• About The Sophia Center

The Sophia Center for Spirituality

~ Spanning the denominations in NY's Southern Tier

The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Tag Archives: psalm 119

Torah of the Heart

14 Wednesday Oct 2020

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ancient Songs Sung Anew, conversation with God, covenant, joy, love, psalm 119, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

Yesterday our Sophia Center gathering for “Lunch With the Psalms” was so deep and meaningful I wanted to give everyone the opportunity to share in the reflections on Psalm 119: 41-48. I invite you to find a friend and have that conversation. If you prefer, call on our Divine Friend and have the conversation with God.

For the sake of the covenant we keep between us, Lord, let your love descend and hold me fast. And let your word be that which speaks to all who taunt and follow after me. Allow my mouth to utter words of truth, this Torah of the heart, which I shall trust and keep forever. And then in freedom I will walk upon your path and know these precepts are yours alone. I’ll speak them as an overwhelming power to all the rulers of the earth and unashamed. I’ll bind them to my heart with deepest joy. For I love and worship all you love, my Lord; I meditate upon this inner bread. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 303)

I strongly suggest reading the text aloud as the words shimmer with a beauty that is deeper than words and approached only by heart-language heard in our own voice.

Tour de Force

23 Wednesday Sep 2020

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ancient Songs Sung Anew, deep instruction, living grace, psalm 119, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Reading Psalm 119 seems sometimes like a circumnavigation of the world. This – the longest psalm – is a masterpiece consisting of 176 verses divided into 22 stanzas, one stanza for each letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Within each stanza, each of the 8 verses begins (in Hebrew) with that letter! The text of this psalm exhibits the love for God’s word and for the divine law.

Sometimes one or two verses are enough for a day of pondering, like today where the translation from Ancient Songs Sung Anew proclaims: Save me from the choice of self-deception. Let all your words become for me a living grace, that I might learn to hear your inner word, your deep instruction. (vs. 29, 72)

So many meaningful messages in those two short verses: self-deception, living grace, inner word, deep instruction. Those are mine…What have you heard today?

Good Grandparents

26 Sunday Jul 2020

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

compassion, Jesus, King Solomon, kingdom of heaven, Kings, Matthew, psalm 119, Romans, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, treasure, understanding heart

Today we celebrate Saints Anne and Joachim, parents of Mary, Mother of Jesus. If we ever needed to speak of what makes up the image of a good grandparent or any person of wisdom, each of today’s readings is a noble start:

  1. In a dream God invites Solomon to ask for something that will help him in his life. It is a beautiful exchange (1 KGS 3:5, 7-12) wherein Solomon shows his wisdom, asking God: Give your servant, therefore, an understanding heart to judge your people and to distinguish right from wrong.
  2. In Psalm 119:77, the psalmist asks God: Let your compassion come to me that I may live, for your law is my delight.
  3. Paul reminds the Romans (8:28): We know that all things work for good for those who love God…
  4. And, in conclusion, Jesus tells his disciples (MT 13: 44…) The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds and hides again, and out of joy goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.

Are you ready, with all the above currency, to go and buy the field?

Repetition

25 Friday Oct 2019

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

faithful, Lord teach me, psalm 119, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, virtues

In this morning’s lectionary texts, it’s difficult to ignore the refrain in the Psalm Response. Psalm 119 is the longest of all and always when it appears in the daily readings, it is like a smattering of verses, chosen to present a cohesive theme. (Today it’s verses 66, 68, 76, 77, 93 and 94) The theme is impossible to miss because it’s repeated after each verse, so this morning that means six times. (Lord, teach me your statutes.) It’s an interesting progression. First, the request, then a compliment to God to be sure we have divine attention and a repetition of the request. Following that we have two requests for virtues and a promise to be faithful. Lastly, a second promise to be faithful – totally and forever. (The psalmist liked repetition! Check it out: PS 119)

When I was in elementary school, we memorized many things which have stayed in the rolodex of my mind all these years to be pulled out when needed. Even if we just remembered the refrain of today’s psalm it might help when we’re floundering sometime in our own personal dark night or in times of calamity. And having the refrain in mind, you could create the verses to fit your own situation. Why not try it? You might find a creativity that you never knew was there and a trust in God that is deeper than ever before because it is truly personal, clearly your own.

