Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
    and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
 
The LORD is faithful in all his words,
    and gracious in all his deeds.
 
The LORD upholds all who are falling,
i    iand raises up all who are bowed down.
i      Psalm 145:13-14

   This past weekend a group of worshippers from Abiding Presence gathered to run and walk in a 5K with proceeds going toward cancer research and support for cancer survivors. Since registration was on a Sunday morning, we gathered for worship outdoors at the run registration. One of the readings for that day was from Psalm 145 and included the verses above. These verses seemed particularly appropriate for a worship service where we gathered to praise God (like we do every Sunday that we gather) but also where we prayed for those with cancer and those whose lives are dedicated to cancer care and research.
 
   This psalm is a song and prayer of hope and of praise. Hope because of the proclamation that the Lord upholds those who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. Like branches on tree heavy under the snow, straining and pressed down, we become bowed down. This psalm is a comforting message for those of us who are falling and bowed down. And let's be honest, we all have falling and bowed down moments in our lives-- some small stumbles and some falling off cliff moments. As we confess, there are things we do and things we fail to do and there are bowed down moments like cancer that happens regardless of what we do. Yet in these falling and bowed down moments, we hear the proclamation that God is faithful, gracious, everlasting, uplifting.
 
   This psalm is also a psalm of praise and when praying the whole psalm that is pretty hard to miss. The psalm is filled with images and declarations of who God is and what God has--great, mighty, majestic, abundant goodness, righteous, gracious, merciful, steadfast love, good to all, compassionate, near when we call and this is only the tip of the lists upon lists of who God is and who God is toward all of the world. This is only some of the descriptions of who God is in this psalm alone. There is layer upon layer of praise and thanksgiving.
 
   When we pray or sing a psalm today, our voices are lifted up with people around the world who also are praying and singing them and our voics are lifted up with those of other proclaimers who have been praying the psalms over thousands of years. Jesus prayed these psalms. People will come after us and pray these psalms of hope and praise. All of us, in the midst of our falling and being bowed down, are assured of the proclamation that the Lord is upholding each of us and that God is faithful in words and deeds.

Faithful God, we thank you for reaching out to us in compassion and love. Help us to feel your upholding presence even in the midst of the small stumbles and large falls of life. With the whole church, give us joy to sing out in praise of you. Amen.

Contributed by Pastor Becky
Sunday June 27, 2010
Week 31 of Liturgical Year C
Sunday Gospel reading:
Lectionary 13 (Proper 8)
Fifth Sunday after Pentecost