Praying the Psalms*

By Rev. James Lamkin

Psalm 42

*(The congregation is invited to read A-Psalm-A-Day during 2011. Here is today's reflection and prayer by the pastor based on a psalm from the past week.)

Still reading a psalm a day? I've missed a few days; but when I do, I catch-up shortly.

My goal is to read a psalm a day, read a Rilke poem per day, and journal each and every day. I'm coming close, but no perfect score.

As you've noticed, we completed one cycle of the Psalter---all 150 of its psalms---and are now one-third of the way through the second loop.

The honesty of the psalmists continues to strike me. In Psalm 42:8 the writer says, "By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life."

I love that! How gentle. How trusting. How faithful. How sweet.

I would wish for that kind of intimate relationship with God: steadfast love, night songs, prayerful living.

But then...! But then, in the very next verse listen to what the writer says, "God, why have you forgotten me? Why must I walk about mournfully because the enemy oppresses me?"

And it gets worse: "As with a deadly wound in my body, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me continually, 'Where is your God?'"

Now that's more like it! I get that. Disappointment, grief, and dashed expectations...now we're talking!

I love that the psalmist lays his praise and his pain side by side. Hangs the dirty laundry out there on the clothes line, right by the clean ones.

But such is life, right?

One moment we are full of faith. The next moment we feel that life is futile.

The take-away from the day's reading is that both...both...are grist for the mill of prayer. Both delight and despair are to be passed along to the heart of God.

By the tail-end of the psalm, the writer has returned to the starting line: "Hope in God; for I shall again praise God."

"I shall again praise God." Me too. Me too.

Prayer: "God thank you for hearing my anger, as well as my angst. As you found out with Jesus, being human can be a pain, and a joy. And for your steadfast love...I am grateful for that too. Amen."

A-Psalm-A-Day Upcoming Schedule:

July 13-Psalm 44

July 14-Psalm 45

July 15-Psalm 46

July 16-Psalm 47

July 17-Psalm 48

July 18-Psalm 49

July 19-Psalm 50

July 20-Psalm 51

Hymnal Sub-Committee

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The Northside Line-drivers are having a fun season. As always, we need a co-ed church softball team with 20-25 people. The team must be 50/50 female/male when on the playing field. Contact Coach Brian Knight (cell - 404-759-9063) if you are interested.

The Northside Line-drivers schedule:

Game 1 - Wed, 25-May @ 7:00 PM (L)

Game 2 - Wed, 1-Jun @ 7:40 PM (W)

Game 3 - Wed, 8-Jun @ 8:50 PM (L)

Game 4 - Wed, 22-Jun @ 8:50 PM (R)

Game 5 - Thu, 30-Jun @ 6:30 PM (L)

Game 6 - Thu, 7-Jul @ 7:40 PM (L)

Game 7 - Wed, 13-Jul @ 6:30 PM

Game 8 - Wed, 20-Jul @ 8:50 PM

Game 9 - Wed, 27-Jul @ 7:40 PM

Game 10 - Wed, 3-Aug @ 7:40 PM

All of the games will be played at the NDBC ball field.

For more information about the NACL website, go to http://www.naclsports.info/pages/schedule.htm.

Church Week

CHURCH WEEK

SUNDAY, July 17, 2011

  9:00 AM - Congregational Hymnal Review

  9:30 AM - Summer Church School

11:00 AM - Morning Worship in the Chapel

12:05 PM - Youth Min. Tm. Meeting

TUESDAY, July 19, 2011

11:30 AM - ROMEOS

WEDNESDAY, July 20, 2011

  6:00 PM - Northside Yoga

  8:50 PM - Co-Ed Softball Game

THURSDAY, July 21, 2011

  7:00 PM - TNT