Easter 3
Preaching
Hear My Voice
Preaching The Lectionary Psalms for Cycles A, B, C
(For alternative approaches, see Epiphany 6/Ordinary Time 6, Cycle B; and Proper 9/Pentecost 7/Ordinary Time 14, Cycle C.)
The main theme of this psalm is captured profoundly in the movement within a single verse: "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with morning" (v. 5). Casting life experiences between light and dark is not unique or novel, of course, but the poet's treatment of these themes offers some fertile ground for reflection.
The psalmist gets right to his awareness of the perils of "the night." He calls them "foes" -- the darkness of conflict and violence. Then there's the "pit," the dark place of the dead, Sheol. The psalmist may be referring to a close encounter with death, either from the hands of a foe or maybe an illness. Either way, he has seen the face of death and it is a face made of shadows.
But the psalmist does not leave us alone in the dark. There is light in the morning that comes in the form of joy. In the morning we are "lifted up" (v. 1). In the bright light of a new day we can see God's face. In the light of a new morning our grief gives way to dancing and we are "clothed with joy" (v. 10).
All this may give the impression of an emotional roller coaster. We are pitched back and forth, up and down, alternately steeped in despair or happiness. Obviously, there are times when life is just like that.
But the psalmist may just as well be giving expression to something more recurring, more regular. There is a rhythm to life that is not so much the violent rocking of a roller coaster as it is the gentle ebb and flow of a tide.
Over the course of a lifetime we are likely to spend a considerable amount of time "in the shadows." Facing the loss of loved ones, dealing with dramatic changes brought on by aging (in ourselves or those we may provide care for), loss of jobs, accidents, natural catastrophes -- all these and more are portals to what the psalmist describes as "the pit."
But over that same span of time, there will be many bright and shining mornings. There will be births and graduations, weddings and anniversaries, birthdays and homecomings. There will promotions and retirements, mortgages paid off and diseases cured.
These are the normal events of life that all of us experience to one degree or another. Sometimes they come like roller coasters, dramatic ups and downs, but not always. Sometimes the shadow and sunlight meander along together in the course of a life. We move from one to the other gradually, over time, with one occasionally giving way to the other.
If this is what the psalmist has in mind, then the message of the psalm could not be more important. This recurring pattern, this rhythmic moving from shadow to morning, leaves no room for us to become stuck in despair. As we find ourselves in the shadows, we must know and believe that the morning's light will not be far behind.
The psalmist offers a practical and helpful pattern of behavior as we move from shadow to light. In the shadows as we face the threat of "the pit," we give voice to our pain. "To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication." As we face the shadow times of our existence, we discipline ourselves to seek the Lord's help, and wait for that help to come.
When it does come, we remember to give thanks. "O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever."
-- J. E.
The main theme of this psalm is captured profoundly in the movement within a single verse: "Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with morning" (v. 5). Casting life experiences between light and dark is not unique or novel, of course, but the poet's treatment of these themes offers some fertile ground for reflection.
The psalmist gets right to his awareness of the perils of "the night." He calls them "foes" -- the darkness of conflict and violence. Then there's the "pit," the dark place of the dead, Sheol. The psalmist may be referring to a close encounter with death, either from the hands of a foe or maybe an illness. Either way, he has seen the face of death and it is a face made of shadows.
But the psalmist does not leave us alone in the dark. There is light in the morning that comes in the form of joy. In the morning we are "lifted up" (v. 1). In the bright light of a new day we can see God's face. In the light of a new morning our grief gives way to dancing and we are "clothed with joy" (v. 10).
All this may give the impression of an emotional roller coaster. We are pitched back and forth, up and down, alternately steeped in despair or happiness. Obviously, there are times when life is just like that.
But the psalmist may just as well be giving expression to something more recurring, more regular. There is a rhythm to life that is not so much the violent rocking of a roller coaster as it is the gentle ebb and flow of a tide.
Over the course of a lifetime we are likely to spend a considerable amount of time "in the shadows." Facing the loss of loved ones, dealing with dramatic changes brought on by aging (in ourselves or those we may provide care for), loss of jobs, accidents, natural catastrophes -- all these and more are portals to what the psalmist describes as "the pit."
But over that same span of time, there will be many bright and shining mornings. There will be births and graduations, weddings and anniversaries, birthdays and homecomings. There will promotions and retirements, mortgages paid off and diseases cured.
These are the normal events of life that all of us experience to one degree or another. Sometimes they come like roller coasters, dramatic ups and downs, but not always. Sometimes the shadow and sunlight meander along together in the course of a life. We move from one to the other gradually, over time, with one occasionally giving way to the other.
If this is what the psalmist has in mind, then the message of the psalm could not be more important. This recurring pattern, this rhythmic moving from shadow to morning, leaves no room for us to become stuck in despair. As we find ourselves in the shadows, we must know and believe that the morning's light will not be far behind.
The psalmist offers a practical and helpful pattern of behavior as we move from shadow to light. In the shadows as we face the threat of "the pit," we give voice to our pain. "To you, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication." As we face the shadow times of our existence, we discipline ourselves to seek the Lord's help, and wait for that help to come.
When it does come, we remember to give thanks. "O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever."
-- J. E.
