Let me tell you psalm-thing
Like so many other bloggers, I just came off a great weekend at the Zoe Conference. As I considered the theme, "Desperate," it occurred to me that maybe something was missing. We discussed and attended classes on many things; elements of worship, discipleship and more. But I thought about how the psalmist expressed feelings when desperate and I thought, why don't we do that any more? Don't get me wrong, I am not a great poet and frankly I don't always understand such verse, but some people might really have a gift for that and I would like to enjoy those gifts. It's just a thought, but I would be interested in knowing if I am just being weird or does anyone else wonder about such things? I think my sister may have wondered the same thing, because shortly before she died she penned a psalm. Here it is if you're interested. It makes me want to think about writing some as well.
A Psalm of Peace
In the dark, quiet hours of the morning I will
listen for you God. I will sit in your peaceful home
by the open window to your heart and listen for your footsteps.
I will see your face in the eastern sun as it rises.
I will hear your voice calling me when the birds awaken.
I will smell the fragrance of your presence in the
freshness of the new dawn.
I will say good-bye to the sadness and failure
of yesterday, and fill my morning cup with the joy of
the wisdom you’ve taught me, and be strengthened
for the new day.
Reach deeply within me and stroke my heart today.
I’m ready to accept your healing touch and listen to your
words of love. I rejoice in giving my love to you.
By Vicki Dell
A Psalm of Peace
In the dark, quiet hours of the morning I will
listen for you God. I will sit in your peaceful home
by the open window to your heart and listen for your footsteps.
I will see your face in the eastern sun as it rises.
I will hear your voice calling me when the birds awaken.
I will smell the fragrance of your presence in the
freshness of the new dawn.
I will say good-bye to the sadness and failure
of yesterday, and fill my morning cup with the joy of
the wisdom you’ve taught me, and be strengthened
for the new day.
Reach deeply within me and stroke my heart today.
I’m ready to accept your healing touch and listen to your
words of love. I rejoice in giving my love to you.
By Vicki Dell
5 Comments:
Sorry I didn't get to meet you this weekend. These are great thoughts! I am not much of a poet, but my desperation usually is dealt with best by writing. Maybe you are on to something. It would be interesting to start a ministry that encouraged this type of writing.
I hate to wait a year to meet the people I missed, but it is good to get to know people through this medium as well.
I really like that. Hey, thanks again for rooming with me. I had a great time, and it was fun to be with you again. I hope your week is not full of high-fives to the face.
Your sister seemed to be on to something! This morning her psalm brings a tear to my eye. Thank you so much for sharing it and her with us.
Just give me time! I write when I'm feeling desperate, but so often I turn to the Psalms and use them as the basis for my writing (songwriting.) A verse from one such writing comes to mind now. "Lord, hear my cry! Listen to my prayer. I call to you from the ends of the earth! Carry me away to a high mountain ... be my strength against the enemy." (copyright Clarissa Cox 2002)
And, I thought the song "Lord, Have Mercy" expressed desperation well, too.
Clarissa, please don't take what I said as any downplay of music. Victor Hugo said that "Music expresses that which words cannot, yet which cannot remain silent." It touches me more deeply than any other form of expression. Still, I think there may be some who have a gift of verse who remain silent for lack of a venue. That's all.
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