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Thursday 2 March 2017

"Steadfast Love... Abundant Mercy."


"I pray for the desire to pray and meditate on behalf of my congregation.  May we learn patience, gentleness, compassion, empathy, humility, and tolerance.  May we abstain from anger, anxiety, compulsive behaviour, discouragement, and shame.  May we come to know Christ as Christ knows us, as made in the image and likeness of God.  May we seek justice, love kindness and walk humbly."


Psalm 51:1-5
To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
   and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
   and blameless when you pass judgement.
5 Indeed, I was born guilty,
   a sinner when my mother conceived me.


1) "...your steadfast love;" "...your abundant mercy;" "...ever before me;" "For I know my transgressions;" "...steadfast love ...abundant mercy;" "


2) I have tremendous resistance now to "wash me thoroughly" and "cleanse me from my sin."  David is the one who needs to make the amends, not God.  God did no wrong here except trusting David.  Knowing his transgression is a start.  But being overwhelmed with shame and guilt doesn't make amends.  Understanding what we have done wrong is the beginning, but right relationship needs so much more.  I blanch at the melodrama.  As if over reacting absolves us.  Not that I haven't been there.  I can remember sitting across from my spiritual director naming traits I see in my self and feeling profound shame for them and he asked, "More shame than any mortal can bear?" Of course not.  Even shame and guilt should be born with humility.  Real healing only happens when all parties (including me) experience steadfast love and abundant mercy. 


3) What is the invitation in all this? to check my own tendency to melodrama... especially my melodrama over being melodramatic, with gentleness and humility.


"Holy One, keep me mindful of gentleness and humility, even when chastising myself for my transgressions.  And keep me mindful of gentleness and humility when chastising others for their transgressions.  I'm not very good at either."


Breathprayer: "steadfast love... abundant mercy."

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