Psalm 112
Epiphany 5 - Year A
Proper 17 (22) - Year C
Psalm 112 or Psalm 81:1, 10-16
Let us encourage one another with such words as:
You rise in the darkness as a light for the upright. You also bless those not able to catch a glimpse of such light.
You are gracious, merciful, and righteous. Your constraints are only upon those non-gracious, unmerciful, and ill-righteous promptings within and the greatest freedom to extend grace, mercy, and shalom beyond anything so far imagined.
You are generous and just. You don't play those off against one another but use each to spark more in the other.
You remain unafraid, unbowed, in the presence of the anger of the wicked (the non-gracious, unmerciful, and ill-righteous) at your grace, mercy, and justice.
You are a mouth-wide-opened fledgling being fed and ready to fly off to feed others. You join in singing together as we feast and open the door for others to come.
http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2004/august2004.html
Psalm 112 or Psalm 81:1, 10-16
G*D faces the same issues that face every "image of G*D" when life goes astray.
Externalization: giving them over to their "stubborn hearts". It is their fault, let them live with the consequences.
Internalization: steadfast presence of grace, mercy, and presence. To be light that continues to rise in the darkness.
And so America, land of the free, continues to build more and more prisons with less and less health care or rehabilitation for more and more prisoners. [article] This is a one sided approach, dividing G*D from G*D.
- - -
from where and whence
will righteousness' wholeness
not be moved
for now it is tied to remembrance
it is clear in hindsight
but oh so cloudy today and tomorrow
having seen results
we can sift and winnow evil
assigning it its cause
recognizing situations differ
as well as continue
brings dissonance of head and heart
our evil-dar goes on the blink
in the blink of an eye
a wink of conspiratorial delay
until finally we see grace
and it so deeply angers us
we divide self from self
until calico cats and gingham dogs
thoroughly obliterate reconciliation
and we sink into eternal mourning
hardly daring to peek into tomorrow
for a better world to tie to
with every fiber of today
with time split from time
person from person
only hope and despair are left
choose you this day
whom you will serve
and you will be well served
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
Psalm 112:1-9 (10)
Isaiah 58:1-9a (9b-12)
1 Corinthians 2:1-12 (13-16)
Matthew 5:13-20
Time and again we come to ask the question of - what's in it for me? And time and again we come to be asked – what's in it for others?
An awareness of the distinction between whether we are asking or being asked focuses us on whether or not we sense our sense or common sense or human wisdom is the chief measuring rod of life. If it is, we have seen evidence of our following prescribed rituals such as fasting and finding their limit in justifying what we are currently doing.
If our sense is that these ritual righteousnesses have their place but there is a mystery of more-life that takes place beyond them, then we may find another level of fasting and living. If this is the case, we have evidence that our actions can have a positive effect in the lives of others that echo in our own.
If fasting from anger doesn't loosen bonds we wrap around another, our fasting only makes us look tolerant.
If fasting from greed doesn't loosen a yoke we place around others to provide our well-being, our fasting only makes us look philanthropic.
If fasting from food doesn't loosen our hold on our bread, our fasting only makes us look sleek.
If fasting from sloth doesn't loosen our regard for privacy, our fasting only makes us look kingly in our castle.
If fasting from comfort doesn't loosen our closet locks, our fasting only makes us look the emperor in new clothes.
If fasting from jealousy doesn't loosen our remembrance of injuries done to us by those who love us, our fasting only makes us look justified.
Fasting for our benefit is one thing. Fasting for the benefit of another is another.
- - -
a cosmic aarrgghh
rumbles forth
I write of fasting
and take a break
for cheese and crackers
for but a bit of
lovely Wensleydale
how Wallace and Wesley
could go on and on
oblivious to anything but
honey-tinged Wensleydale
hopefully with the help of
a faithful friend
we will muddle through
steady of heart
triumphant in the end
pray all cosmic aarrgghhs
will come 'round right
to comic har-har-hars
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_01_01_archive.html
Want to keep your saltiness? To shed light into the darkness still around us?
Verse 5 may be what you are looking for - "It is well with those who deal generously and lend, who conduct their affairs with justice."
The communal and parallel behaviors of sharing and fairness go a long way to keeping steady hearts in the presence of fear producing events such as those who would gnash their teeth at you or otherwise attempt to throw you to lions.
Facing some duress? It's probably not something you can handle on your own. If it is, it probably isn't duress? If it is duress, you may want to remember its antidotes: sharing and fairness. These are not short-term cures for anything, but they are long-term health for one and for all.
http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/02/psalm-1121-9-10.html