March 22/Fifth Friday of Lent I love you, O LORD, my strength, O LORD, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer,My God, my rock of refuge, my shield, the horn of my salvation, my stronghold! ~ Ps 18.2-3 Rock, fortress, and stronghold. Such rugged metaphors befit a psalm that is said to be an expression of gratitude to God after a…
Song 32: Promises to Keep
March 21/Fifth Thursday of Lent He remembers forever his covenant which he made binding for a thousand generations –Which he entered into with Abraham and by his oath to Isaac. ~ Ps 105.8-9 Of all the lovely phrases that speckle the traditional marriage rite from the Episcopal Book of Common Prayer, my favorite occurs during the exchange of rings, when…
Song 31: We Got Rhythm
March 20/Fifth Wednesday of Lent “Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. . .Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.” ~ Daniel 3.52, 54 Sometimes prayer flows easily from our hearts to God’s ears; other times, we stumble over our words, or…
Song 30: Not for Naught
March 19/Fifth Tuesday of Lent The steadfast love of the LORD I will sing forever;through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness. ~ Ps 89.2 As a new mother who many years ago left a job in a prestigious cultural institution to be at home with two young children, I sometimes wondered what the point of my life was. …
Song 29: Laying the Table
March 18/Fifth Monday of Lent You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ~ Ps 23.5 Setting a lovely table is a way to honor one’s friends. Whether it is a small Ikea two-seater equipped with simple utensils, humble dinnerware, and a posy of wildflowers, or an imposing…
Song 28: Deep Down
March 16/Fourth Saturday of Lent Judge me, O LORD, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.O let the evil of the wicked come to an end, but establish the righteous, you who test the hearts and minds, O righteous God. ~ Ps 7.8-9 Through the years, various children I know (and may in fact…
Song 27: Something Wicked This Way Comes
March 15/Fourth Friday of Lent The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. ~ Ps 34.17, 19 Does God really “confront the evildoers”? Or in the concrete Hebrew expression, is “the face of the LORD against” those who wreak havoc…
Song 26: Taking a Knee
March 14/Fourth Thursday of Lent Our fathers made a calf in Horeb and adored a molten image;They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. ~ Ps 106.19-20 It’s easy for us to sneer at the calf-worshiping children of Israel. We may regard ourselves as far too sophisticated to prostrate ourselves before a molten…
Song 25: Sketching It Out
March 13/Fourth Wednesday of Lent The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. ~ Ps 145.9, 18 On a recent Sunday afternoon stroll through the Metropolitan Museum of Art, my eye was caught by Salvator Mundi, an unfinished painting…
Song 24: Noise, Noise, Noise, Noise
March 12/Fourth Tuesday of Lent God is our refuge and our strength, an ever-present help in trouble.Therefore we fear not, though the earth should changeand the mountains shake in the heart of the sea. ~ Ps 46.2-3 Keeping one’s equilibrium amid the boil and churn of modern life can be a challenge. There is the frenetic tempo many of us…