Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13

Proper 12 (17) - Year C


Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13 - paraphrased by Jim Taylor

Pious voices utter platitudes:
"Trust in the Lord. It's God's will. God knows best."
People say with certainty:
"The Lord giveth, and the Lord taketh away."
"With faith, all things are possible."

"Silence!" I want to cry.
"Take your frozen formulas and leave me alone!
Let me listen for what God has to say.
For God will not let a broken heart bleed by itself in the night.
When wounds cut to the bone,
only God can sew together the torn edges of a shattered life.
Only God can soothe such throbbing pain."

Surely goodness and mercy will grow again, and sunshine return to the sky.

Sorrow is holy ground;
walk on it only with feet bared to the pain of every pebble.

Through the darkness, the Lord comes walking on the salt sea of tears.

From: Everyday Psalms at Wood Lake Books.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/december2002.html

 


 

Speaking of peace, it is quite one of the most active of endeavors.

Peace aids the meeting of love and faithfulness. Without it these two would continue along their separate but equal arcs - each finding a way to avoid the other. Love without faithfulness can wander off in any old direction and faithfulness without love is all too easily stuck.

Peace even works on itself and its doppelganger, righteousness. They kiss (to complete themselves, not to betray the other). Peace blesses and is blessed by the easiest way away from peace, self-righteousness that covers up communal-righteousness. Peace kisses past the shell to the place of unity.

Peace plays creator between the waters above (righteousness) and the waters below (faithfulness) that neither take over and life can happen between. Peace calls each to its place in the wholeness of well-being.

To Peace is to lead an active life, a pro-active life, leading to more life, life in abundance. Advent is a time to practice the presence of peace between our various selves (internal and external). This is a most wonderful time of the year - setting the expectation of Peace that we will work on all the rest of the year.

I should have mentioned it earlier, but its not too late to look up an Advent Devotional that is oriented to moving beyond the struggles of life to learn from them a peace that passes our understanding - but not our participation.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/december2005.html

 


 

Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Isaiah 40:1-11
2 Peter 3:8-15a
Mark 1:1-8

Cry out!
What shall I cry?
Here is G*D
. . . a shepherd.

What a let down.

Still want to hear what this shepherd G*D has to say? It won't be doctrinal, but will place us smack-dab in the middle of the realities of life.

Enjoy being between:
salvation and fear
faithfulness and righteousness
waiting for and hastening
waiting for new heavens and earth and striving for peace
time not being slow but patient

Of such matters do shepherds have the time and space to contemplate what it means to both have a penalty paid and to yet be preparing a new creation in a wilderness all too present.

Non-shepherds keep trying to resolve these matters and lose the spark of life they set off when they come in contact with one another.

This is not as high flown as Year A, not as packed. Slow enough to appreciate waiting for the pieces to come together.

- - -

Lift up your voice - with strength
Baaaaaa!
We will be fed, gathered, carried, gentled.
Aaaaaaa!

Aaaaaaa! Baaaaaa! Baaaaaa! Aaaaaaa!
What a rhyme scheme - Abba

Pieces -
faithfulness
righteousness
- Peace is

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2006_12_01_archive.html

 


 

Elijah, Baptizer John, Jesus of Nazareth are forerunners. They exemplify faithfulness, righteousness, forgiveness.

We are forerunners. May your exemplification be a blessing to you and all.

Run well, salvation wholeness is at hand and in yours. Hold it lightly, lest it be squoze to death.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_12_01_archive.html

 


 

At some point we look to reuniting steadfast love and faithfulness. We also look to a wedding kiss between righteousness and peace. These will come from forgiveness and pardon of the past.

This is to say that currently there is a gap between steadfast love and faithfulness. They look in different directions for the object of their affection. Right now righteousness and peace are separated with irreconcilable differences.

One piece of work to be done in Advent time is working to define these terms and to assist them in combining forces rather than each claiming precedence. Blessings on your bringing clarity and inciting solidarity.

An important Advent question is how these were separated from one another. Yes, they can be seen as parallels, but the different faces do reveal various facets of a smaller/larger something behind them and affect how we function in the world.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/11/psalm-851-2-8-13.html

 


 

At some point we look to reuniting steadfast love and faithfulness. We also look to a wedding kiss between righteousness and peace. These will come from forgiveness and pardon of the past.

This is to say that currently there is a gap between steadfast love and faithfulness. They look in different directions for the object of their affection. Right now righteousness and peace are separated with irreconcilable differences.

One piece of work to be done in Advent time is working to define these terms and to assist them in combining forces rather than each claiming precedence. Blessings on your bringing clarity and inciting solidarity.

An important Advent question is how these were separated from one another. Yes, they can be seen as parallels, but the different faces do reveal various facets of a smaller/larger something behind them and affect how we function in the world.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/11/psalm-851-2-8-13.html