November 7, 2011

Texts: Psalm 63, Amos 8:7-14, 1 Corinthians 14:20-25

The Psalm for this week is one of my favorites; my favorite version of morning prayer uses this for the prayer portion of the service. "O, God, you are my God; I seek you, my soul thirsts for you, as in a dry weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary, beholding your power and glory. Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you. My soul is satisfied as with a rich feast, and my mouth praises you with joyful lips when I think of you on my bed, and meditate on you in the watches of the night; for you have been my help, and in the shadow of your wings I sing for oy. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me." To me, the last part of the Psalm doesn't quite fit with the first. It makes me wonder whether this belongs with the next Psalm, especially given the rhythm and character of these 8 verses. Thinking of it is poetry, as song, it is intriguing how the first stanzas are grouped in lines of four and the last in lines of three. In any case, perhaps I simply struggle with it because the first eight verses are so close to my heart. Perhaps I struggle with the last portion because I have never endured persecution for being a Christian; rather than having external enemies to myself that threaten my faith, I am my own worst enemy.

We are, in many ways, our own worst enemies. Amos continues his indication of Israel's destruction... and it is much easier for me to read Amos 5:24 "But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an everflowing stream." In the midst of chaos and in the midst of being cut off, Amos calls for justice and righteousness. Amos, this "dresser of sycamore trees," no more qualified to be a prophet than those who had gone before him, delivered 8:7-14, a prophecy of mourning, of the emptiness of success and glory in which we see through the lives of Israel, God's chosen, that we are our own worst enemies, especially when we think our blessings are things we have achieved of our own accord.

1 Corinthians asks whether we worship for the glorification of ourselves, or for the sake of the Other. Having just spoken about what love is and what love looks like, Paul speaks about gifts. Having just spoken about gifts, Paul cautions the Corinthians regarding the use of those gifts. So often, we like to fancy our gifts are something that we have worked for and, indeed, received because of our worthiness or because of our hard work. Truly, we are blessed, and truly, we are loved. This said, if we believe ourselves to be the originators of our love or of our blessings, we miss the point entirely. We, as the Psalmist indicates, depend on God for each breath, each gift, each moment in which we experience love. No longer cut off, no longer abandoned, we are restored through Christ for the sake of our neighbor. Using our gifts as such brings us into a reality in which all may be cared for, the hungry may be fed, the lowly be uplifted, and the oppressed freed from their oppressors.