Pull up a chair in the household of the Lord - June 13
Today’s Readings: AM Psalm 75, 76; PM Psalm 23, 27; Num. 3:1-13; Gal. 6:11-18; Matt. 17:1-13
Two of the psalms appointed for today are the 23rd Psalm and the 27th Psalm. I thumbed through the Book of Common Prayer to find the King James Version of Psalm 23, as that is the translation I learned as a kid. I recalled that is often used in burial services (page 476). I found on the opposite page within the burial rite, Psalm 27 is included, too (BCP page 477). I was moved by how those two psalms were companion pieces in the messages they conveyed about God's love and protection. (Let it also be noted that the version of Psalm 27 in the burial rite within the Book of Common Prayer does not include every verse; some are omitted, though there is no note of this pastoral editing.)
I poured over those familiar words, and I noticed a phrase held in common: “I will dwell in the household of the Lord for ever/all the days of my life.” I generally have glossed over those words, reflecting more often on God’s love as the good shepherd leading me to verdant fields with a babbling brook, or walking through a time like “the valley of the shadow of death.”
I began wondering what dwelling in the household of God really looks like for you and me – living and moving within that space right now, rather than a time far off. Is there a place that comes to mind? What else do you see? These psalms offer a few images as steppingstones to the imagination – refreshment and strength, guidance and protection, fearlessness and comfort, thanksgiving and generosity. How might your day today be fixed within life in the household of the Lord?
However, framed in the setting of laying a loved one to rest in the loving arms of God, suddenly the phrase, “I will dwell in the household of the Lord for ever” takes on a different texture. Those ancient songs become words of assurance and hope that our friend or family member is cared for, whole, and restored within God’s realm…and that perhaps one day, we will be swept up into that divine comfort when we die.
How do you need to hear these words today? What resonates with you? Isn’t that the great gift we find in praying through Holy Scripture – we see new ways of God beckoning us to lean closer into the Word.
-- Katherine+
Questions for Reflection
Who do you think about when you read Psalm 23?
In what ways do you feel comforted by these psalms? Discomforted?
Daily Challenge
Read either Psalm 23 or 27 again. What images jump out at you? As you go through your day, look for reminders of those images. Receive them as nudges from God – affirmation of God’s great care and love for you.