Kirkepiscatoid

Psalm 118 is one of the “Hallel” psalms—“Hallel” meaning “praise” (Here’s the big “duh”—“Hallelujah” = “Praise Yah”—as in Yah the short version of YHWH—i.e. “Praise God.”) The Hallel Psalms are recited at several Jewish holidays but particularly at Passover, Shauvot, and Sukkot.

Ok, so what are the “messages of praise” in Psalm 118?????

1. Give thanks simply because he’s good. (v1 and v29)
2. All of Israel praises him. (v2)
3. Priests praise him (the “Aaronic lineage”). (v3)
4. Those who acknowledge his power praise him (v4)
5. I will praise the fact that God is simply at my side. (v6)
6. I will praise God for being my strength, my song, and for saving me (v14)
7. I will praise God for my life and God’s power over death, as well as for all of God’s works. (v17)
8. I will praise God for opening the gates to his holy kingdom for me. (v19)
9. I will thank God for answering prayer. (v21)
10. I will thank God for his ability to take what the world rejects and make it a lynchpin of his works. (v22-24)
11. I will thank God for those who come in his name that bring us a better understanding of who God is. (v26)
12. I will thank God simply because my God “belongs to me” in a way unlike how God belongs to anyone else.

Next task:

Take these 12 elements of praise and thank God in my own words for them.

I thank you, God.

I thank you simply “for bein’ you.” Lots of people thank you, in their own way, but their ways are not my ways. My ways are pretty straightforward and simple. I can make them flowery when I need to, but there’s no need at the moment because it’s just you and me talking.

I recognize you are the seat of all the power in the universe (although at times I try to claim a little of that for my own.) I’m glad you put up with that sort of foolishness on my part. Truthfully, I’m glad it’s in your job description, not mine.

You don’t know how grateful I am that you are alongside of me in my darkest moments and on my toughest days, but not just then—I’m also grateful you and I can enjoy the sunshine together. I’m glad you and I can play in the sun, and feel the breeze on our faces, and see the ocean in my pasture together. I’m glad we can connect with the stars in my yard at night.

You didn’t have to save all of humankind. You didn’t have to give us your son Jesus. You didn’t have to save me. But you did. I can never repay a debt like that and you know it. You are a strong arm carrying me along, you are a shoulder to lean on, and yeah, you are a boot in my backside now and then too—but I’ll take it all. You show me “your songs”, not necessarily with music, but in the movement and rhythm of the sky, the wind, the trees, and the seasons.

I am not as afraid of death as I could be. Yeah, I’m scared now and then, but not as bad as it could be. That’s because you show me a world beyond death—a world where death is only a teeny-tiny part of the whole picture. You do amazing things—not just in my life but in others, and you’re truly awesome in that regard!

I have to admit I find it a little incredulous that you swing the gates of your heavenly kingdom wide open for me and invite me in with no background check, no ID, no price of admission…but you do. You would let me in “as is”. But “as is” is how you made me, right? So I guess you knew what you were doing.

Thank you, God, for listening to me. Thanks for listening to me even when I’m not sure what I want. Thanks for listening to me when I’m too messed up to even put the words together and you have to read my thoughts and my intent through my sobs and tears. Thank you for not just taking what I tell you and treating it like a list for Santa. Sometimes I think I know what I want but you know better, and you don’t give me what I want, but what I need. I’m glad you love me enough to be tough on me like that.

Thank you, God, for reminding me that being “different” is ok. Better than ok, in fact. Some days are harder on me than others in terms of “rejection”. Some of it is that I’ve been so well trained to find fault in myself, to “reject myself” as “not good enough” or “not as good as the others.” But you have reminded us through the life of Jesus that what the world rejected is sometimes “too good for the world,” as we say around here. So good that the world couldn’t possibly know how good it was till the story played out. When I feel different, I’m in good company—Jesus, Ghandi, Mother Teresa—so I should not feel so bad about it.

God, not only am I thankful to you for what you do for me, I’m thankful for all the people you have crossed my life’s path with that have led me to a better understanding of you. There are many. They know who they are, and I think they will feel my love for them, but if I name names, I will inadvertently leave one out. These people have, in their own way, and when they weren’t even trying, brought me closer to you. They have made Jesus more real for me than Jesus himself, in some ways. It is hard for me to feel directly connected with someone who lived 2000 years ago. But it is easier to “get it” when I can see Jesus’ love in one of my friends.

But finally, God, thank you for interacting with me in a way that you cannot possibly interact with anyone else. I realize with all the billions of humans on the planet that seems near-impossible, but I also see through the snowflakes you bring in winter that there are infinite combinations to how you work with these crazy humans of yours. What I sense is when you and I are connected, that is a special bond meant for none other than you and me. I am very, very protective of that bond, just like I am very protective of the bonds I share with the special people in my life! But that is because you protect me in the shadow of your wings and I really am the apple of your eye. I would say, “You’ll never know how much that means to me,” but duh, obviously, you do!!!!! So all I can say is just “Thanks” and trust you get it!