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First a note: This blog’s focus is the real Good News* – the positive parts of the Bible – and especially the Three Great Promises of Jesus. As noted elsewhere, the “DOR” in the blog-name stands for Daily Office Reading. The Daily Office is a set of Bible readings in a two-year cycle, so every two years you will have gone through the Bible at least one time. (I’m on my 16th trip through since 1992.) Which brings up the Daily Office readings for Sunday, July 20, 2014.
Those readings included Psalm 63:1-8(9-11), 98; and the evening Psalm 103. The others are Joshua 6:15-27; Acts 22:30-23:11; Mark 2:1-12. As for Psalm 63, I talked about it in a prior post, On “Patton,” Sunday School teacher. It noted the movie about him starring George C. Scott:
Patton was at a low point in his career during World War II, after the “slapping incident” in Sicily. He was almost sent home in disgrace, but he found comfort in Psalm 63. . . The film showed Patton praying, then going out to apologize to the troops. As he went, he recited Psalm 63, “humble and defiant.” As abbreviated . . . the psalm went like this: “O God, Thou art my God, early will I seek Thee. My soul thirsteth for Thee… But those that seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall fall by the sword, they shall be a portion for foxes… Everyone that sweareth by Him shall glory. But the mouth of them that speak lies shall be stopped.”
Also on the note of irony, the post pointed out that aside from believing in reincarnation, Patton read the Bible on a daily basis. For example, during a tour of his private quarters an Army chaplain noted a Bible on a desk. Later “the chaplain asked if Patton actually had time to read that Bible. Patton said, ‘I sure do. Every Goddamn day.’”
And finally, Psalm 98:1 was also covered by prior post including On the Gospel for May 18, and About this Blog. The former post asked the musical question:
How can we do greater works than Jesus if we interpret the Bible in a cramped, narrow, strict and/or limiting manner? For that matter, why does the Bible so often tell us to “sing to the Lord a new song?” (For example, Isaiah 42:10 and Psalms 96:1, 98:1, and 144:9.)
Isaiah 42:10 says, “Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the end of the earth!” Psalm 96 and 98 say pretty much the same thing, while Psalm 144:9 adds, “I will sing you a new song, O God, with a ten-stringed harp.” (The Revised Standard and Living Bible versions, emphasis added.) As to Psalm 144:9, if taken literally it seems to be a direct command that you can only sing a new song to God using a ten-stringed harp. (Which would seem to be an absurd result, contrary to the intent of the person who drafted the directive.)
On the other hand, if interpreted metaphorically Psalm 144:9 could indicate that while God wants you to sing a new song to Him now, your best “song” will result from your unique experiences, as shaped and arranged according to lessons learned from other people who have sung songs that were new then, back when the Bible was originally written. (Hmmmm.)
Okay, this is going to take a whole lot more thought. . .
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As always, you can see the full readings at The Lectionary – Satucket.com.
As to “guilt trips,” see The Psychology and Management of Guilt Trips | Psychology Today: “Guilt trips are a form of verbal or nonverbal communication in which a guilt inducer tries to induce guilty feelings in a target in an effort to control their behavior.” .
The “Thinker” image is courtesy of foliovision.com/images/2012/10/Rodin-the-Thinker.jpg. “The Thinker (French: Le Penseur) is a bronze sculpture by Auguste Rodin . . . a nude male figure of over life-size sitting on a rock with his chin resting on one hand as though deep in thought, and is often used as an image to represent philosophy. There are about 28 full size castings. . . Originally named The Poet (French: Le Poète), the Thinker was initially a figure in a large commission, begun in 1880, for a doorway surround called The Gates of Hell.” See The Thinker – Wikipedia.
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