed and challenged. Still, as this is Lent I would like to suggest focusing on verse 7: "Let not those who hope in you be put to shame through me, Lord GOD of hosts; let not those who seek you be disgraced because of me, O God of Israel."  In the midst of his travails the psalmist asks that others who love God not suffer because of him.  This ability to focus on others is a sign of a deep and generous faith, of a person wholly shaped by his (or her) love of God.  It is this kind of selfless faith that Jesus shared with his disciples, his community, and ultimately the world. Today we can ask ourselves how we might be more giving as we try to follow the Way of Jesus.  For each of us the answer will be different.  For each of us the answe

The psalmist begins with a lovely sentiment: he'll sing of mercy and justice.  But by the end, he talks of taking down the wicked in the land.  His passion and zeal are impressive, inspiring, and, honestly, a little bit unsettling.  During Lent, though, we are meant to be unsettled.  It's easy to find reasons to not do the right thing, to turn away when wrongs are being committed.  In this season of the church year, we are called to ask what is keeping us from following God's path and to then chart a new course.  Doing so may upend our expectations, but it will bring us to where we need to be. 1 I will sing of mercy and justice; * to you, O LORD, will I sing praises. 2 I will strive to follow a blameless course; oh, when will you come to me? * I will walk with sincerity of heart within my house. 3 I will set no worthless thing before my eyes; * I hate the doers of evil deeds; they shall not remain with me. 4 A crooked heart shall be far from me; * I will

I love this psalm.  It starts off with a bang, the author bragging on just how awesome the LORD is.  He is the center of the universe, and all creation dances about him.  He is to be worshiped and praised.  The God of the psalmist, the God of Israel, is Numero Uno. And what does this mighty, wondrous, powerful cosmos-ruling sovereign want?  Power?  Glory?  Nope.  He wants faithfulness.  Righteousness.  A turn from evil.  And he wants it from us. During Lent, as we pray over our priorities, we do well to remember what's important to the LORD.  If God, who has the option to focus on anything, instead chooses to concern himself with things like faithfulness and right living, maybe we should to! 1 The LORD is Sovereign; let the earth rejoice; * let the multitude of the isles be glad. 2 Clouds and darkness are round about you, * righteousness and justice are the foundations of your throne. 3 A fire goes before you * and burns up your enemies on every side. 4 Your