Psalm 15: Admittance Requirements

Who may be admitted into the presence of the Divine?

Anyone

who earnestly seeks the Divine

with humility

and who cares for those in need.

 

Those who do such things

will become aware of the all-present Divine within and without them.

Psalm 69: the cry of one wrongly accused

i am drowning.
i have cried so many tears
that a sea rises round me.
i am faint from struggling
to stay afloat;
my consciousness is waning.

 

the accusations are more

than i can bear.

accusations without cause.

i’m wrongly accused.

o god, you know the truth.

you’ve seen all

that i have done.

protect others from this shame.

may i bear it all for others

and for you.

even my family has abandoned me.

 

i am hated

because i have followed you.

they have rejected you;

therefore, they reject me.

i watch as the gossip spreads

from one to another

to another.

i fear i will become infamous.

 

but i come before you:

in your perfect time,

out of your loving-kindness,

answer me.

rescue me from these deep waters:

my enemies without

and my tears within.

may i not be pulled under,

never to surface again.

 

answer me, o god.

i know your character

is loving-kindness.

mercy, mercy.

turn to me and save.

act quickly.

come near to me,

and rescue me.

set me free.

 

you know what i am experiencing:

the insults,

my shame,

the dishonour,

my enemies,

the despair,

my broken heart.

i have sought relief

and comfort

but found none.

i hunger and thirst

but find only

poison and vinegar.

 

please thwart their designs,

and humble them from pride.

they are preying

on the weak and the wounded.

bring about justice.

i have been shamed and wounded;

i need your protection.

 

under god’s protection,

i will praise god in joy

and offer my hearty thanks.

this will please god

as a living sacrifice.

let those who are oppressed

and brokenhearted

see my living sacrifice

and be encouraged

to seek god,

who will rescue and revive.

for god cares for those in need.

 

let the universe praise god—

all that is, seen and unseen.

for god is one who

saves and rebuilds,

who draws all that is—

you and me—

into health

and wholeness.

Psalm 127: Legacies

A song for coming into the presence of the Divine; concerning enduring legacies.

Unless I come alongside the Divine, joining in the Divine’s activity, all my work will be in vain. For it is only Divine work that endures the tests of time and circumstance. And no work of my own will endure without saturation by Divinity.

But what will my legacy be without a heritage of flesh and blood? What am I building as a woman and not a man?

May I have eyes to see Divine work, creating unique life where it did not exist before. May I join in this work however it occurs, trusting that fulfilment will come when and where I least expect it.

Psalm 111.10: Deconstructed Translation of an Instructional Saying for Today

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

 

Awe of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

 

Awe of Being is the beginning of wisdom;

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

 

Awe of Being leads to wisdom;

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

 

Awe of Being leads to the Spirit of Truth;

all those who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

 

Awe of Being leads to the Spirit of Truth;

they who practice it have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

 

Awe of Being leads to the Spirit of Truth;

they provide a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

 

Awe of Being leads to the Spirit of Truth;

they provide Meaning for all.

His praise endures forever.

 

Awe of Being leads to the Spirit of Truth;

they provide Meaning for all.

Celebrate his enduring forever.

 

Awe of Being leads to the Spirit of Truth;

they provide Meaning for all.

Celebrate Existence forever.

 

Awe of Being leads to the Spirit of Truth;

they provide Meaning for all.

Celebrate Existence always.

Psalm 46: Seek the Stillness

My eyes bear witness

to the horror before me:

the shifting earth,

the crumbling buildings.

I hear the screeches of terror.

 

I close my eyes

and the world melts away.

I retreat to the centre;

to the ground of my being—

the ground of all being.

 

And there all is still.

And there all is silent.

There chaos turns to peace.

There death turns to life.

Waiting there is God.

Psalm 139: Body Shop of Horrors

To the one who knows me intimately,

who is closer than a whisper,

close enough to hear my heart beat:

 

You know me inside and out.

You know what I’m going to do 

even before I do,

and—honestly—it freaks me out.

 

I’ve tried to run away from you,

but you are always with me—

It’s useless to attempt escape.

 

Am I the creation of your thoughts?

Is your will stronger 

than progenitor mechanics?

My code book rests upon your shelf.

 

You haunt my dreams;

when I awake you are still with me.

I’m caught—a single grain of sand—

in the oceans of your mind.

 

You are my everything.

I cannot bear the thought of you

listening to another’s heart.

Their love for you is in vain—

it is nothing.

 

Take me—

Take all of me—

Until I am annihilated in you.

Psalm 91 with Caution to the Embodied Believer

You who live in relationship with God will say to God, ‘You are my refuge and my fortress; I trust You to protect me.’ For you believe God will magically release you from traps and heal you from disease, BUT you are still an embodied being who is just as physically vulnerable as the rest of us. You believe that God will be a protective forcefield, BUT you better still remain two metres apart and wear a face mask in shops and on public transport. You do not fear the shadows moving in the darkness or the unknown sounds around the corner, BUT monsters are real and you shouldn’t let yourself be easy prey.

 

A thousand may fall at your side and ten thousand at your right hand, BUT don’t think you’re invincible. You will look with your eyes and see with your normal quality of vision; don’t count on it spontaneously becoming x-ray vision—unless you’re using technology. 

 

You have made God your refuge and home, BUT building a shelter would still be wise, as well as learning basic self-defence.

 

God is probably commanding angels all the time, maybe even concerning you, BUT—no—your guardian angel did not provide that parking space for you. They have better things to do. If you pick a fight with a lion or play with a snake, please tell me you’ve had handling training, or expect to be bitten.

 

Don’t get me wrong—God is totally with you in times of trouble. God is always with you. BUT God is not your magic charm, and no matter how many times you chant your prayer, your cells will eventually stop dividing and your molecules recycled into something else.