Psalm 149

Proper 18 (23) - Year A
All Saints - Year C

What would it look like to triumph without resort to two-edged swords to slay others?

Here is a great divide.

Can we unswervingly proceed to erase the differences between earth and heaven, between now and then, moving them toward congruence, regardless of the consequences to ourselves?

Must we be the vehicle of G*D's justified imposition of consequences upon those who would limit how present the powerless can be?

Do you find yourself wavering in the middle between the resistance formulations of Gandhi or Che?

It is time to choose which continues to be the new song of life. It may be enough to simply remember the first lines of this Psalm and let the rest go, trusting what will be will be. -- Hallelujah! Alleluia! (in any spelling form or language) we are singing a new song 'cause there is no fixing the old one. To keep to our singing we do it in the presence of fellow-travelers lest we forget and fall back into unoriginal behavior.

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2002/september2002.html

 

 

Psalm 149 or Psalm 119:33-40

Let's see, what shall we do with disputes on a national level? Ahh, Praise God and Pass the Ammunition! Be ready to exile and/or execute them!

On both the personal and the national levels we find this option to divide and separate. Whether there is actual power to do so, the imprecations are indicative of intention should such power be present.

Often it is helpful to rub scripture against scripture to see what unconsuming fire will be lit. Here we turn to Ps 119.

Turn my eyes from looking at vanities - - and what is more vain than being judge of another's sin?

Give me life in your ways - -  work on self is more productive than that on others.

I have longed for your precepts - - as some ask, God who? Which precept/God are you looking at? Might it be the righteous one of forgiveness or that of double pre-retribution?

http://www.kairoscomotion.org/lectionary/2005/september2005.html

 

 

Psalm 149 or Psalm 119:33-40
Exodus 12:1-14 or Ezekiel 33:7-11
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 18:15-20

What time is it? Time to not let sin continue unchallenged.

A part of this is to remember the gift of blessing that came first so that we might sing a new song to one another and not just bring suit against one another, no matter how many witnesses we are able to round up.

There is more than enough to be divided up among us. To continue acting as though G*D and a religious impetus is a zero-sum game is false to the strongest and most steadfast tenet we have - wholeness / love.

So what will we bind on earth (another to our way of thinking) and what will we loose (a new song that is an old song - honor)?

- - -

my lamb is served with mint jelly
your lamb is tofu with mint leaves

both may be apportioned
according to the number present

both lambs are without blemish
in themselves or in our eyes

both remind us of the fragility
of life and death and beyond

both prepare us for a new journey
we will remember until the next

so we call out to one another
owe nothing but love

the lambs are gone into a good night
and awaken in honor fulfilled

of the flesh we are born and grow
with such flesh we travel together

for life takes pleasure in life
and adorns the humble with honor

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2007_09_01_archive.html

 

It is all the Lord's doing! Whether or not two or three agree and use Jesus' name to seal their agreement, kings will be fettered and decreed judgment executed.

The Lord's exultation of the humble is not only the Lord's glory, but a glory we can bask in. We are just so grateful that we were blessed to see it happen and give witness back to the Lord about how great the Lord is!

To move away from such subversive thoughts, let us return to the Gospel lesson for the day. In this light, we might paraphrase the psalmist:

Praise the two or three agreed in Jesus' name! Sing to them a new song, let their assembly rejoice G*D.

Let the Church be glad in its prophets; let the Alumni of the Church rejoice in these models.

Let G*D dance and sing and make melody, let angels get their wings, in the presence of listening and agreement.

For the Church takes pleasure in Jesus' modeling of "yes", making healthy mediators through remembrance.

Let G*D exult and sing for joy, everywhere.

Let high praise of the prophets be quick to G*D awareness and a listening ear open to cries of injustice,

to be quick to forgive and continue saving even the untrustworthy and cruel,

binding King Fear and Queen Shame,

to bring a steadfast love proclaimed from afar and ago. This is glory that is glory. Praise where it is due.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2008_09_01_archive.html

 

 

To execute judgment on another is to enter into a judgment process that unavoidably judges the judger.

What judgment is decreed? May not be the one we were taught.

Forgiveness

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2011/08/psalm-149.html

 

 

When it comes to resolving issues between persons and peoples, all too often it comes down to finding a way to justify getting rid of someone rather than live in the tension of differences (understandable differences, but not differences that are equal in validity).

This psalm all too clearly spells out our tendency to short-circuit a resolution that helps clarify a next engagement of differences. We let the unresolved differences pile up until we are preemptively justified in striking first. Here the language is “to execute vengeance on the nations and punishment on the peoples ... to execute on them the judgment decreed.”

Somehow or other this exercise of removal is an expression of “glory for all G*D’s faithful ones.” Really?

Vengeance seems to all too often be the hidden and unrevealed until it is too late side of praise. Go ahead and be thankful, but be careful with unrestrained praise that sets us apart for soon it will lead us to setting other apart for their destruction.

http://kcmlection.blogspot.com/2014/09/psalm-149.html