ISSL Reflections October 27, 2024 Psalm 62 Post 2

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IV.
The Psalm begins by calling us to silence – twice.

And ends by telling us “God has spoken.”

What do you hear?

V.
Psalm 62 (NRSVue)

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
       from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
       my fortress; I shall never be shaken.
How long will you assail a person,
       will you batter your victim, all of you,
       as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
       They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,
       but inwardly they curse. Selah

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
       for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
       my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
       my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
       pour out your heart before him;
       God is a refuge for us. Selah

Those of low estate are but a breath;
       those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
       they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no confidence in extortion,
       and set no vain hopes on robbery;
       if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Once God has spoken;
       twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
       and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
       according to their work.

VI.
In the claims about God, what strikes you with the most force?

The description of God as a rock and fortress?

Or, that “steadfast love belongs to” God?

Or, that we are called to “trust in [God] at all times”?

Where does this Psalm take you?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections October 27, 2024 Psalm 62 Post 1

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I.
Today the Psalmist asks us to wait in silence. And if we don’t hear it, the Psalmist repeats the directive to us.

Today, take a few moments to silence your stirrings before you consider this Psalm.

II.
Psalm 62 (NRSVue)

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
       from him comes my salvation.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
       my fortress; I shall never be shaken.
How long will you assail a person,
       will you batter your victim, all of you,
       as you would a leaning wall, a tottering fence?
Their only plan is to bring down a person of prominence.
       They take pleasure in falsehood;
they bless with their mouths,
       but inwardly they curse. Selah

For God alone my soul waits in silence,
       for my hope is from him.
He alone is my rock and my salvation,
       my fortress; I shall not be shaken.
On God rests my deliverance and my honor;
       my mighty rock, my refuge is in God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
       pour out your heart before him;
       God is a refuge for us. Selah

Those of low estate are but a breath;
       those of high estate are a delusion;
in the balances they go up;
       they are together lighter than a breath.
Put no confidence in extortion,
       and set no vain hopes on robbery;
       if riches increase, do not set your heart on them.
Once God has spoken;
       twice have I heard this:
that power belongs to God,
       and steadfast love belongs to you, O Lord.
For you repay to all
       according to their work.

III.
What do you hear the Psalmist claim for God?

Does his experience of God parallel yours in any way?

Do you find your experience of God misses something the Pslamist claims?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections October 20, 2024 Isaiah 25:1–10a Post 3

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VII.
Isaiah speaks to the people about deliverance.

How do you hear his words for you today?

VIII.
Isaiah 25:1-10a (NRSVue)

O Lord, you are my God;
       I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
       plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
For you have made the city a heap,
       the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of foreigners is a city no more;
       it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
       cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
For you have been a refuge to the poor,
       a refuge to the needy in their distress,
       a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
       the noise of foreigners like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
       the song of the ruthless was stilled.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
       a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
       of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
       the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
       the covering that is spread over all nations;
       he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
       and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
       for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
       “See, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
       This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
       let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.

IX.
What in these words of the Prophet meet you where you are today?

  • I will praise you name
  • You have been a refuge
  • A shelter from the storm
  • The Lord God will wipe away tears
  • The song of the ruthless God stilled
  • This is the Lord for whom we have waited

Do any of these promises give you hope today?

Where will God meet you today?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections October 20, 2024 Isaiah 25:1–10a Post 2

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IV.
As I consider these words of Isaiah, I notice how they speak of deliverance from two perspectives. How the oppressors experience the deliverance of Israel and how Israel experiences their deliverance.

As you meditate on this passage, what do you notice about these different perspectives?

V.
Isaiah 25:1-10a (NRSVue)

O Lord, you are my God;
       I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
       plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
For you have made the city a heap,
       the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of foreigners is a city no more;
       it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
       cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
For you have been a refuge to the poor,
       a refuge to the needy in their distress,
       a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
       the noise of foreigners like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
       the song of the ruthless was stilled.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
       a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
       of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
       the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
       the covering that is spread over all nations;
       he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
       and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
       for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
       “See, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
       This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
       let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.

VI.
Maybe we could call these two ways of deliverance, the negative and the positive.

The negative focuses on the oppressors and how they experience destruction – “…[God] made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin…”

The positive focuses on Israel and their redemption – “For you have been a refuge to the poor, a refuge to the needy in their distress, a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.”

How else do you see deliverance described by Isaiah?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections October 20, 2024 Isaiah 25:1–10a Post 1

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I.
I noticed as I turned to this Psalm that in some bibles the superscription above the Psalm is “Praise for Deliverance from Oppression.”

As you meditate on this Psalm keep those three words in mind, praise, deliverance, and oppression.

II.
Isaiah 25:1-10a (NRSVue)

O Lord, you are my God;
       I will exalt you; I will praise your name,
for you have done wonderful things,
       plans formed of old, faithful and sure.
For you have made the city a heap,
       the fortified city a ruin;
the palace of foreigners is a city no more;
       it will never be rebuilt.
Therefore strong peoples will glorify you;
       cities of ruthless nations will fear you.
For you have been a refuge to the poor,
       a refuge to the needy in their distress,
       a shelter from the rainstorm and a shade from the heat.
When the blast of the ruthless was like a winter rainstorm,
       the noise of foreigners like heat in a dry place,
you subdued the heat with the shade of clouds;
       the song of the ruthless was stilled.

