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“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope…for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” (v 1,2,5,7) In the eight verses of Psalm 130, the name Lord appears eight times. We see that suffering is real and that God is a real presence in it. God brings forgiveness (v4), hope (v5,7), plenteous redemption (v7, KJV), and l

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (v5) Psalm 23 is a beautiful declaration of God’s love and care. Goodness and mercy come not only at the end of the psalm, but run all the way through, encouraging us to be confident in God’s presence with us. It is interesting to notice the language in the psalm. It begins in the third person: “He is my shepherd”.  “He makes me lie down in green pastures”. David tell

I love the word listen. I want to be a good listener and grow into a better one. That could be part of the secret of listening. Psychologist David Benner points out that most people already think they are good listeners. That may be part of the problem. Just because we hear doesn't mean that we have heard. You may be familiar with the parable of the sower that Jesus shares with his followers. Have you noticed that it is about listening? Jesus ends the parable saying “Consider

“O come, let us sing to the Lord…Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving…For the Lord is a great God…He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts.” (Psalm 95:1,2,3,7,8) I was in a church choir years ago. I remember we sang an anthem based on Psalm 95. It was a joyful, upbeat song. I often think of that when I turn to Psalm 95. However, as you stay with the Psalm, i

I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth… The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night… The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121: 1-2; 5-6; 8, NIV) “You can learn to live carefree before God. He is most careful with you.” (IPet 5:7 MSG) There is something we all have i

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad.” Psalm 32: 8-11a “When we align ourselves more closely with God, he finds pleasure in this, and we fi

Please join me in a Lenten Journey meditating on the Psalms. We will look at one psalm each week. Short Psalm Reflections will be shared on Monday.  During Holy Week, there will be an additional Psalm on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Psalms selected will be from the Revised Common Lectionary. Together we will reflect on God’s word and let it be a part of our day and our life - a strength and a trustworthy guide to light the way forward. As I looked at the collection of P

An old song refrain came to mind as I thought about the word ‘ stay’ : “Should I stay or should I go?” By this time of year, you may want to go away from the goals, intentions, or plans you made when the new year started.” Stay with yourself. Stay with your best thoughts. Stay with your good goal or with the thing you need to do. As the old saying goes - stay the course . It is not only resolutions that may prompt us to go.  There seems to be something in us that wants what’s

“Let the peace of Christ rule your hearts.”  Col 3:15 Hopes. Dreams. Goals. Resolutions. Ideals. Plans. Projects. Habits. Change. Possibilities. Have you been hearing about it? Thinking about it? Do you already have a plan? A word? A goal? I am entering the new year gently - peacefully. I have been hosting out-of-town guests and enjoying our college-aged kids home from break. I have been trying to be in the moment. I have been taking it all in. It is not easy to live gently,