Joyce Borger

Psalm 30 is David’s testimony of praise to God for rescuing him from a period in his life in which he was overcome with despair. What follows is a reinterpretation and reorganization of the Psalm as a monologue. It is interspersed with the congregational song representing God’s voice, “Don’t Be Afraid” by John Bell.

We hold our breath while deep in our soul we may be crying out to God, “Where are you God? When will it end?”

For all those times when we feel like we are holding our breath while our soul cries out, we need Psalm 77: an invitation to bring our laments to God, to remember God’s faithfulness, and give thanks for all that is good.

The psalmist’s encouragement to lean into hope is not wishful thinking based on some abstract concept but arises out of past experiences. God was faithful in the past; there is nothing to suggest God isn’t faithful in the present or won’t be in the future. The doubt, the questioning, the struggle, arise out of the context of a deep faith.

This is why it is so important to retell the stories of God’s faithfulness, to bear testimony of God’s greatness. It is even more important to tell those stories during difficult times. “These things I remember…” Such testimonies become songs in the night.

Psalm 8 is often seen simply as a psalm of praise to God for all creation, and it is that. But it also describes the right ordering of that creation and the relationships within the created order. While it is a wonder to acknowledge that humanity is seen as a little lower than the angels, it is also sobering to understand the responsibility that comes with that honor. In Christ, God has provided us with an example of what that responsibility entails—seeking the flourishing of all and being willing to be serve, putting others ahead of self.

I pray that the echoes of Sunday’s praises will continue into Eastertide and be the background against which we look at this world. And I pray that our worship will make room for both our laments and our praises, acknowledging that they can exist simultaneously in our hearts and our songs. As individuals and worshiping communities spend time this week considering the created world as part of Earth day, it seems particularly appropriate to offer these alternative stanzas to “This Is My Father’s World.”

This week’s sermon text, John 20:1-18, has a profound yet simple testimony: “I have seen the Lord!” Where do we see the Lord today? When the Lord reveals himself to us, through scripture, creation, words of people, books, music, etc, we should also declare, “I have seen the Lord!” Other readings from the lectionary for today remind us that we are called to give account to the hope that we have. Easter equips us with both the words and actions to give such an account.