A Lamp For My Feet, Light For My Path

From Rev Sue Ann Yarbrough

Hello Everyone, and blessings as August comes to a close.  We continue to pray for you, and those you love.  In September, we will begin experimenting with offering worship services via Zoom.  If and when you have interest, let me know.  The written meditations will continue regardless.  Let us know how we might be of service to your community in these times.  Grace and peace to you all. 

Scripture:  Psalm 119:105-108   
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.
I have sworn, and I will perform it, that I will keep thy righteous judgments.
I am afflicted very much: quicken me, O Lord, according unto thy word.
Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments. 

Meditation
I generally do not teach from the King James Version, but I do make an exception for Psalm 119, the longest Psalm in the Psalter. In the 176 verses of the Psalm, we hear the Psalmist committing himself to following God's teachings as humanly possible.  ​   

This sort of full surrender just seems to resonate a little more deeply when we use the word "thy".  Here in the 21st century, we tend to less formality, even in how we address God.  While I am certainly for making the Biblical texts accessible to as many people as possible, sometimes I yearn to simply bow my head in gratitude and say, "Thy word is a lamp..."

Early this morning, I was viewing a modern icon of Jesus and Mary Magdalene.  As I gazed, I realized that Jesus came to full fruition in Christ, and so did Mary Magdalene. On Resurrection morning, it was she who was able to announce to the grief stricken disciples, "I have seen the Lord" John 20:19.  We, too, can find our place in the love and light of Christ, and that love and light can guide us all our days and nights, both here on earth and throughout eternity. That light will never be extinguished. Like the psalmist, may we, too, in gratitude be willing to let our love be our freewill offering, given with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind.  Jesus called such surrender the greatest commandment. He knew first hand that such surrender would open our hearts to God. We can trust this lamp we call Christ, a Holy Lamp that will never lead us astray.

​ Prayer  
For our prayer today, I leave you with the first verse and refrain of a hymn entitled, "Longing for Light, We Wait in Darkness." The hymn was written by Bernadette Farrell in 1993.  Let us remember that Jesus asks us to let our own light shine.  

Longing for light, we wait in darkness.  
Longing for truth, we turn to you. 
Make us your own, your holy people, 
light for the world to see.     
 
Christ be our light!
Shine in our hearts, shine through the darkness.
Christ be our light!  
Shine in your church gathered today.  

Rev. Sue Ann Yarbrough, Associate Pastor
San Lorenzo Community Church, United Church of Christ
 
www.hearthpsalms.blogspot.com