Henrietta Dubb's Meditations

Psalms for singing, Lent 2005

 

Psalm 93

("Arnsberg")

 

 

Now the LORD presiding

Dons His robes majestic

Robed majestic standing ready

 

At His word creation

Shall fulfil His purpose

His throne standing firm and steady

 

Seas and tides

Oceans rise

Louder voices soaring

Who can stop their roaring?

 

Fixed this world securely

His throne long established

Firm His purpose lasts forever.

 

 

Mightier than the roaring

Greater than the king-tides

Mighty Lord, creation's Ruler!

 

Judgments firm

Shall confirm

Holiness Your dwelling!

Righteous Lord compelling

 

 

I found myself composing this attempt to turn the psalm into a hymn after Christmas and in the early days of the New Year. I almost had to give it away. At that time the holiday-makers near to where I live by the sea couldn't do anything except approach the water with a heightened sense of caution and awe. It was indeed awful. The tsunami came and changed us all. It reminds us that this Psalm if it is to be sung is one of reverence to the Almighty. But how do we sing it in the back-wash of such an event? 250,000 lives drowned and still counting!

And yet we are called to go on living, learning how to lament, learning how to give due recognition to the One who rules the heaven and the earth. We sense that we need to give due recognition to the way our lives make an impact upon the earth. We have a new sense of how the earth has an impact upon us. So now we strain every fibre of our being in love and care for all our neighbours - each one another of our own - another made in God's own image who shares this human condition.

Whatever else we do as we cry out and send our lament heavenward, we sense it is time to repent and remind ourselves of the many good things we might have done which we did not do. We got distracted. We didn't take the time; we were too busy on other things. We did not come back to what we said we would look at "Later". This terrible event reminds us about time - we who remain have time to make amends, to do good, to bear fruit, to put our hand to those things we have been putting off. The tsunami reminds me of a parable Jesus told:

 

Luke 13:1-9
There were some present at that very time who wanted Him to be told about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And this was His answer to those people: "Do you suppose that these Galileans were in some sense worse sinners than all the other Galileans, because they suffered like this? I tell you, No way; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or consider those eighteen upon whom the tower in Silo'am fell - it killed them. So do you think that they were somehow worse offenders than all the others who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No way; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish." And this is the parable he told them: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, 'Lo, these three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down; why should it use up the ground?' And he answered him, 'Let it alone, sir, this year also, till I dig about it and put on manure. And if it bears fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.'"

Jesus bravely withstood those who wanted His teaching to become affiliated with their rage against Pilate. They had thus lost the plot. The real issue was not how Jesus stood in regard to their political rage against Pilate. Jesus was telling them that in God's timetable the important thing for them was to listen to what Jesus had to say to them. They were granted time. His teaching was manure in their soil. The question was whether they could receive the manure and bear fruit. Would they repent or would they perish? Terrorism or natural disasters don't need our spin. God looks for lives which bear fruit.

 

 

 

                        16/2/2005

 

 Henrietta Dubb, Christian citizen of the 21st century.

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February 2005 © Henrietta Dubb's Diary, is written and published by Bruce C Wearne, 29 Lawrence Rd., Point Lonsdale Vic 3225 AUSTRALIA, 61-3-5258-3913. Each entry in the diary  may be photocopied or retransmitted in its entirety but shall not otherwise be reprinted or transmitted without the author's written permission. This is a project to encourage positive Christian citizenship, the development of policies and political attitudes that better express our love for God and our neighbour. Comments are welcome. Email can be sent to bcwearne@ozemail.com.au  Web-site http://members.ozemail.com.au/~bcwearne/hdd.htm