Fifth Sunday After Easter, Year B 2023 – 24: Psalm Passage – Preacher & Seeker consider the psalmist’s beliefs in his Lord God, and the serenity it brings

Preacher: One may not be able to tell from where the RCL picks up this psalm, but the psalmist is frightened and has asked the Divine from protection. But he is also certain that protection will come, and so he feels emboldened to praise his God. “From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will pay before those who fear him.”

Seeker:
I am glad you lead with that, Preacher. You are correct that the psalmist seems confident by this point. “The poor shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the LORD. May your hearts live forever!”

Preacher: “All the ends of the earth shall remember and turn to the LORD; and all the families of the nations shall worship before him. For dominion belongs to the LORD, and he rules over the nations.” I remember first hearing about the Jewish faith, and the instructor emphasized that Judaism was a monotheistic faith. One God – beginning, middle, and end. Creator, Redeemer, and Holy Presence.

Seeker: “To him, indeed, shall all who sleep in the earth bow down; before him shall bow all who go down to the dust, and I shall live for him.”
I have to shake myself, once in a while, and remind myself that faith in Christ – which picked up the name Christianity – is not the only faith and religion on the earth. When one reads the Bible – continually & constantly – one tends to forget that.

Preacher: “Posterity will serve him; future generations will be told about the Lord, and proclaim his deliverance to a people yet unborn, saying that he has done it.”
The psalmist would call that opinion sacrilege – but I know what you mean. Being steeped in faith does not mean one is ignorant of other faith traditions. The Divine is still in the process of gathering up humanity. While we may worship One God, there is great diversity in that Lordship; and I hope we realize that sooner rather than later! (Psalm 22:25-31)

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