August 24, 2023 — Psalm 118 

O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Out of my distress I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me in a broad place. With the LORD on my side I do not fear. What can mortals do to me? The LORD is on my side to help me; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in mortals. It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to put confidence in princes. All nations surrounded me; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side; 

in the name of the LORD I cut them off! They surrounded me like bees; they blazed like a fire of thorns; in the name of the LORD I cut them off! 

I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” (Verses 1-14) 

“I was pushed hard, so that I was falling, but the LORD helped me. The LORD is my strength and my might; he has become my salvation.” 

This small verse from Psalm 118 is one of our selected readings for a graveside committal service as per the rubrics from the Occasional Services Book.  

I tell people at a funeral that death often feels like this — that we are being pushed hard in a direction we do not want to go. Death affects us like that. Every death has an impact on our lives. No matter how old the person is who has died, or how old we are when someone dies, death has a lasting impact. We often find out who are true friends are when death hits our lives. So many people are afraid of death, or do not know how to react when someone dies, they just choose not to respond except to say “I am praying for you.” Prayers are nice, but actions of love are nicer.  

The Psalmist says “…I was falling, but the LORD helped me.” This is the hope we place ourselves in when we come to the Lord in times of both loss and blessing — grief and joy. When we feel as if our whole world is shattering around us, it is the Lord who lifts us up through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. And how does the Lord do this? Well, to begin with, the Lord comes to us through each person who offers words of condolences, each person who listens to our words of grief, and each person who prays for, but more importantly “with” us. This is how we lift each other up — actually the Lords lifts us up through the community of believers.  

Let us pray: 

Holy and mighty God, your Son’s triumph over sin and death has opened forever the gate of eternal life. Save us, we pray, when we are in distress, pressed to the point of falling. Let the joy of your salvation resound through your church and in our lives, and let the whole creation reflect the brilliant light of Jesus Christ, our risen Savior and Lord. 

Amen. 

Pastor Dave

August 23, 2023 — Psalm 117 

“Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples! For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD!” 

This is the shortest of the Psalms. And, not surprising, it calls on the world to “Praise” the Lord. Here the nations and their peoples are called upon to “Praise” the Lord. They are not called upon to convert to a particular religion — they are not called upon to extol that praise in any particular way. They are simply invited. That says something fundamentally important about our praise “of” the Lord. It is not complete until the world joins in this praise with its inherent faith and joy. Until the praise of and for the Lord arises from every people, all of the people will continue to lack the relationship the Lord wants with each one of us. Moreover, the nations of the world will not have found the glue, the centering foundation that holds the focus of what should be shared values and life.  

Why should the nations praise the LORD? This psalm and the people who sing the praise of the Lord have a single focus for giving this praise — here the theological basis of the call is because of what the Lord has done for us. The steadfast love (hesed) and faithfulness of the LORD are the vocabulary with which the people of God speak as gratitude for the salvation the Lord offers for all people. 

Let us pray: 

Lord God, you have revealed your kindness to every people and nation. Gather the whole world to yourself, that in all the various languages of the earth one hymn of praise may rise to you; through Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord. 

Amen. 

Pastor Dave