Open-ended, Life-centred,
Gospel-Focussed Explorations of Australian Prayer Book Psalms.
Psalm 145:8-9, 14-21...PENTECOST PLUS 12 (A)
.... (For the
Gospel, please scroll)
INTRODUCTION: 1]The
alternative PSS
set for after
Pentecost are used here. 2]
Psalms
are poetry for singing;
personal, depending not on rhyme, but on developing an idea,
contrasting it, etc. They date from pre-1000 BC (David)
to mid 400s
BC. Being of their day, we may
find attitudes in some PSS abhorrent.
3] We used another section of this PS four weeks ago. 4] This PS & the five that
remain all focus on praising God.
WARMING UP: Do we give
off any signals we're living a life of praise?
TREASURES OLD & NEW:
Identify God at work in anything this week?
ENTERING INTO THE STORY:
8-9 Could we give a
better summary of what Jesus demonstrates God is like than these words
of a PSt from long before? How is it that some Christians project a
very ugly face of God rather than the user-friendly one that both the
PSt here, & Jesus in His life project?
14-18 How
conscious are we of God 'upholding us when we stumble'? Just on some
specific occasion? Often? Always? Maybe we don't ever 'stumble'? What
about the 'raising up' & 'bowed down' bits? How closely do we
identify with the PSt when he writes / sings / tells such things? If
we're to be conscious of God 'giving us our food in due season' does
this mean we have to keep our eyes fixed on God, or will the occasional
glance do? Are we on about more than earthly food here? Can we ever
dissociate heavenly food from earthly food, for us or for anyone else?
Bread of heaven from bread on earth?
How much responsibility must we take for our own food / the food of
hungry people - our human brothers & sisters - on earth? Has
globalisation made that just too hard, or is that a cop-out? If God is
'opening wide His hand....'
why are there so many starving people in the world? Where's it all
going to? How bounteous can we expect hungry people to think God is?
How 'just in all His ways'?
How 'faithful in all His
dealings'? In the underprivileged worlds, who is it giving God a bad
press? Is it God, us, other humans like us? Can we expect anyone at all
to recognise God is near to them unless we are near to them in God's
name? As God's presence? Being God's open hand providing them with
God's food?
19-21 What difference does whether we 'fear'
(= stand in awe of) God make to any desire we or anyone else might have
of God? Who is to hear people crying to God if we aren't God's ears?
And God's hands to meet their needs? What does 'saving' someone really
mean? What if it's just pious talk? Who needs 'saving then? Is the
divide between those who are 'preserved' because they 'love God' &
those 'destroyed' because they are 'wicked' as clear cut as the PSt
would have us think?
Can we expect anyone, let alone 'all flesh', to bless God's holy name
for ever & ever if they don't see us doing it loud & clear,
here & now? Are we as aware as we need to be that for ever &
ever includes here & now? Is it unrealistic to think of praising
& blessing God to change the world? Really?
PLUS: In today's Gospel (MT 14:13-21) do we see Jesus
illustrating what the PSt's singing about in any way?
