Proper 19
Preaching
Aids To The Psalms
Exploring The Message
Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time on and forevermore.
For the scepter of wickedness
shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch out their hands
to do wrong.
Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts.
But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel!
Alternate Image
The Singer goes to visit the "Bubble Boy." The Bubble Boy is a
child born without an immune system. He lives in a giant plastic
bubble which protects him from germs and bacteria that could be
fatal to him. Though it is not an ideal situation, his bubble
allows him to be in his family's home and interacting with them
and others. He can play, converse, study and do all things within
the limits of his bubble. The Singer enjoys her time with the
Bubble Boy.
The Singer visits an experiment in controlled environment.
Inside another giant bubble several men and women will be staying
a long period of time studying that controlled environment. They
have high expectations and hopes for their research.
The Singer visits a planetarium. At the planetarium she looks
at numerous bubbles in our universe, including the bubble earth.
A bubble that contains all that humans need for life and
protection from the vacuum of space that would harm us.
Reflection
Mount Zion described in this Psalm was a symbol of something
people can count on. It was a symbol for the psalmist of the
security we have in God. Those mountains surrounded the people of
Jerusalem and provided safety and security, a bubble of
protection in a sense. The psalmist has a great sense of the
security and protection that God provides us against those forces
that would bring us harm. Though our lives may not always be
perfect and as safe as we would like, under it all is God's
mantle of protection that gives us confidence to live life to its
fullest.
which cannot be moved, but abides forever.
As the mountains surround Jerusalem,
so the Lord surrounds his people,
from this time on and forevermore.
For the scepter of wickedness
shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous,
so that the righteous might not stretch out their hands
to do wrong.
Do good, O Lord, to those who are good,
and to those who are upright in their hearts.
But those who turn aside to their own crooked ways
the Lord will lead away with evildoers.
Peace be upon Israel!
Alternate Image
The Singer goes to visit the "Bubble Boy." The Bubble Boy is a
child born without an immune system. He lives in a giant plastic
bubble which protects him from germs and bacteria that could be
fatal to him. Though it is not an ideal situation, his bubble
allows him to be in his family's home and interacting with them
and others. He can play, converse, study and do all things within
the limits of his bubble. The Singer enjoys her time with the
Bubble Boy.
The Singer visits an experiment in controlled environment.
Inside another giant bubble several men and women will be staying
a long period of time studying that controlled environment. They
have high expectations and hopes for their research.
The Singer visits a planetarium. At the planetarium she looks
at numerous bubbles in our universe, including the bubble earth.
A bubble that contains all that humans need for life and
protection from the vacuum of space that would harm us.
Reflection
Mount Zion described in this Psalm was a symbol of something
people can count on. It was a symbol for the psalmist of the
security we have in God. Those mountains surrounded the people of
Jerusalem and provided safety and security, a bubble of
protection in a sense. The psalmist has a great sense of the
security and protection that God provides us against those forces
that would bring us harm. Though our lives may not always be
perfect and as safe as we would like, under it all is God's
mantle of protection that gives us confidence to live life to its
fullest.
