Loading more...
Stirring
Have you ever misplaced or lost something, and it stirs little worry? You just know that Read More
Arianne Braithwaite Lehn | Read Psalm 29:1-11
Psalm 29 invites us into a realm resembling that of Isaiah 6—a place bursting with God’s glory, power, and rule. This psalm takes its place in the “enthronement psalms,” or songs of praise describing God as king.
Another connection with the Isaiah text is the central role of words and voice. “The Lord’s voice” occurs seven times in the Common English Bible. The psalmist praises the powerful effects of the Lord’s voice on the world. With seven as the number of wholeness, this symbolizes the way God holds power over the entire world.
People witness with awe the authority of God’s voice, then use their voices to worship (“everyone shouts ‘Glory!’” ceb). The description of God’s voice feels violent and intimidating—it “unleashes,” “shakes,” “convulses.” It can make us uncomfortable. However, notice that while the psalm depicts God as completely unapproachable, it closes with the psalmist calling on God for strength and peace.
The psalmist acknowledges the ruler’s responsibility to provide for the people. His faith and soul are reborn as he takes hope in the awesome Ruler upon whom he can call! Worship is exactly that: an invitation to be born anew as we focus on praising God and entrusting God with the desires of our heart. How does this understanding change the way you live? How can you more deeply invest in your own faith community to help worship become a vital, life-changing experience for all?
Powerful and providing God, I also shout, “Glory!” “Glory!” with my words today. “Glory!” with my decisions today. “Glory!” with the prayers I place in your hands. Amen.
This Sunday we will celebrate the Trinity, the Christian belief that God is one being and exists in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Christian theologians point out that there are many references to this doctrine throughout the Bible. In Isaiah, the voice of the Lord asks, “Who will go for us?” not, “Who will go for me?” In the passage in Romans, Paul speaks of all three persons of the Trinity: We pray to the Father through the Spirit because of the work of the Son. Jesus also speaks to Nicodemus about the role of all three persons of the Trinity. This may not be the simplest of Christian doctrines, but it is foundational because it explains the nature of God and God’s work throughout human history.
• Read Isaiah 6:1-8. When have you experienced a cleansing by God, resulting in a greater willingness to serve?
• Read Psalm 29. As you read about the power of the Lord’s voice, do you find yourself frightened or drawn in? How approachable is God to you?
• Read Romans 8:12-17. What have you released to God? What bitterness has taken its toll on your soul? Are you ready to let it go?
• Read John 3:1-17. How has your life been reshaped by the Spirit? How did sins and failings manifest in the new creation?
Respond by posting a prayer.
I join many of those who will pray for you as you seek to discern what you are called to be at this moment. May God grant you the courage to fulfill that calling. May we all open our eyes and see the misery, open our ears and hear the cries of God’s people, and, like God through the Lord Jesus Christ, be incarnate amongst them.”
View a growing list of resources for the spiritual work of overcoming racism.
