I waited patiently upon the Lord;
[PSALM 40:1-6]
he stooped to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay;
he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
many shall see, and stand in awe, and put their trust in the Lord.
Happy are they who trust in the Lord!
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.
Great things are they that you have done, O Lord my God!
how great your wonders and your plans for us!
there is none who can be compared with you.
Oh, that I could make them known and tell them!
but they are more than I can count.
| ADVENT DAILY OFFICE READINGS |
|---|
| AM Psalm 40, 54; PM Psalm 51 Zech. 7:8-8:8; Rev. 5:6-14; Matt. 25:14-30 |
Advent is the season of waiting.
The first line of Psalm 40 therefore makes it an appropriate psalm for this season.
I waited patiently upon the Lord;
However, translating from ancient Hebrew presents numerous challenges. One translator, for example, interprets this line as follows:
I urgently hoped for the Lord.
Patience and urgency are not the same thing. At least I don’t see them as comparable.
I am no Hebrew scholar, but from what I’ve read, the verb (קָוָה qavah) implies an eagerness, a hope.
And my reason for leaning toward the urgency interpretation instead of the patience is that, as humans, we are no good at waiting.
I would also argue that, throughout the body of the Psalter, (and forgive me for not having researched this thoroughly) we will hear almost as many, if not more laments, such as, “How long, O Lord?”
Over the course of the last several years we hear increasingly more contentious and unpleasant rhetoric over inflation, affordable health care, food insecurity, increased unemployment, and the immigration controversy, among other issues.
And of course, there’s the violence and the mass shootings. Our first reaction towards anyone who disagrees with us is vengeance, and we use whatever reason we can to justify our aggressive actions.
I believe the fourth verse offers a solution.
Happy are they who trust in the Lord!
they do not resort to evil spirits or turn to false gods.
There is much to learn from this psalm about waiting in hope and expectation of what is to come and how to prepare so that we are ready when Christ comes.
When humans put their trust in the Lord, it doesn’t make the problems disappear, but we are given the sense of hope that allows us to see beyond the current realities to envision, and work toward, a world where peace and love reign.
I’ve written often during the Advent season that we wait patiently, but not passively!
We are called not only to trust, but to act to make that for which we hope a reality.
I came across a Franciscan blessing several years ago that I’ve used to close sermons. It addresses the themes that our psalm considers.
May God bless us with discomfort
at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships,
so that we may live deep within our hearts.May God bless us with anger
at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
so that we may work for economic justice for all people.May God bless us with tears to shed for those who suffer
from pain, hunger, homelessness, and rejection,
so that we may reach out our hand to comfort them
and to turn their pain into joy.And may God bless us with enough foolishness
to believe that we can make a difference in the world
so that we can do what others claim cannot be done.[1]
Let us pray:
Almighty and eternal God, so draw our hearts to you, so guide our minds, so fill our imaginations, so control our wills, that we may be wholly yours, utterly dedicated unto you; and then use us, we pray, as you will, and always to your glory and the welfare of your people; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. . Amen.
(Book of Common Prayer, edited p. 832-833)
[1] Sister Ruth Marlene Fox, OSB, A Non-Traditional Blessing, The Benedictine Sisters of Sacred Heart Monastery, Dickinson, ND
*The Psalter in the Book of Common Prayer breaks up the verses into shorter segments for music and chanting purposes.
Walking Together in Faith 