Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Pentecost - Years A, B, C
What does "bless the lord" mean when everything depends on the whim of said lord?
The psalmist is not accepting of a lord, in season or out. There is a plea that the psalmist's action will be pleasing, that the psalmist will have an edge. Blessing here is contextually restrained by a desire to have "sinners" get their comeuppance and for the psalmist to have access to all the perks - to get fed.
To push this psalm into a later experience of Pentecost is not particularly helpful, other than filling a liturgical slot.
A human desire for uniqueness and excitement can lead to limiting Pentecost to the visible movement of spirit. Pentecost is also the assembling and/or waiting, whether the spirit is anticipated or given up on. It is not particularly Pentecostal to not be willing to wait together while out of season. Death and resurrection are all around — waiting for power to be revealed and shared is not. We seem to be enamored of the heightened times of crosses and empty tombs, less so of ordinary processes such as waiting together.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2013/05/psalm-10424-34-35b.html
Now, why would we lose 35a from the lectionary? Is there some understanding that Spirit is perky and pollyannaish? Remember that a Baptismal question is: "Do you renounce the spiritual forces of wickedness, reject the evil powers of this world, and repent of your sin?" This question is followed by the recognition that our desire is not always carried through on and a second question: "Do you accept the freedom and power God gives you to resist evil, injustice, and oppression in whatever forms they present themselves?"
I suppose an argument could be made that Spirit binds folks together rather than further divide them (the old Babel/Pentecost comparison). Because everything else is pointing toward a pleasant picture of Spirit that need not first call out the reassurance of "Peace", I am tempted to leave 35a in to temper our idealization of Pentecost.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/may2005.html
It is always interesting to see what doesn't make the lection. In this Psalm the wisdom of the church was to leave out the sentence (legal sentence or judgment), "Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more."
This is one of the hallmarks of a progressive movement - being up-front about an agenda of focusing on and rejoicing within the abundance and diversity of G*D's creation.
This is not to say that sin is ignored or lessened in its terribleness or impact, but that the blotting out of sin and wickedness would do us all in and so a healthier way for G*D/humanity/creation to go is that of working with sin and wickedness that it might mature into love and community. This is by far the more difficult route to go (far easier to say, "begone" - lost and gone forever - than to say, "bygone" - its in the past now let's live differently).
What will it take for us to continue to support and encourage one another to not only cut this sentence out of the lectionary, but to cut it out of our lives? Worth working on, don't you think.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/may2002.html
Breathe on us, breath of G*D. Create in us a clean heart o'erflowing in goodness. Fill us with life anew.
What other hymn phrases would you use to connect blessing and soul and spirit?
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2003/june2003.html
Might we modify verse 33 to read: "I will sing with G*D as long as ever I can; we will dance mutual praise while being lasts."
This is more in keeping with "one's own image" serenading "one's own". It is the Pentecostal breakthrough of a present experience where unexpected people are heard singing one's own heart's desire and we respond.
In this mutuality we find an elusive blessing long-sought down dusty lanes of a divine right of praise reception.
Perhaps this poem by Rilke will help:
Only in our doing can we grasp you.
Only with our hands can we illumine you.
The mind is but a visitor;
it thinks us out of our world.Each mind fabricates itself.
We sense its limits, for we have made them.
And just when we would flee them, you come
and make of yourself an offering.I don't want to think a place for you.
Speak to me from everywhere.
Your Gospel can be comprehended
without looking for its source.When I go toward you
it is with my whole life.Rilke's Book of Hours I, 51
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2010/05/psalm-10424-34-35b.html
If we are going to see G*D as reliably creative, we will soon find ourselves moved aside from partnership with G*D to someone who sits up and begs (v 28). We become dependent upon G*D to the exclusion of being able to stray from the orthodox, official, tradition claimed to be the guarantor of our next handout.
Thus we don’t mention sin and wickedness in verse 35a. We need to ban even half-a-verse that takes the focus off of verse 31 - “The glory of God—let it last forever! Let God enjoy his creation!” [The Message].
Where did these consumed sinners and wicked folks come from? The same place as Cain and Seth’s wives? The image of G*D from creation?
Pentecost is not about praise, praise, praise in a secluded room. It is about face-to-face encounters with that which is different and finding a common link between. A too happy Psalm puts more focus on tongues of fire and less on tongues of reconciliation.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/06/psalm-10424-34-35b.html
Always be a bit suspect when something is left out. This section of the Psalm begins, “...how manifold are your works!” Then, at the end, leaves out “Let sinners be consumed from the earth, and let the wicked be no more.”
