Week Two and Three 

"Book reading - The return of the Prodigal Son - Henri Nouwen.  Song reflection - Holy Song  -   Psalms read - 13, 23, 63, 139  

O God, Thou art my God, I seek Thee, my soul thirsts for Thee; my flesh faints for Thee, as in a dry and weary land where no water is. Psalm 63:1

A slower pace of life these two weeks with time spent in London and Guildford.  This has meant some time reflecting on life and ministry  - reading the psalms and the start of writing vestry prayers.

How do you prepare for worship?  "Dear God, I desire you. I long for more of you in my life - speak to my heart and life that I may be changed." Amen

Spiritual Dryness like a garden needs tending and watering -  a  thirst of God invites us to respond and to ask for that thirst to be quenched. 

“The further I run away from the place where God dwells, the less I am able to hear the voice that calls me the Beloved, and the less I hear that voice, the more entangled I become in the manipulations and power games of the world.” ― Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Return of the Prodigal Son: A Story of Homecoming

St. Ignatius of Loyola speaks of times of consolation, when prayer is easy, joyful, and satisfying, and times of desolation, when prayer is dry, uncomfortable, and unfulfilling. God gives us consolation to renew us; desolation purifies us from our attachments and to remind us of our utter dependence on God. Consolation is valuable in that it encourages us to continue our prayers and devotions, but it’s our faithfulness in times of desolation that allows us to make great spiritual progress.

So I thirst for more of God - more of Gods grace and love, more of his mercy.

Psalms - King David was 30 when he became King. 

Psalm 13 - written by King David in a time of trial - possibly during the Babylonian Exile though it is difficult to pinpoint to a specific time.  "How long.." a lament we can all identify with. A request for divine help.
David's humble beginnings sets him apart as God chooses him to be King, and as a King faced a jealous predecessor - Ish-bosheth (or Ishbaal): Ruled briefly after Saul (one of Saul's sons) , mainly over the northern tribes. (2 Samuel 2:8-21).  David had clearly identified enemies and made major mistakes in life (who hasn't). In that context he expresses a vast range of emotions. 

"How long O lord, will you forget me for ever"   - as we consider the love of God expressed in Jesus we reflect on the ending of the psalm - "But I trust in your unfailing love;  my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing the Lord’s praise, for he has been good to me".

Psalm 23 - written by King David reflects on his humble beginning as a shepherd illustrating God's intimacy, goodness and provision. Written over 3000 years ago ( just let that sink in for a while) around 1000BC (David was King from 1010-970BC). Could it be a period of reflection in the later part of his life. As you reflect on your life what characteristics of God's love and provision speak to you?

David didn't invent the view of God being Shepherd - it is peppered through scripture. “God will feed his flock like a shepherd,” said the prophet Isaiah, “and will gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them close to him, and gently lead the mother sheep. . .” (Isaiah 40:11)

The prophet Ezekiel put it even more strongly: “Thus says the Lord God: I myself will search for my sheep, and I will seek them out. As shepherds seek out their flocks, so I will seek out my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places to which they have been scattered. . .I will bring them out from the peoples and gather them from the countries. . .I will feed them with good pasture. . . I will seek the lost, I will bring back the strayed, I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak. . .I will feed them with justice.” (Ezekiel 34:11-16)

So, David didn’t invent this idea and gives himself to it - The Lord is my shepherd - that is all we need.

Psalm 63 - Written by David perhaps in a time of wilderness in Judah. Most commentators believe it to belong either to David’s wilderness years before he came to the throne of Israel, or to his brief exile from the throne in the rebellion of Absalom. The wilderness years when hunted by King Saul are preferred, but not held with absolute certainty. 

O God, You are my God;
Early will I seek You;
My soul thirsts for You;
My flesh longs for You
In a dry and thirsty land
Where there is no water.
So I have looked for You in the sanctuary,
To see Your power and Your glory.

Psalm 63 is about being thirsty. Not in a physical way, but physical thirst is a good word picture for something that God has placed in every human being. Every human being, even the most irreligious person, is spiritually thirsty. St. Augustine’s Confessions  in which Saint Augustine states “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” reminds us where our hope is

Psalm 139 - A song of David - “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.”  Musicians would have performed and sung this magnificent psalm. It is a remarkable piece of poetic theology–powerful writing in every sense. Why is it so powerful? 1 Samuel 16:23 tells us David played the harp for King Saul. Anointed music lifts the soul. Possibly attributed to the time when David is made King.

This is the reading I look at when selecting a new translation/version of the bible. It's poetry lifts the soul.  A psalm of God's omnipresence and omniscience. 
1-6: God’s omniscience (He knows all).
7-12: God’s omnipresence (He is everywhere).
13-18: God’s omnipotence (He forms life).
19-24: A concluding prayer against wickedness and a request for divine searching.

We cannot flea from God's presence.