Psalm 63:1-8
Preaching
A Journey Through the Psalms: Reflections for Worried Hearts and Troubled Times
Preaching the Psalms Cycles A, B, C
Object:
At the core of our faith is the basic tenet that we must surrender ourselves to God. In a culture such as ours, the idea of self-surrender is tantamount to insanity. In the world in which most of us must work and live, victory is the maxim. We are called to win. In fact, even a casual observation of our national leaders today will reveal the rigid insistence upon victory even as they are swallowed up in defeat. This culture insists that each person must put himself first. The message is ubiquitous. From saturation advertising to the therapeutic couch, we are constantly told that we must take care of ourselves first, that we must love ourselves before we can love others. It is the air we breathe.
Into this narcissistic smog comes the beauty of this psalm. Into the frenetic pace and cynicism of daily life comes the pure, vulnerable wonder of one who seeks God. It is more, however, than simple seeking. This is an acknowledgment of the need for the holy. "My soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land where there is no water."
In this insane and twisted world, the soul longs for the foundation stone of the creator. God's faithful love, we hear, is better than life. God's presence satisfies the soul like a banquet satisfies the belly.
This psalm moves to the rhythms of self-surrender and exposes the beauty of putting God -- rather than ourselves -- at the center of our lives. This is a psalm worth praying every day. These words are worth committing to memory and saying them over and over again. These words should be allowed to sculpt the spirit and shape the soul.
This psalm conjures up the old hymn, "Jesus calls us from the tumult of our life's wild restless sea; day by day his sweet voice soundeth, saying, 'Christian, follow me.' " We are called, both as individuals, and as people to turn from the "tumult," to rise above the craziness, and to give ourselves fully and completely to the wonder of God's incredible love.
This psalm calls us to lives of prayer and worship. It places our need for God in sharp focus and bids us turn from this "dry and weary land" to the life-giving waters of God's Holy Spirit.
Into this narcissistic smog comes the beauty of this psalm. Into the frenetic pace and cynicism of daily life comes the pure, vulnerable wonder of one who seeks God. It is more, however, than simple seeking. This is an acknowledgment of the need for the holy. "My soul thirsts for you, my flesh faints for you as in a dry and weary land where there is no water."
In this insane and twisted world, the soul longs for the foundation stone of the creator. God's faithful love, we hear, is better than life. God's presence satisfies the soul like a banquet satisfies the belly.
This psalm moves to the rhythms of self-surrender and exposes the beauty of putting God -- rather than ourselves -- at the center of our lives. This is a psalm worth praying every day. These words are worth committing to memory and saying them over and over again. These words should be allowed to sculpt the spirit and shape the soul.
This psalm conjures up the old hymn, "Jesus calls us from the tumult of our life's wild restless sea; day by day his sweet voice soundeth, saying, 'Christian, follow me.' " We are called, both as individuals, and as people to turn from the "tumult," to rise above the craziness, and to give ourselves fully and completely to the wonder of God's incredible love.
This psalm calls us to lives of prayer and worship. It places our need for God in sharp focus and bids us turn from this "dry and weary land" to the life-giving waters of God's Holy Spirit.
