From the Organ Bench

Psalm 131
Psalm 131 is a thirty word song of three verses exploding with layers of rich meaning. An appropriate psalm for Reformation Sunday. A quick read of this psalm spots key words: heart, eyes, weaned child, and hope. Lets sift through these words before savoring the actual text. Cardiology in the ancient world was quite different from our modern discipline. The heart was an unreachable place, hidden beyond human touch. Even though it was concealed, the heart was the subject of much conversation. The word appears in the Hebrew scriptures 814 times. The character of a person was summarized with the health of ones heart. The heart was the spigot of emotions, moods, feelings and passions. The heart was the source of thought and reflection. Understanding comes from the heart (Deut. 8:5, Is.6:10, 42:45). The heart provided wisdom for rulers (I Kings 3:12,10:24). The heart perceived good and evil (I Kings 2:49). Most importantly, the heart was the meeting place where a person encountered Gods word (I Sam.12:24,Jer.32:40). The heart was the site of conversion: Create in me a clean heart, O God, And put a new and right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10). Yet even now, return to me with all your heart, says the Lord(Joel 2:12). Heart ailments are well documented in the Hebrew scriptures. Pride is mentioned at least 86 times. Prides cousins contribute to the data: haughtiness (5), arrogance (17), conceit (19), vanity (39) and self-imaging (20). Biblical ophthalmology was connected with the workings of the heart. Just as the eye perceives light and darkness, the eye is able to see good and evil. A person with an evil eye was one who was overcome with, or consumed with, envy, malice or jealousy towards another person. A person who did not understand was considered to be blind (Is. 6:10). Even the gospel writers forward this idea in the context of Jesus preaching. Another poetic image in Psalm 131 is that of a weaned child. The psalmist suggests that his relationship with God is nurturing; the LORD is like a nursing mother. Our culture does not support or value the process of natural feeding. We

are offended by the sight of a nursing baby. Yet, we have no problem dining at Hooters. The ancient world was free of formula, plastic bottles, rubber nipples and sippy cups. If mom was unable to nurse, a wet nurse fed the infant or toddler. Weaning was a distinctive stage in child development. A weaned child was one ready for special training. In Isaiah, a weaned child was a symbol of the Messiahs kingdom of peace: The sucking child shall play over the hole of the asp, And the weaned child shall put his hand on the adders den. The final concept in Psalm 131 is hope. In the Hebrew scriptures hope is the expectation of a favorable future under Gods direction. Hope is fueled by Gods love. Gods continual love gives us confidence to face the future. The LORD is a promise keeper. False hope is placing ones confidence in anything else or anyone elses promises. Only the LORD can provide lasting security. The classic imitators of hope are weapons of war (Hosea 10:13), wealth (Ps. 49:5-9) and idols (Is.44:911). False hope always leads to disaster and chaos. The frustration expressed by the Occupy Wall Street movement is a snapshot of an example of expecting something else to provide for ones future and security. Listen to Jeremiahs words about hope: For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, Plans of prosperity and not for harm, To give you a future and a hope. (Jer. 29:11) Now, for the actual text of Psalm 131. (Caution! I am reading this from a feminine perspective.) O LORD, my heart is not proud, My eyes, they are not haughty; With great things, I am not concerned Or with things too marvelous for me. (verse 1) This verse humbles me. I stumble on my own brand of pride and haughtiness. Even though I am not busy with the greatness of life, I sure would like to be. I

marvel at people who run for political office. I wish I could win a Nobel Peace Prize. It would be fun to be a featured artist on the cover of Rolling Stone. My financial portfolio is full of blank pages. I am busily concerned with lots of worldly nonsense. My thoughts turn from Wall Street to Madison Avenue with its empty promises of false hope, playing on my fickle vanity. To my sisters in faith, consider what we could do for good if we spent our hard earned cash on the LORDS plans rather than saycosmetics? Just in the United States alone, the market for natural and organic cosmetics is approaching 7 billion dollars. Five years ago, the cosmetics and toiletries industry reported a global growth resulting in $290.9 billion; $65 billion of that was on skin care alone; $16.2 billion was spent on fears about aging. China is expected to increase its sales by $10 billion in 2012. These numbers reflect make-up only. The 290,000,000,000.00 does not include cosmetic surgery, cosmetic dentistry, the hair salon industry, the nail salon industry, the fashion industry with all its accompanying accessories, or the ever sought after item of jewelry. I could feed a village with the dough I spend on trying to soften the imprint left by crows feet or hide laugh lines. But indeed, I stilled and I quieted my soul, Like one being weaned from his mother; Like the one being weaned, is my soul in me. (verse 2) Maybe its time for some real quiet time. When I purposefully turn off the world, and turn on the Sabbath rest, it is quiet. Quiet enough to listen to what LEternel is trying to tell me. Can you picture a 24 hour period of rest? Want to get radical (back to the root) and orthodox (having the correct opinion) at the same time? Turn off every electronic home invader for one day, and make some room for your CREATOR. Prepare some real quality time with the family. As for me and my household is more than a home decoration. We all know that we are the ones who manage the home, so manage the Sabbath with true hope in the LORDS plan for your family. Will it seem odd at first? Yes. We are so addicted to vaporous worries and activities shaped by the culture we live in. We are the mothers, the grandmothers, the nurturing-ones. Children do not learn to experience Sabbath from video games, the cartoon network, downloading programs from the internet, or play dates with their friends. How can we expect them to be a weaned child of the Kingdom, if we never nurse them? Yisrael put hope in the LORD

from now to forevermore. (verse 3) The psalmist concludes the song with well grounded advice. Put your hope where it truly belongs. Expect a better future under the LORDS wing. This expectation is for all the descendants of Jacob. It is for all the families of the nations. This hope is for all who have the courage to sing, In You, LORD, I have found my peace. Although the message is timeless, its application begins in the present moment and extends throughout eternity. It doesnt matter how one marks the time of from now. Re-forming is always in style in any age, in any year, whether it is known as 2011 or 5772. Delma Rouleau 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time 30 October 2011