April 12/Fifth Saturday of Lent They shall come and sing aloud for joy on the height of Zion,and they shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD,over the grain, the wine, and the oil, and over the young of the flock and the herd;their life shall become like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again. ~ Jer.…
Author: Betsy Cahill
Song 33: Rough Waters
April 11/Fifth Friday of Lent The breakers of death surged round about me, the destroying floods overwhelmed me;The cords of the nether world enmeshed me, the snares of death overtook me.In my distress I called upon the LORD and cried out to my God;From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. ~ Ps…
Song 32: 24/7
April 10/Fifth Thursday of Lent Seek the LORD and his strength; Search for his presence continually. ~ Ps 105.4 Every day as I wrap up my morning prayer, I resolve to keep God in the forefront of my thoughts, words and deeds all day. Every evening when I reflect on the day, I acknowledge my failure to do so. In…
Song 31: The Paths to God
April 9/Fifth Wednesday of Lent Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers, praiseworthy and exalted above all forever. Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven, praiseworthy and glorious forever.~ Daniel 3.52, 56 Despite living amid abundant natural and architectural beauty, I often return from a long walk having not noticed any of it – the colorful azaleas,…
Song 30: Are You There, God?
April 8/Fifth Tuesday of Lent Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily. ~ Ps 102.2 Whatever the source – instability in the world or unrest in our individual lives – all of us experience what the psalmist calls days of distress. When…
Song 29: Laying the Table
April 7/Fifth Monday of Lent You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. ~ Ps 23.5 Setting a lovely table is a way of honoring one’s guests. Whether it is a small Ikea table laid for two with simple utensils, humble dinnerware, and a posy of wildflowers,…
Song 28: Testing, Testing
April 5/Fourth Saturday of Lent O searcher of heart and soul, O just God. ~Ps 7.9 The historic Southeastern city where I live is defined by harmonious and varied streetscapes of eighteenth- and nineteenth-century architecture. The private homes and public buildings — Georgian, Federal, Greek Revival, many of them graced with stately porticos or gracious piazzas — were built centuries…
Song 27: Something Wicked This Way Comes
April 4/Fourth Friday of Lent The LORD confronts the evildoers, to destroy remembrance of them from the earth. The LORD is close to the brokenhearted; and those who are crushed in spirit he saves. ~ Ps 34.17, 19 Does God really “confront the evildoers”? Or in the concrete Hebrew expression, is “the face of the LORD against” those who…
Song 26: In God We Trust?
April 3/Fourth Thursday of Lent They made a calf at Horeb and worshiped a cast image.They exchanged the glory of God for the image of an ox that eats grass. ~ Ps 106.19-20 Today, let us walk for a moment in the sandals of those infamous children of Israel who fashioned a golden calf. Life was hard, the future was…
Song 25: All in the Family
April 2/Fourth Wednesday of Lent The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made. ~ Ps 145.8-9 I’ve probably glossed over this simple verse dozens of times without really stopping to think about its implications. “The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.” …