The Perfect Antidote

16 Friday Nov 2018

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

blameless, blessed, John, love one another, psalm 119, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

alove.jpgSpeaking of antonyms (as I was doing yesterday), I have no choice but to choose love as the theme for today. Psalm 119 announces it when it declares: Blessed are they whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord!” (vs.1-2), waking up those who have slept through the first reading from the second letter of John. In a clarion call that John sees as only a reminder of what God’s law proclaims, he says: “I ask you, not as if I were writing a new commandment but the one we have had from the beginning: let us love one another.” 

Grateful to have that reminder that speeds us 180 degrees away from the circle of toxicity, I rest my case!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lectio Divina

16 Tuesday Oct 2018

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

lectio divina, psalm, psalm 119, read, Scripture, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

abookofpsalmsOnce a month now at the Sophia Center we have a noon gathering to ponder the lectionary psalm of the day. A few months ago it happened that a section of the longest psalm in the Bible (PS 119) showed up on our meeting day. As I thought about how to present this snippet of a greater whole, I found my answer in a section of commentary that said, “Experiences are often repeated again and again. As we go over the same territory learning in new ways, truth becomes grounded…” The six chosen verses for that day were in the same section but not tightly sequential. Our normal practice is to read what appears just once through, either by one person, antiphonally (alternately by two groups), or all together. I decided to experiment by having each participant read one verse that we then commented upon before going on to the next one. The result was quite profound. There were six of us present that day. Six different voices describing the same sentiment deepened the meaning and solidified it in our hearts. And then the next verse built upon that deepening.

Today we gather again and today we have a similar situation as verses 41,43,44,45,47,48 of Psalm 119 compose the text of our reflection. The sentiments in my favorite translation (Ancient Songs Sung Anew) offer us, I am certain, the potential for as meaningful experience as before if we take the time to listen deeply to each other. Won’t you join us by reading each line aloud several times and hearing it reverberate throughout your being? I guarantee that it will be a worthwhile endeavor.

41: For the sake of the covenant we keep between us, Lord, let your love descend and hold me fast. 43. Allow my mouth to utter words of truth, this Torah of the heart. 44. Which I shall trust and keep forever. 45. And then in freedom I will walk upon your path and know these precepts are yours alone. 47. I’ll bind them to my heart with deepest joy, 48. For I love and worship all you love, my Lord. I meditate upon this inner bread.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The World We Live In

25 Tuesday Sep 2018

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

balance, eyes, guide, hear, hearts, Jesus, Luke, Matthew, news, pray, Proverbs, psalm 119, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

aheadlinesSometimes it’s difficult to know what to say in this complex and over-stimulating world  in which we now live. This morning as I was considering the lectionary readings one by one I kept getting interrupted with news flashes. It went something like this:

“All the ways of a man may be right in his own eyes, but it is the Lord who proves hearts.” (PRV 21:2) -> -> Major problems with New Yorker’s second Kavanaugh accuser…

“Guide me, Lord, in the way of your commands.” (PS 119:35) -> -> How today’s multi-cultural couples are making their wedding ceremonies uniquely their own.

“Blessed are those who hear the word of the Lord and keep it.” (LK 11:28) -> -> U.N to caution against populism as world leaders convene for the annual summit.

“Jesus said to them in reply, ‘My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and act on it.'” -> -> Former priest extradited to face child sexual abuse charges blamed cancer, prosecutors say.

I’m not saying there is any direct connection between the Scripture quotes and the specific news headlines. My point is to remind myself that no matter how bad or disturbing or confusing, or even wonderful (should that also be the case) the news is, it needs to be balanced with the basic premise of Scripture, repeated in several ways this morning, and that we need to look deeply into our hearts and minds to assess what we see and hear happening in the world. When it gets to be “all too much,” there’s that other piece of advice that comes to mind, i.e. “Go into your inner room, close the door and pray…” (MT 6:6)

 

 

 

 

 

Step By Step

27 Wednesday Jun 2018

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ancient Songs Sung Anew, heart, insights, law, lesson, messages, prayers, psalm 119, soul, teach, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, thought, treasure, truth, vision

astaircasePsalm 119, the longest in the book of 150 psalms, has 176 verses and can be the study of a lifetime. In a commentary this morning I read that the subject of these prayers is the hard learning one gains in light of a multitude of hardships and circumstances encountered on the spiritual path…Experiences are often repeated again and again. As we go over the same territory learning it in new ways, truth becomes grounded. Insights are gained from each spiral of ascending experience.

