Psalm 30

Dressed in Joy

Posted on by Betsy

Did you know that John Wesley wrote seven specific instructions about how to sing? You can find them in the beginning of the United Methodist Hymnal. His directives include things like learning hymns before other types of songs, singing in time with those around you every chance you get, and singing spiritually by focusing your attention on God. The list is an outline for Wesley’s theology of the methodical aspect of Methodism. But my favorite is number four, which commands us to not sing as though we are half dead:

IV. Sing lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

Lusty singing might have been on David’s mind when he penned Psalm 30. This psalm was a celebration for the dedication of David’s palace and is a lyrical statement of God’s intervening love for David over the course of David’s life. In this moment of dedicating the elaborate palace built on a hill in Jerusalem, David rightfully gave God all the credit for his successes and survival.

Psalm 30 (Common English Bible)

30 I exalt you, Lord, because you pulled me up;
    you didn’t let my enemies celebrate over me.
2 Lord, my God, I cried out to you for help,
    and you healed me.
3 Lord, you brought me up from the grave,
    brought me back to life from among those going down to the pit.

4 You who are faithful to the Lord,
    sing praises to him;
    give thanks to his holy name!
5 His anger lasts for only a second,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime.
Weeping may stay all night,
    but by morning, joy!

Have you ever wept all night, exhausted with grief? I have. And yet as I sit here and write this, I am okay. Morning may not follow exactly 6-8 hours after weeping all night, but eventually a morning of joy will return, even as we carry that grief in a small place in our hearts. What joy to know that God brings comfort in the morning of our mourning!

6 When I was comfortable, I said,
    “I will never stumble.”
7 Because it pleased you, Lord,
    you made me a strong mountain.
But then you hid your presence.
    I was terrified.
8 I cried out to you, Lord.
    I begged my Lord for mercy:
9 “What is to be gained by my spilled blood,
    by my going down into the pit?
Does dust thank you?
    Does it proclaim your faithfulness?
10 Lord, listen and have mercy on me!
    Lord, be my helper!”

Our relationship with God can change with comfort. When we are satisfied with life, it is easy to take God and all God’s benefits for granted. I was describing a wicked bout of flu with a friend, and he remarked, “I realize when I am that sick that I take a normal day of good health for granted.” That stuck with me, so every morning I wake up and feel okay I try to praise God that I’m not sick. But discomfort quickly brings out my need for God’s intervention, as it did with David.

11 You changed my mourning into dancing.
    You took off my funeral clothes
        and dressed me up in joy
12     so that my whole being
    might sing praises to you and never stop.
Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

God can change our mourning into dancing. Our funeral clothes can be removed so that we are dressed in joy. God does this so that our whole being can sing praises and never stop. Or, as John Wesley prescribed, so that we can “sing lustily.”

So go and be lusty today! Sing of God’s goodness to all who will hear.

Sing a Song of Gladness by Michelle Robertson

Day-O

Posted on by Betsy

Have you ever had an ear worm song (also known as sticky music) stuck in your head at night that became so loud, it woke you up from your dreams? I have been plagued by the repetitive playing of “Day-O (The Banana Boat Song)” in my mind for weeks now. This popular hit from the 1950’s was actually written decades earlier. It tells the story of Jamaican dock workers who toil through the night to load bananas onto the ships for transport. At sunrise, they are sent home after a tally is taken to inventory how many pounds were loaded. They work at night to avoid that harsh sun, so when “daylight comin'” they get to go home. Harry Belafonte’s velvet voice has been singing this to me for weeks now.

I suppose you could have worse songs stuck in your head. “It’s a Small World” comes to mind.

Not knowing the history and meaning of the song, I wondered why banana harvesters got to go home at daylight. I missed the whole “boat” part and thought it was strange for bananas to be cut down from trees at night, which would be a dangerous proposition. Then my sleep-deprived brain wandered into other places, like how good banana bread is and how lovely a simple banana spread with peanut butter tastes.