On this mountain the Lord of hosts will make for all peoples
       a feast of rich food, a feast of well-aged wines,
       of rich food filled with marrow, of well-aged wines strained clear.
And he will destroy on this mountain
       the shroud that is cast over all peoples,
       the covering that is spread over all nations;
       he will swallow up death forever.
Then the Lord God will wipe away the tears from all faces,
       and the disgrace of his people he will take away from all the earth,
       for the Lord has spoken.
It will be said on that day,
       “See, this is our God; we have waited for him, so that he might save us.
       This is the Lord for whom we have waited;
       let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”
For the hand of the Lord will rest on this mountain.

III.
Take a few moments now and go back to the Psalm and notice what forms of oppression are acknowledged in the Psalm.

As you take note of that, go back to the Psalm once more and see how the Psalmist acknowledges deliverance.

How does the Psalmist offer praise to God?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections October 13, 2024 Psalm 22:1–11 Post 3

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VII.
As you spend time with the Psalm today, how do you hear the Psalmist speak of hope?

VIII.
Psalm 22:1-11 (NRSVue)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
       Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
       and by night but find no rest.

Yet you are holy,
       enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted;
       they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried and were saved;
       in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not human,
       scorned by others and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
       they sneer at me; they shake their heads;
“Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
       let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
       you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
On you I was cast from my birth,
       and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
       for trouble is near,
       and there is no one to help.

IX.
The Psalm opens with the declaration that the Psalmist feels forsaken and that God is “so far from helping me.”

And this portion of Psalm ends with the request that God “not be far from me …”

Yet he also speaks of God being holy and of those who have trusted in God in the past and even can say, “… since my mother bore me you have been my God.”

Where is the Psalmist’s hope?

Does he expect an answer when he asks God to not be far?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections October 13, 2024 Psalm 22:1–11 Post 2

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IV.
Today, as you are able, please hold the first stanza of this Psalm in our focus. Take some time to “live into it” if you can..

If you find that too hard today, then read those words, let go of them and pass on to the rest of the Psalm.

V.
Psalm 22:1-11 (NRSVue)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
       Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
       and by night but find no rest.

Yet you are holy,
       enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted;
       they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried and were saved;
       in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not human,
       scorned by others and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
       they sneer at me; they shake their heads;
“Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
       let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
       you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
On you I was cast from my birth,
       and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
       for trouble is near,
       and there is no one to help.

VI.
Has there been a time when you prayed as the Psalmist, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Or, has there been a time when that sentiment was so close you wanted to give it voice, but you feared it was not proper for you to utter? You wanted to cry out, but you believed you could not talk to God that way?

Please, let go of that fear. I believe we can shout at God, cry out at God and let God share our pain, fears and burdens.

The Psalmist and Jesus give us examples of such prayers, and thereby provide a path for us.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections October 13, 2024 Psalm 22:1–11 Post 1

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I.
As you come to this Psalm with open ears, what do you hear?

Are you immediately taken to The Cross, and hear these words coming from Jesus?

Many of us will.

Today, take time to approach this Psalm fully, and hear all the Psalm, both the anguish and the hope.

II.
Psalm 22:1-11 (NRSVue)

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
       Why are you so far from helping me, from the words of my groaning?
O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer;
       and by night but find no rest.

Yet you are holy,
       enthroned on the praises of Israel.
In you our ancestors trusted;
       they trusted, and you delivered them.
To you they cried and were saved;
       in you they trusted and were not put to shame.

But I am a worm and not human,
       scorned by others and despised by the people.
All who see me mock me;
       they sneer at me; they shake their heads;
“Commit your cause to the Lord; let him deliver—
       let him rescue the one in whom he delights!”

Yet it was you who took me from the womb;
       you kept me safe on my mother’s breast.
On you I was cast from my birth,
       and since my mother bore me you have been my God.
Do not be far from me,
       for trouble is near,
       and there is no one to help.

III.

Do you hear the sing-song rhythm of the Psalm? How it goes back and forth between anguish and hope.

Which stanzas do you identify most with today?

The ones that speak of forsakenness, scorn and farness of God?

Or the ones that speak of God’s holiness, those who trust in God and God keeping one safe?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections October 6, 2024 Psalm 51:1–4, 10–12, 15–17 Post 3

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VII.
As you return to Psalm 51 today take notice of what the Psalmist requests from God.

VIII.
Psalm 51:1–4, 10–12, 15–17 (NRSVue)

Have mercy on me, O God,
     according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy,
     blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
     and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
     and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned
     and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
     and blameless when you pass judgment.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
     and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
     and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
     and sustain in me a willing spirit.

O Lord, open my lips,
     and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you have no delight in sacrifice;
     if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
     a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

IX.
What do you find the Psalmist requests from God?

Mercy – cleansing – nearness – joy

What else do you notice?

Has there been a time you made a similar request?

Take some time to read and meditate on the Psalm once again and as you do, keep your eyes open for what the Psalmist tells us about God.

What is the character of the God to which the Psalmist prays?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}

ISSL Reflections October 6, 2024 Psalm 51:1–4, 10–12, 15–17 Post 2

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IV.
As you spend time with the Psalm today, pay attention to the words of confession.

V.
Psalm 51:1–4, 10–12, 15–17

Have mercy on me, O God,
     according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy,
     blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
     and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,
     and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned
     and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
     and blameless when you pass judgment.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
     and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
     and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
     and sustain in me a willing spirit.

O Lord, open my lips,
     and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you have no delight in sacrifice;
     if I were to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
     a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

VI.
The Psalmist speaks of transgressions, iniquity, sin, and evil.

And he certainly seems to claim all are part of his life.

How important is it that the Psalmist claims –

For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.

And yet, the Psalmist proclaims –

… a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

How is such a claim part of confession?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}