This psalm begins with the words "Happy are those...," and is closely tied to themes found in the book of Proverbs and the Wisdom tradition. The feminine and creative spirit of Wisdom provides teachings that bring depth and meaning to the law. Psalm 1 picks up on Wisdom's themes and offers listeners a way of life that is full of justice and righteousness. Using the image of trees planted near streams of water, we are encouraged to bear good fruit. How do you hear the promise of God's abundance in this psalm?
There it is! The recurring image of trees planted by the water in reference to the Jer. 17 passage. So, what can we do to be like those trees? 1) Don't follow the secular's advice, directions, or habits; 2) Delight in the Word and get deep in the Word regularly.
Aah, a breath of fresh air, especially after the agony I struggled with in Jer. 17 passage previously. There is such simplistic beauty in the solution presented.
Coho, Midway City
Whether or not you mention it in your sermon, keep in mind that Psalm 1 serves as an introduction to the Psalms. This is the atitude that we are supposed to have as we look for ourselves in the book of Psalms
Is the old hymn on this Psalm "I shall not be moved" or is it "We shall not be moved?"
Both this Psalm and the Jeremaih passage are a great comfort to me, since i'm feeling kind of drought-stricken right now (for all the wrong reasons, I admit, but I still feel that way!)
grace and peace:
revgilmer in texarkana
I've just returned from a Mission Trip to Rio Bravo where our church built a breakfast kitchen. There were very few trees in the area where we worked. There was lots of dry, dusty ground and rather than tumble weeds, plastic bags blew everywhere and got hung up on barbed wire. Water came in truck once a week. I followed behind the water truck and it filled two barrels per family. That's not very much water...Being a tree planted by a stream of water is a blessing especially for those who come from deserts.
Russ---Grace UMC, Rogers, AR
How do I hear the promise of God's abundance in
this psalm? Do not sit in the seat of scoffers.
Do not follow the way of the ungodly. Follow the
way of the godly.
That's how I see the promise of God's abundance in
Psalm I.
Yours....
circuit rider in Ks.
The last few years morticians have come up
with the idea of "celebrating a life"....
I have some theological problems with that.
Can we celebrate any life? What about someone who
is evil? An atheist? Someone who has never cared
for the Church, nor believed in Christ?
Come on. Help me. Circuit Rider in Ks.
In our United Methodist Book of Worship, the service of Death and Resurrection begins the greeting by saying "Friends, we have gathered here to praise God and to witness to our faith as we cebrate the life of ... It is hard for me to grasp our tendency to think we know all about a person, but unfortunately we do make judgements. When we do, I think we judge through our own limited views and prejudices. Having just come from a memorial service of a colleague that I didn't always agree with, but whose presence I miss, I was glad to have the opportunity to celebrate her life.
Shalom ,
bammamma
Regardless of what a person believed, that person's life is worth celebrating because life was God's gift no matter how they used or abused it. It certainly takes the punch out of homegoing service, when we are not sure which home they went to. Perhaps the word funeral dwells too much on death, when the only person present who is dead is the one who can't hear anything anyway. So let us celebrate the fact that we are still living and we had a relationship with someone who was once living as well.
As for this text since so few people write anything in the psalm cathegory, I'm thinking of three examples of bad company. Listening to ungodly advice, scoffers who make light of the sacred, and compromising with sinners. that last one could yield a whole lot of politically incorrect preaching. Then purpose driven life, keregma, those who delight in God will prosper, live the blessed, beatitude life.
Gen
No
Only one's own life is worth exegeting. In celebrating a person's life, we know there are so good things and some bad. But in my own thinking, the choice of what to designated as good or bad depends on our own subjectivity. In preparing for services, I personally looked for the message that person's life left for me, and perhaps family and friends. In that way I have found myself learning from the lives of those I celebrate.
Shalom,
bammamma
Blessings to all my brothers and sisters who read and participate, if but in their thinking and
ruminating on the scriptures, on this site.
I just returned from a retreat and so am just a bit late this week. However, the
retreat was, on and about prayer, is so relevant to this scripture that I had to share:
How better to be in a righteous relationship with God then to be in such a personal practice as prayer. It is through communication that relationships are deepened and maintained.
Just a quick rumination.
Blessing to you all,
Shalom
Rev. Nancy in NE, USA
