Reflection:
Psalm 27 Cultivate Hope
In this reflection we will explore the fascinating movement of deepening faith that takes place in Psalm 27.
Opening music:
Listen to the following as an opening prayer.
Lyrics:
Come to the quiet
Longing for more
Silence the chaos
Put your feet on the shore
Reflection Talk:
Talk length: 14 minutes
If the above YouTube video does not automatically show you can use this link: https://youtu.be/hFG6Pp_kTs8
Reading:
Read the following readings through twice or three times, and listen for any word or phrase that seems to be inviting you to linger with it.
Reading 1: Psalm 27 (NIV)
Stanza 1:
The Lord is my light and my salvation - whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life - of whom shall I be afraid?
When the wicked advance against me to devour me, it is my enemies and my foes who will stumble and fall.
Though an army besiege me, my heart will not fear;
though war break out against me, even then I will be confident.
One thing I ask from the Lord, this only do I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
to gaze on the beauty of the Lord and to seek him in his temple.
For in the day of trouble he will keep me safe in his dwelling; he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent and set me high upon a rock.
Then my head will be exalted above the enemies who surround me;
at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make music to the Lord .
Stanza 2:
Hear my voice when I call, Lord; be merciful to me and answer me.
My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”
Your face, Lord, I will seek.
Do not hide your face from me, do not turn your servant away in anger;
you have been my helper.
Do not reject me or forsake me, God my Savior.
Though my father and mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me.
Teach me your way, Lord; lead me in a straight path because of my oppressors.
Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,
for false witnesses rise up against me, spouting malicious accusations.
Stanza 3:
I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.
Reading 2: Last stanza of Psalm 27 (Paraphrase by Rabbi Yael Levi)
If only I had the faith to see the goodness of the Infinite in the land of life.
Cultivate hope in the Infinite Presence.
Let your heart be strong and filled with courage. Cultivate hope.
Quiet prayer
I invite you into a time of quiet prayer, waiting and resting in God, in the secret of God's face, in the silence that is beyond the knowing of the mind.
End the time of quiet prayer by listening to the following song:
Lyrics:
I cultivate a quiet place
within this life of mine.
I come to wait before the One
who knows my heart’s design.
In the stillness I have come to wait before You God
And I find You in the waiting
And I find You in the waiting
You remind me, in the stillness,
To know You are God
You heard my cry so long before
I ever spoke a word.
You knew my name so long before
the heavens touched the earth.
In the stillness I have come to wait before You God
And I find You in the waiting
And I find You in the waiting
You remind me, in the stillness,
To know You are God
For further reflection:
Below are the readings from the talk and some questions for further reflection on this theme.
Ellen Charry: “Unpleasant emotions are not to be repressed as untoward but to be healed through models that show how to handle them. Here, the psalmist gives permission to his audience to be emotionally conflicted in relation to God. He does not urge his hearers to ‘grin and bear it’ or ‘put on a happy face,’ and he does not disparage honest fear of God-abandonment.”
Cynthia Bourgeault: “We ourselves are not the source of that hope; we do not manufacture it. But the source dwells deep within us and flows to us with an unstinting abundance" ...
"Hope fills us with the strength to stay present, to abide in the flow of the Mercy no matter what outer storms assail us. It is entered always and only through surrender; that is, through the willingness to let go of everything we are presently clinging to. And yet when we enter it, it enters us and fills us with its own life—a quiet strength beyond anything we have ever known.”
Questions to take with you for reflection:
· How does my own experience resonate with the movement of deepening faith in this Psalm?
· What does it mean to cultivate hope?
· "If I believed I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living, what then?"
· "If I could sense the possibilities flowing from God's goodness in this situation, ..."
· "If in this life I open to God's goodness, ..."
Ending prayer
Leaving behind us what has passed,
Letting go of what we have held onto so strongly,
And remaining here, in trust, in the heart of the mystery,
We wait for You, Beloved, Source of hope,
For your goodness to unfold in our lives,
And for your faithfulness to be revealed in our land,
Amen.
Ending music:
Lyrics:
Within our darkest night
You kindle a fire that never dies away,
never dies away
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Sharon's book that was previously called "Contemplative Living" has been republished by AnamChara Books under the title "Deeper: Finding the Depth Dimension Beneath the Surface of Life". The Kindle version is available from Amazon, and the hard copy version can be ordered from myself (email sharongruss@gmail.com), or from loot.co.za or Takealot, or from your local bookshop through Ingram Distribution.