Good Friday
Preaching
Aids To The Psalms
Exploring The Message
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 at me;
they make mouths 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.
Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
They open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shriveled;
I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
Alternate Image
The Singer awakens from a nightmare and finds herself secure
in her berth, or is it? The berth is tossing and turning as well
and she feels seasick. She rushes on deck for fresh air and finds
her boat being thrown about in its slip. She begins to step from
her boat to the dock and notices that the dock is also tossing
and turning and an earthquake makes the land ripple like the
ocean. Where, where can she find refuge, where can she find
safety, where is the God who is to protect her? As seas and land
calm so returns the Singer's peace of mind. With the earth secure
in the cosmos, the land and water secure in their places, the
Singer returns to the warm confines of her bed and snuggles in
the palm of God's hand.
Reflection
It is easy to be tossed about in life. We are such tiny beings
on an immense planet. That planet is so tiny in comparison to our
solar system and our universe is so tiny in comparison to the
cosmos. We are specks, so tiny, so small, we can well wonder if
God can see or think of us at all. Our bodies can be viewed as
immense solar systems as well. We are a composite of millions of
cells, each of which contains millions of atoms. Yet our God is
so big, our smallest parts can be seen by his omnipotent eye. A
life that seems tossed about on the storms of the sea can also be
seen as being in relative calm in a larger picture. God has such
a picture for us.
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 at me;
they make mouths 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.
Many bulls encircle me,
strong bulls of Bashan surround me;
They open wide their mouths at me,
like a ravening and roaring lion.
I am poured out like water,
and all my bones are out of joint;
my heart is like wax;
it is melted within my breast;
my mouth is dried up like a potsherd,
and my tongue sticks to my jaws;
you lay me in the dust of death.
For dogs are all around me;
a company of evildoers encircles me.
My hands and feet have shriveled;
I can count all my bones.
They stare and gloat over me;
they divide my clothes among themselves,
and for my clothing they cast lots.
Alternate Image
The Singer awakens from a nightmare and finds herself secure
in her berth, or is it? The berth is tossing and turning as well
and she feels seasick. She rushes on deck for fresh air and finds
her boat being thrown about in its slip. She begins to step from
her boat to the dock and notices that the dock is also tossing
and turning and an earthquake makes the land ripple like the
ocean. Where, where can she find refuge, where can she find
safety, where is the God who is to protect her? As seas and land
calm so returns the Singer's peace of mind. With the earth secure
in the cosmos, the land and water secure in their places, the
Singer returns to the warm confines of her bed and snuggles in
the palm of God's hand.
Reflection
It is easy to be tossed about in life. We are such tiny beings
on an immense planet. That planet is so tiny in comparison to our
solar system and our universe is so tiny in comparison to the
cosmos. We are specks, so tiny, so small, we can well wonder if
God can see or think of us at all. Our bodies can be viewed as
immense solar systems as well. We are a composite of millions of
cells, each of which contains millions of atoms. Yet our God is
so big, our smallest parts can be seen by his omnipotent eye. A
life that seems tossed about on the storms of the sea can also be
seen as being in relative calm in a larger picture. God has such
a picture for us.
