June 26, 2011: Genesis 22:1-14; Psalm 13; Jeremiah 28:5-9; Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18; Romans 6:12-23; Matthew 10:40-42
Psalm 13: “To the leader. A Psalm of David.
1 How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?
2 How long must I bear pain in my soul,
and have sorrow in my heart all day long?
How long shall my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O LORD my God!
Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 and my enemy will say, ‘I have prevailed’;
my foes will rejoice because I am shaken.
5 But I trusted in your steadfast love;
my heart shall rejoice in your salvation.
6 I will sing to the LORD,
because he has dealt bountifully with me.”
Matthew 10:40-42: “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward; and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous; 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”
Proper 8 (13), Second Sunday after Pentecost Comment:
…and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.
Many if not most of the Psalms of Lament have a common characteristic that unites them. The writer begins crying his or her sorrows and pleas to God. However, before the psalm ends there is a ‘shift’ in attitude, from lamentation to celebration.
Perhaps the reason for the ‘shift’ is that someone passing by and said the right word and gave the perfect touch to restore and revive the soul of the psalmist like a cold drink of water.
Daily we ‘pass by’ grieving hearts. Are we willing to make a ‘shift’ in someone’s soul and turn his or her suffering to singing? I suspect the first reward will be singing together.
Blessings,
Rev. Julia
© June 22, 2011