Friday, January 20, 2023

CN | Sheltering Mercy w/ Ps. 27's Light & Life during Epiphany

 

Sheltering Mercy: Prayers Inspired by the Psalms by Ryan W. Smith & Dan Wilt

There is no darkness so deep, no evil so strong, that it can wrest me from Your presence. + from Psalm 27 | Light and Life in Sheltering Mercy


Emmaus City Church (ECC) continues in our series in the Psalms based on the Lectionary Year A Readings that parts of Jesus' Church around the world are using in 2023 during the seasons of Epiphany and Lent. 

This weekend's Psalm is Psalm 27, focused on the light of God that drives away our fears in the face of danger. In Sheltering Mercy: Prayers Inspired by the Psalms, Ryan W. Smith and Dan Wilt have written a targum (i.e. the ancient practice of rewriting sacred text in today's vocabulary; see Psalm 29 | Living Word and Psalm 40 | A Testimony of Salvation for other examples) prayer based on Psalm 27. And while this prayer attempts to follow the structure of Psalm 27, this is not a paraphrase or translation; it is a prayerful response. The title they give 27's targum is "Light and Life," light being a key theme for the current season of Epiphany during the Christian year.

For 2023, phrases that have helped shape my prayers for the year ahead are "Enter the Holy Wild. Pay attention to the Voice in the wilderness. Worship Jesus." My prayer for Emmaus City Church is that our worship would increase in such a way that those who interact with us, whether at a Sabbath gathering, with a City Group meal or mission, at work or at home, would experience God's holy presence in light of how our hearts lean towards worshiping Jesus. We want to rest and risk in light of His holiness (see also "In the Holy Wild with the Lion Who Offers Us the Stream").

Psalm 27 that inspired the targum, "Light and Life," helps us worship the "Lord Jesus, Light and Life, Illuminator of inner and outer worlds, Beacon in starless night, Lamp on twisting path, Breath of life in every living soul" as we continue in the holy wild of this season of Epiphany.


Psalm 27 | Light and Life

Lord Jesus,
You are Light and Life. 1 
Illuminator of inner and outer worlds. 
Beacon in starless night. 
Lamp on twisting path. 2
Breath of life in every living soul. 3

You have delivered me from sin and death;
raised me to new life with You. 4
There is no darkness so deep, 
no evil so strong,
that it can wrest me from Your presence. 5 

Still, 
forces gather on the horizon 6 –
rank upon rank,
ravenous in their hatred,
waging war while I walk these shadowlands.
Avert their eyes, Lord;
confuse their plans;
let no weapon formed against me prosper. 7
May safety surround me –
Sabbath rest in the storm.

In the end,
there is only one thing of lasting worth;
one desire that burns within me:
that I would continually live
in,
through,
from, 
the center of Your love,
dwelling in the secret place;
perceiving Your wonder;
beholding Your beauty;
meditating on Your goodness.

In trouble,
You usher me into 
a room prepared for me –
fire in the hearth,
feast on the table,
a home of the heart. 8

In Your presence,
my soul is refreshed;
my hanging head lifted;
my trembling heart quieted,
as songs rise up in me again:
grateful praise for saving grace.

Help me to know that You are near, Lord; 9
that my cries don't fall on deaf ears;
that these prayers aren't lost on the wind.

Quiet my heart to hear Your voice.
Give me clear direction;
confident trust.

Am I not led by Your Spirit?
Am I not a child of God? 10
I cling to the promise that You see and know
before I even ask. 11

I lift my eyes to the sky – 
stars shimmering in the blanket of night
I am Orion,
hunter in the dusk,
seeking truth in a world of shadow.

At every turn,
I find You:
Radiance of Glory. 13
Light of the World. 14

But I see in passing glance
and dim reflection.
How I long to behold You in Your glory – 
not through a glass darkly, 15
but as a friend sees a friend:
face to face. 16

Do You hide Yourself?
Do You reject me because I run from You?
Perhaps it is I who am hiding,
and You who are running after me. 17

You have worked Your will in me.
When those closest to me had no power to help,
You remained faithful;
Your hand provided.

I waver between faith and doubt,
fearing of Your turning away – 
that I will be cast off;
disinherited from Your promises.

I return to the firm foundation of Your truth:
that Your Spirit dwells within me, 18
the hope of glory;
 that You are with me,
to the end of the age; 19
that Your presence is proved
by steadfast love
and endless mercies. 20
My fear,
 doubt,
worry,
cannot alter this reality.

Shield me from darkening dangers;
from lying voices – 
enemies known and unknown.
Protect me from the curses of their mouths.
Give me a response in my hour of need. 21

I hold to the promise of Your faithfulness – 
that I will see some good before the end:
that is my portion;
my cup overflowing. 22

You are not slow to fulfill Your promise,
but are patient in Your mercy, 23
preparing a weight of glory beyond compare. 24

Quiet my heart;
grant me patience in these afflictions.
May faith arise in me
as I draw near to You
and wait to see You move.
Amen.

17 Henri Nouwen, 

Bonus Listen
The Everlasting God by William Murphy

Bonus Reflection
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Location: Worcester, MA, USA

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