Living Psalms

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For the past few weeks, we've been talking about The Book of Psalms. This Sunday, as part of our new conversational style of worship, everyone was asked to think about a subject (something like tremendous joy or unbearable anguish; an aspect of God’s nature; thanksgiving to or frustration with God, or whatever else came to mind) and write one sentence summarizing their idea. We then wrote one response/exclamation to our initial thought, creating the first couple lines of a Psalm.

We don't have pews or aisles of chairs in our sanctuary. We sit around tables of six or seven people who then assembled their thoughts together on a single page, in any order that struck them. It is surprising how effectively these separate pieces of poetry formed a Psalm. 
I've assembled everyone's work into the following single Psalm. Thanks to everyone at The Current for your constant willingness to try new things, for your participation, and for your inspiration. 

I don't understand why there's so much dissension in the world.
We must try to have more togetherness,
to understand each other better
and hope it works out.

The Holy, Infinite One is immanent today!
Let us be glad!

1,000 homeless children in Naples. Why?
80,000 children lost in India.
How should/could I respond?

I accept my life,
filled with ups and downs,
is a wondrous journey.
How will I possibly learn how to accept this
without the love of God?

God is the creator of abundant life!
I hope so.

Handle me with care;
will I always be lost?
Am I on the right path?

Love should taste like honeysuckle and joy,
not like toothpaste and obligation.
Stop confusing self-satisfying love
with real love.
Stop thinking love
is a ticket to Heaven
or a social necessity.

It's not possible to do enough
during our short lives here
to deem us worthy of
the incredible blessings we receive.
It's our responsibility as human beings
to come as close as we can.

God, I feel your presence
in the waves of the ocean as they roll in.
The waves roll in
and take away my anguish and problems.

The Lord is my strength.
I can do it!
God is my foundation.
I need You to guide me!

God, I believe you guide my life
and I just wonder,
why am I here today?
My faith allows you to lead me!
You are my support;
You carry me in all I do.
I'm always searching for ways
to know You better.
You are always there for me;
I know You have the answers.
Praise be to God,
my hope and my salvation.
Thank You for loving me.

Why is there no happiness in the world?
I pray for peace and well-being,
even though
I sometimes lose sight of You
in my daily struggles.
I will try to focus
more clearly on You.

I love what makes me an "untouchable."
It is what makes me who I am
and there will only ever be
one of me.

There is an amazing life ahead
with the help of God.
God is in all things
and in me.
We praise your Holy name
and give thanks for Jesus,
whose human suffering
teaches us to endure.
We thank Jesus
for his gift to us all,
his life;
his Spirit.

I thank God
that I have You to talk to
about everything.
This allows me to be
totally open and free,
since there is no need to hide.
Your unconditional love
is always present everywhere.
We surrender
our hearts and minds to you
for healing and wholeness.

Shoot a prayer.
Expect a response.
It seems as though the world,
by design,
rewards the most ruthless among us.
Sometimes it feels like
suffering and death
are all around me.
I depend on
my Spirit connection
to get me through my journey.
What is healing?
Sometimes, death is the healing.
The meek shall inherit the Earth.

I am concerned that
there are so many people
who won't help others.
I will swim upstream
against this trend!

Why does life
become so unfair and horrific
for some people?
It is simply the way
of a human-inhabited world.
In the end,
all will become air and peaceful
for all.

Why is everyone getting cancer?
We are given hard times
to better understand life.
Hard times have a ripple effect.
Thank You, God,
for guiding me
when life is pulling me
many different directions.
When negativity has increased
in my life,
God guides me to decisions
I've never made before.

I am thankful
that I don't understand everything.
Life is challenging
and exciting and rewarding.

Give me patience
to deal with my present situation.
I must trust God
to be with me
and see it through!

Amen.

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