How true that seems to me! The great thing is that as we grow older and if we are paying attention it becomes easier to accede to what is being taught. Our resistance to the messages and thinking we are right all the time wanes and God’s voice becomes stronger – but only if we are listening deeply.

Today’s lectionary section is early in the psalm and sounds either like a young person who is full of enthusiasm for the journey, or someone who knows from experience the pitfalls and is ready to surrender to God’s dream. Either way, I find it a lovely morning offering.

Even now, O Lord, if you will but teach me, I shall keep as treasure all you say. Give me an understanding heart to grasp what lies alone in you, the outlines of your law, your thought; imprint them on my soul. My deep desire is for a heart whose compass-point is aimed at your true north and not some weaker pole. I desire eyes as well that do not wander but hold your vision fast for all eternity. (vs. 33-37, Ancient Songs Sung Anew)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Home Again

16 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

feelings, impressions, living grace, love, memories, prayer, psalm 119, surrender, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust, wisdom, words

aprayergroupIt is interesting to me that today’s psalm response from the lectionary is part of 119 – the longest psalm of all in the Bible. Fitting, I thought, after a week away that held so many diverse moments, including childhood memories as well as experiences of new places and events. Commentary says that “each segment of Psalm 119 could be read as a separate voice from individuals praying out of their various perspectives” or “one individual experiencing all the various perspectives that one knows along the path of life.” I’m not sure I have integrated all the impressions, information and feelings of the week as it was so full and far-reaching. One thing I do know is that it provided an opportunity (as most events do if we are awake) for self-reflection and gratitude. Thus, I pray this morning with the psalmist as I return to my blessed “normal” life.

This is the truth of things, instruct me one more time in love. And all that I forgot or do not understand, make clear, and I shall concentrate again upon your work and way. Let all your words become for me a living grace, and let me choose again the way of trust in you, of deep surrender to your wisdom. (26-27, 29-30)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Older And Wiser

27 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by thesophiacenterforspirituality in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Ancient Songs Sung Anew, experiences, grace, growth, hand of God, hear, instruction, listen, path of life, praying, psalm 119, teaching, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, voice, wisdom

alistenI doubt I will ever read Psalm 119 from beginning to end in one sitting. It’s the longest one, 176 verses in all. Each section begins with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet in succession, rather like our singsong game of “A, B, C, D…” where we learned to expand and fill in with words like “A my name is Alice, my husband’s name is Al, we come from Alaska and we sell Artichokes.” (Next person) “B my name is Bertha…”  (Goodness! It’s been a long time since I thought of that! What a wonder that my mental rolodex flipped it out without hesitation!)

The Scriptural path through Psalm 119 is more serious business than our childhood game, of course. Commentary states that “[E]ach segment might be read as a separate voice from different individuals praying out of their various perspectives. It could also be understood as one individual experiencing all the various perspectives that one knows along the path of life.” This explanation rings true for my reflection this morning in reading the verses that are quoted in today’s lectionary. I thought of how much simpler it is (although not always so easy!) as I get older to recognize the hand of God in my experiences, difficult though they may be, and to accept things as growth points rather than failures. Here’s the gift that verses 65 to 68 gave me, with a postscript of verses 72 & 73 to bring the lesson to conclusion.

I know this path of yours as grace, your every act a teaching. And so I come to understand. In each hard word I learn discernment and know your mind. Before these deep afflictions it was I who turned aside and went astray, but now I’ve learned to follow hard your word and ways. So good are you, you bring forth good, instruct me in the pattern of this deeper wisdom…That I might learn to hear your inner word, your deep instruction; and listen to the voice that speaks like silver and like gold to me, as richest treasure. (Ancient Songs Sung Anew)

 

 

 

 

 

 

← Older posts

Donate to The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Donate

Our other websites

  • Main website
  • Facebook page

Visitors

  • 101,706 hits

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 1,046 other subscribers

Recent Posts

  • The “O Antiphon” Meditations
  • Memorial to be held this Sunday
  • Mark your calendars
  • A note to readers
  • “Hope Springs Eternal…”

Meta

  • Register
  • Log in
  • Entries feed
  • Comments feed
  • WordPress.com

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Archives

  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • August 2021
  • July 2021
  • June 2021
  • May 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • February 2021
  • January 2021
  • December 2020
  • November 2020
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • January 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • October 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013

Blog at WordPress.com.

Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy
  • Follow Following
    • The Sophia Center for Spirituality
    • Join 560 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • The Sophia Center for Spirituality
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...