By Beth Ferguson, Lay Leader and Member to the Annual Conference.
Praise the Lord!
Those who honor the Lord,
who adore God’s commandments, are truly happy!
2 Their descendants will be strong throughout the land.
The offspring of those who do right will be blessed;
3 wealth and riches will be in their houses.
Their righteousness stands forever.
4 They shine in the dark for others who do right.
They are merciful, compassionate, and righteous.
5 Those who lend generously are good people—
as are those who conduct their affairs with justice.
6 Yes, these sorts of people will never be shaken;
the righteous will be remembered forever!
7 They won’t be frightened at bad news.
Their hearts are steady, trusting in the Lord.
8 Their hearts are firm; they aren’t afraid.
In the end, they will witness their enemies’ defeat.
9 They give freely to those in need.
Their righteousness stands forever.
Their strength increases gloriously.
10 The wicked see all this and fume;
they grind their teeth, but disappear to nothing.
What the wicked want to see happen comes to nothing!
Psalm 112, Common English Bible
Psalm 112 is a praise song to God. Those who honor God are truly happy. Their children will be blessed. It begins to look like prosperity gospel- if we trust in God, we will be blessed with wealth and riches and all good things, but the wealth we accumulate may not be material wealth, it may be a wealth of reputation and happiness.
It reminds us that we are an example to others- we will shine in the dark for others. Our actions speak for us, as we give to the poor and show compassion to others.
The Psalm does not promise us that we will have perfect lives and perfect health. In verses 6–8, the Psalmist tells us that the righteous will not be shaken, that we won’t be frightened when we hear bad news because our hearts are steady, trusting in God. Because we can be free of fear, we can give freely to those in need. We don’t have to hoard what we have, because we trust that God will provide for us when we have needs.
In this season of the Coronavirus, hoarding is rampant. Because people are hoarding, shortages are a self-fulfilling prophecy. People who bought out stores, thinking that they could make a big profit reselling at exorbitant rates hurt everyone, and when they were shut down, they were left with products they couldn’t get rid of. The Psalm ends with, “The wicked see all this and fume, they grind their teeth, but disappear to nothing. What the wicked want to see happen comes to nothing.” So, for all those who are hoarding, scamming and trying to take advantage of those who trust too much in people, the Psalm offers a warning. Your attempts to hurt others will be thwarted.
For those who are righteous, God is with you. Trust in God and God will stand beside you and keep you firm and steady, even in the face of this virus.
A Prayer from the Extended Cabinet
By Rev. Rick McKinley, Director of Congregational Development
Life. Life! LIFE!
This is your promise — your intention for us.
“I have come that you may have life, and have it abundantly,” Jesus said.
Abundantly.
Over the top.
Excessively abundant.
Disproportionately bountiful.
Extravagantly exuberant.
God, we really need some of that right now.
When the thieves around us and within us
threaten to kill it,
When worries and fear build to the point
they begin to strangle it,
When our own tendencies toward selfishness and dark things
begin to smother,
O God, call us. Call us again. And again. And again.
Call us back to life.
Call us to dwell in your words, the words of life.
Call us to sit in silence, listening for the heartbeats of life all around us.
Call us to love our neighbor, in whom you dwell.
Call us to the table, where in the breaking of bread, you are to be found.
Life. Life! LIFE! Abundant, extravagant, wonderfully, disproportionately full LIFE!
Amen.