Proper 18
Preaching
Aids To The Psalms
Exploring The Message
Your decrees are wonderful;
therefore my soul keeps them.
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
With open mouth I pant,
because I long for your commandments.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your custom toward those who love your name.
Keep my steps steady according to your promise,
and never let iniquity have dominion over me.
Redeem me from human oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
Make your face shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
My eyes shed streams of tears
because your law is not kept.
Alternate Image
The Singer is visiting an artist friend. Her artist associate
7has a new computer that is capable of producing graphic art. The
artist takes the text from one of the Singer's songs and puts it
on the screen of his computer. The artist begins to manipulate
and do strange things with that text. Pretty soon the Singer sees
the words running across the page, leaping and jumping and
cartwheeling. The words inflate and diminish in size. Words dive
from diving boards into pools of clouds. Words play tag with each
other. Words form choirs and sing new words which scamper away.
Words engage in bracket wrestling, hyphen throwing contests,
period putting and parentheses
hurdle jumping. Words continuously changing shape, color and
activity. It is wonderful to watch.
The Singer congratulates her artist friend on his unique
mastery of words. The artist replies that what he is doing is not
unlike what the Singer does. She too takes words and gives them
new forms and shapes and when she sings them they take on new
life.
Reflection
"Your decrees are wonderful ..." Wonderful is a wonderful
word. The wonder comes not so much from our creativity or
insight. All wonder comes from God. God says words and they come
into being. Take on life, become realities. "And God said let
there be ... and there was ..." Modern technologies and ancient
art forms all help reveal God's wonder. We delight in these
revelations. They cause us to stand in awe of God's creativity.
This Psalm is well aware of the dynamics of God's words and the
pictures that come from God's word. God's word can never be
captured by print mechanisms or even computer graphics. God's
word continues to dance in our lives giving us joy.
therefore my soul keeps them.
The unfolding of your words gives light;
it imparts understanding to the simple.
With open mouth I pant,
because I long for your commandments.
Turn to me and be gracious to me,
as is your custom toward those who love your name.
Keep my steps steady according to your promise,
and never let iniquity have dominion over me.
Redeem me from human oppression,
that I may keep your precepts.
Make your face shine upon your servant,
and teach me your statutes.
My eyes shed streams of tears
because your law is not kept.
Alternate Image
The Singer is visiting an artist friend. Her artist associate
7has a new computer that is capable of producing graphic art. The
artist takes the text from one of the Singer's songs and puts it
on the screen of his computer. The artist begins to manipulate
and do strange things with that text. Pretty soon the Singer sees
the words running across the page, leaping and jumping and
cartwheeling. The words inflate and diminish in size. Words dive
from diving boards into pools of clouds. Words play tag with each
other. Words form choirs and sing new words which scamper away.
Words engage in bracket wrestling, hyphen throwing contests,
period putting and parentheses
hurdle jumping. Words continuously changing shape, color and
activity. It is wonderful to watch.
The Singer congratulates her artist friend on his unique
mastery of words. The artist replies that what he is doing is not
unlike what the Singer does. She too takes words and gives them
new forms and shapes and when she sings them they take on new
life.
Reflection
"Your decrees are wonderful ..." Wonderful is a wonderful
word. The wonder comes not so much from our creativity or
insight. All wonder comes from God. God says words and they come
into being. Take on life, become realities. "And God said let
there be ... and there was ..." Modern technologies and ancient
art forms all help reveal God's wonder. We delight in these
revelations. They cause us to stand in awe of God's creativity.
This Psalm is well aware of the dynamics of God's words and the
pictures that come from God's word. God's word can never be
captured by print mechanisms or even computer graphics. God's
word continues to dance in our lives giving us joy.