Are “sinners” and the “wicked” part of the manifold works? Where then lies their being excluded and if they are excluded, who will protest when it is our turn? What feels good from a privileged position now cannot be guaranteed.
No wonder someone feels like they must continually sing praise. Might a bit of a lapse bring being lumped with those sinners we cared not a whit for? This is dangerous territory when we stop to consider some imaginary gap between creation and sin and whether praise can bridge it.
For now imagine the wind blowing ships hither and yon. Imagine them tacking into and running with the wind. When wind interacts with life, there are all these little decisions to make. Blessings on your hearing a new wind blow and responding well no matter from whence it arises.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2012/05/psalm-10424-34-35b.html
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Ordinarily the following response would have been a comment under yesterday's blog. I so enjoyed (if that is the right term) it that I wanted to be sure it had the formatting available here and not in the comment section. Thanks, Tom!
Wesley
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Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Are “sinners” and the “wicked” part of the manifold works? Where then lies their being excluded and if they are excluded, who will protest when it is our turn? What feels good from a privileged position now cannot be guaranteed.
No wonder someone feels like they must continually sing praise. Might a bit of a lapse bring being lumped with those sinners we cared not a whit for? This is dangerous territory when we stop to consider some imaginary gap between creation and sin and whether praise can bridge it.
Continually singing praise to keep something you don't want from happening is kinda like a filibuster (or OCD), but hey, after all, it's not the singing praise all day that gets to me, it's the incessant asking me to chip in $5 or $10. (I will admit that the other day I found myself humming "row, row, row your boat" instead of "onward christian soldiers" but then I immediately thought of River Jordan and figured I was safe.)
Ever since that "Cherubim United" decision, G*DPAC has been asking daily for my money to help counter the massive wicked-anonymous-donor million$ that have been funding those divisive attack ads against praise-singing bridgers. The Children of Light appear to be grossly out-spent by the Children of Wickedness and Sin. We've lapsed. We've been lumped with the uncared-for not-a-whits, commodified, dis-informed, bought and sold and discarded until the next election cycle. We must fight back! Let the wicked be consumed! And if you are one of the wicked, send in your money to us before you get consumed and your name will be put in a redemption lottery (more $$$ means more chances!).
Praise alone can no longer bridge the imaginary gap between creation and sin.
Your generous contribution will!
Which side are you on!
Skip the praise! Today it takes money - lots of money - to bridge that imaginary gap. Please chip in $5 or $10 today!
And don't worry, we'll ask you again tomorrow!
We're re-defining the word "pray" (as in "unceasing") to include monetary expressions of praise and thanksgiving!
How manifold are YOUR works?????? (For your convenience we have pre-filled the contribution form.)
[x] Yes! Accept my generous non-deductable donation of [ ]$50 [ ]$100 [x]$500 [ ]other today!
[x] Yes! I want to be sure to keep my place on the right side of things.
Make my contribution recurring
__ daily
__ weekly
__ monthly
_x_ all of the above
[x] Yes! for only $15 more, please send me an endless-loop praise cd of "onward righteous rowboats" which I can keep running 24/7.
[x] Yes! I want to join the Occupy G*D movement ahead of time: I agree to be pre-occupied.
[x] Yes!
P.S.
By the way, anyone interested in doing a grassrooots recall of G*D? I'm not sure how many signatures we need on the petition but this is not the Creation I know and love, not the Creation I signed up for. All those outsider sinning wickeds... and whose bright idea was flesh-eating bacteria? I mean, talk about imaginary gap - creation might as well BE sin.
For now imagine the wind blowing ships hither and yon. Imagine them tacking into and running with the wind. When wind interacts with life, there are all these little decisions to make. Blessings on your hearing a new wind blow and responding well no matter from whence it arises.
And why, why, WHY is the answer always blowin' in the wind? it's just not right. I'm figuring a recall will be easier than impeachment, but hey, what do you all think?
Tom
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2012/05/psalm-10424-34-35b_24.html
So, what have you experienced?
So, what do you desire to experience?
Between these two is where Pentecostal messages appear. They remind us of how we have experienced G*D and Neighb*r. They remind us of expectations of better experiences with G*D and Neighb*r.
This Psalm might be a base model for you to call to mind your own past and hopes. Where this psalm uses nature images, you can use pictures of your experience.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2014/06/psalm-10424-34-35b.html