Why did God wait hundreds of years to free Israel? And why weren’t my urgent prayers answered? If Jesus was God incarnate why did he cry out in forsakenness? Wasn’t God with him on the cross? In fact, wasn’t it God on the cross What does it mean for us to be made in God’s image and filled with God’s breath? Is this God’s presence within us and among us? In times of suffering, is the divine spark all we ever get?
These are largely unanswerable questions: but they are important. They are a sign of engagement, and engagement, not trite answers, is the point. Our God is a God of freedom. Sometimes, God acts; sometimes not. Sometimes, God calls on people to work on God’s behalf, and sometimes they do. Other times, they refuse to listen. Sometimes, good people suffer and evil people thrive; other times, we see a glimpse of justice. But there is no karma, no predictable outcome, no tidy sense of completion in our brief lives. There is only God, and our joy is to enter into God’s bigness and fullness.
The following Psalm is all about such engagement. The Psalmist is a victim of spiteful slander. In distress, they wake in the early hours and plead with God. There is no indication that this changes the external situation, yet the Psalm ends on a note of celebration. God’s grace may not ward off these spiteful attacks, nor cancer nor war nor any other suffering. But trusting in God and sheltering in God’s grace leads us to life far greater than we can imagine. This will be our deepest protection, and the source of enduring joy.
1. PREPARE: Make yourself comfortable. Uncross your legs; relax your body; uncomplicate your heart. Ask God to help you surrender to whatever it is that God wants to do in you or say to you today. Breathe slowly and deeply in, then out.
2. READ: Read the following passage aloud at least three times through, slowly. Listen carefully. Notice anything which captures your attention.
Hear my words, my groans,
my cries for help, O God my king.
I pray to you, Lord,
my prayer rises with the sun.
At dawn I plead my case and wait.
You never welcome evil, God,
never let it stay.
You hate arrogance
and abhor scoundrels,
you detest violence
and destroy the traitor.
But let those who trust you
be glad and celebrate for ever.
Protect those who love your name,
then they will delight in you.
For you bless the just, O God,
your grace surrounds them like a shield. (Psalm 5:1-6, 11-12 (ICEL))
3. REFLECT: Allow a word, phrase or image to speak to you. What do you notice? What emotions do you feel? What questions are bubbling up? Reflect in silence.
4. RELATE: Now wonder: What does this passage say about God, people, church, faith, or suffering? Does it uphold, challenge or disrupt any of your expectations?
5. RESPOND: Is God calling you to anything now? Pray about this, and tell God about anything which is emerging. If you feel called to action, ask God to show you/us the next step.
6. REST: When you feel ‘done’, rest awhile. Savour the conversation you are having with God, and God’s loving presence. Close with a gesture of thanks: perhaps a simple bow. As you prepare to leave this space, if any word, phrase or image persists, let it guide you. Or if nothing in particular arises, remember this:
- You bless the just … your grace surrounds them
Shalom,
Alison
Emailed to Sanctuary 6 September 2023 © Alison Sampson, 2023. Photo by Kate Williams on Unsplash (edited).
Alison and the whale 