Readings for today: Amos 7-9, Revelation 3:7-22, Psalms 131, Proverbs 29:23
“O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalms 131:1-3)
Today’s reading finds us in the middle of what the Bible calls the “Psalms of Ascent.” Psalms 120-134. Many believe these were the songs Israel sang as they ascended to Jerusalem to keep the three annual festivals detailed in Deuteronomy 16. They are songs of worship. Songs of praise. Songs of thanksgiving. They express the deep gratitude the people feel towards God for all He has done for them. They sing them together. They sing them as they gather. One can almost imagine thousands coming to Jerusalem all singing these songs with one voice. It must have been a powerful, moving scene. In addition, many scholars believe these were the songs Israel sang at different high points in their history like the dedication of Solomon’s Temple or the rebuilding of the walls during Nehemiah’s time. Over and over again, Israel returned to these psalms to express their faith and trust in God.
Christians have built on this tradition of worship. Many churches throughout the world sing these psalms in worship. The Eastern Orthodox Church sings these psalms every Friday during Vespers. The Roman Catholic Church schedules these psalms to be sung during daily prayer. The goal is to remind Christians we are on our own pilgrimage to a Heavenly Jerusalem and these psalms build the spiritual intensity of the worship service as we prepare for the reading of the gospel. It’s a powerful thing to experience.
I think these Psalms are particularly potent during the Christmas season. For centuries, Christmas dedicated the weeks leading up to Christmas for reflection and prayer and fasting. Advent is one of the “penitential seasons” of the church where we spend intentional time denying ourselves the pleasures of this world in order to prepare for the coming of the Christ child. Sadly, we have commercialized this season. We’ve turned it into a season of excess. We eat too much. Drink too much. Spend too much. While there is greater generosity and greater joy, there is also a lot of stress and anxiety and fear as well. Depression rates skyrocket. Suicide rates go through the roof. People experience crisis after crisis. All because we have taken our eyes off of Jesus - the reason for the season - and fix them on the things of this world. This is where the Psalms of Ascent come in. They help focus us back on God. They lift our eyes above the hills to the One who comes to our rescue. They draw us into the presence of God where we can quiet our souls and calm our fears. They restore our hope in the Lord.
Imagine if you took the next twelve days and intentionally slowed things down. Imagine if you took the next twelve days and intentionally quieted things down. Imagine if you took the next twelve days and you filled your time with the Lord and the people you love. How would that change your experience of Christmas this year? Instead of feeling rushed and overwhelmed, you may find yourself feeling peace and joy. Instead of struggling to fit everything in, you may find yourself more focused on those relationships that are most important to you. Instead of barely making it to Christmas and through Christmas, you may find yourself with plenty of time to sit at the manger wondering at the glory of it all.
Readings for tomorrow: Obadiah 1, Revelation 4, Psalms 132, Proverbs 29:24-25