04-21-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
April 21, 2024
In yesterday’s Etching, I referenced the opening words of Psalm 19, but many people know the closing words much better:

Let the words of my mouth
    and the meditations of my heart
    be pleasing to you,
    Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

This section speaks of our words and thoughts as being “pleasing” or “acceptable” to God, though I also like another translation that suggests it is not just about pleasing God but “aligning” with God. Those might sound the same, but what is the motivation? Aligning, in my opinion, has a different starting place. If I am trying to please someone, I am often trying to get something from that person. Is that the way God works? Do I please God so God loves me? Or, am I seeking to align myself with God as a joyful response to the belief that God already loves me beyond measure? My concern with words like “pleasing” or “acceptable” is how they are often used in manipulative ways, suggesting that someone is not pleasing or acceptable to God. And that tends to be followed by a list of things that one must do if one wants to be pleasing or acceptable. But notice the last line: “Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Those are not the results of good words and good thoughts, but they are the starting point from which we are able to get a strong footing in our joyful desire to align our lives more fully with the ways of God.

My gratitude is my beginning place, Gracious and Loving God, for I do not need to earn or obtain your favor. It is a gift of divine generosity, and in a spirit of thankfulness, I seek to align my life as one who is embracing and celebrating that glorious news. Amen.