Daylight for me is a time of great productivity, not rest. Our beautiful sunrises here on the water wake me up with the hope and promise of a new day, and I spend my first hours of the day doing exactly what I am doing right now: reading Scripture, researching Scripture, and writing. Oh, and consuming large amounts of coffee. A friend asked me last week if I designate a certain time every day to write, and the answer is yes. I once read that Ernest Hemingway got up and wrote 500 words every day of his life and the structure and discipline of that (not to mention the results!) made an impression on me.

What do you do to welcome the new day?

Psalm 30 (English Standard Version)

I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up
    and have not let my foes rejoice over me.
2 O Lord my God, I cried to you for help,
    and you have healed me.
3 O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol;
    you restored me to life from among those who go down to the pit.

4 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints,
    and give thanks to his holy name.
5 For his anger is but for a moment,
    and his favor is for a lifetime.
Weeping may tarry for the night,
    but joy comes with the morning.

The psalmist reminds us that sunrise is a good time to extol and praise the Lord when he draws us up from sleep. Even when the sunlight floods the room at 5:30am and you can’t get back to sleep, offering God your first word of thanks and appreciation sets the tone for the rest of the day. Yesterday’s weeping is replaced by a new day’s joy and the knowledge that you get a do-over. And it beats the alternative of not waking up.

What do you do first thing in the morning? Go out in joy today, and make it count.

Day-O by Michelle Robertson

Joy in the Mourning

Posted on by Betsy

     One of the most important things we teach our children is manners. At an early age they learn to parrot back the proper response to “What do you say?” when they have been given something. Please and thank you are ingrained in them, and the smart ones realize as they grow up that a heartfelt please and thank you will help them go far in life.

     At the dedication of David’s palace, he remembered his manners. He invited others to join in with a hearty “thank you” to God for the gift of this place. David was acutely aware of God’s power and provision in his life and this special celebration was no exception. He marked with day with gratitude, joy, dancing, and revelry, making sure that God got all the praise and attention.

     David had known a lot of sadness in his life. From the falling out with his hero Saul, to the death of his firstborn, David had experienced grief.

Psalm 30 (Common English Bible)

4 You who are faithful to the Lord,
    sing praises to him;
    give thanks to his holy name!
5 His anger lasts for only a second,
    but his favor lasts a lifetime.
Weeping may stay all night,
    but by morning, joy!

11 You changed my mourning into dancing.
    You took off my funeral clothes
        and dressed me up in joy
12     so that my whole being
    might sing praises to you and never stop.
Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever.

     I love the beautiful set of contrasts in this passage. Anger and favor, night and morning, weeping and joy … we can see David’s grasp on the ups and downs of life, and it is a relief when he lands on singing praise at the end.

     It is good to remember that joy follows weeping when we are grieving the loss of someone or something important. There is a certainty in the rising of the sun every morning that brings comfort to the dark 3:00 am moments when we are so troubled, we can’t sleep. Hang on, this psalm advises. Joy will come.

     This passage literally says, “weeping will spend the night.” We are reminded of that houseguest we barely tolerate as we look forward to their departure. Have you ever counted the days until a houseguest leaves? I have! The good news is that grief has an appointed check-out time, and we can anticipate finding joy when it finally begins to abate. Grief may return again, but with God’s help we learn to accommodate it in better ways as time goes on. God’s word in this psalm is a reminder that sadness can turn into gladness with the passing of time and the remembering of God’s great works …and with good grief counseling. When you’re sad, it really helps to talk to someone.

     It also helps to remember that the sorrow of the night of the crucifixion was followed by the joy that came on Easter morning when the tomb was found to be empty. Facing grief with the surety of the resurrection can soothe even the most troubled heart.

     Focusing on the greatness of God helped David get through the tough moments of his life. That can help us, too. Psalm 30 reminds us that God can help us take off our funeral clothes and dress us up in joy if we yield our sadness to the power of the Holy Spirit.

May joy come in your mourning as you seek God’s face.

Joy in Bloom by Kathy Schumacher