March 9, 2005 Psalm 109

March 9, 2005                                                                                                 Psalm 109

 

Psalm 109:1-5, 30-31 “Do not be silent, O God of my praise. For wicked and deceitful mouths are opened against me, speaking against me with lying tongues.  They beset me with words of hate, and attack me without cause.  In return for my love they accuse me, even while I make prayer for them.  So they reward me evil for good, and hatred for my love… With my mouth I will give great thanks to the LORD; I will praise him in the midst of the throng.  For he stands at the right hand of the needy, to save them from those who would condemn them to death.”

 

In another devotional of this series, Judy King professed her love for the Psalms.  More than any other book of Scripture, the Psalms encompasses the whole range of human emotion; all the joy, the sorrow, the hurt, the anger, and in this Psalm something not to many folks hear or think about, the frustrations of leadership of God’s people.

There are times in ministry, when no matter what a pastor does, it feels like the whole world (usually just the one congregation) is lined up with paddles ready to take their shots.  Now, I know that more often than not it is just the human insecurities of the minister shining through.  And for the most part we can get through and beyond those moments of panic.

I wonder, did Christ feel this way during his ministry?  After all, here was Jesus, preaching and teaching about God’s boundless love and at every turn, the Pharisees and Sadducees lined up looking for ways to entrap him.  Why bother?  Why waste a prayer on folks like that?

Well, we all know the answer to that question.  We bother, even when it feels like everyone is against us, because Christ told us to.  It is not always easy to love those God entrusts to your care.  Sometimes it is downright hard to do so.  But I think, even in my darkest hour I could never pray for physical harm to come to anyone. 

I might ask God to remember the transgressions of another.  But, I’d like to think my next thought would be for their forgiveness as well as my own.  I’d like to think I could follow the example of Pope John Paul who went to the prison, faced the man who tried to assassinate him, and forgave him while seeking forgiveness for whatever transgression drove the man to shoot in the first place.

 

Merciful Lord, you know our darkest thoughts.  Forgive us the desires of our depression and panic.  Help us to seek forgiveness for all those who cause us distress, even as we seek forgiveness for the distress we cause.  We ask this in the name of Christ, our Lord.  Amen.

 

Contributed by Rev. Andy O’Dowd