Psalm 15

Year A - Epiphany 4 or Guiding Gift ⁴

February 2, 2014

Psalm 15

We continue to promote your use of Jim Taylor’s paraphrases of the Psalms. Here is his version of Psalm 15:

1   Your doors are always open, God; 

     You have no locks or fences.

2   Anyone can walk in --

     Anyone who does no harm to others, 

     who holds no grudges, 

     who rejects pretense and sham.

3   Your guests have no double standards;

     They will not double-cross a friend for their own gain, 

     nor sow dissension among their colleagues.

4   Yet they do not simply tolerate whatever comes; 

     They steer clear of evil causes. 

     They keep their word -- even at personal sacrifice.

5   They do not see money only as a means of making more; 

     They will not seek profit from the plight of the poor and helpless. 

     They are not fickle or changeable. 

     They will not do anything to cut themselves off from your company.

For paraphrases of most of the psalms used by the RCL, you can order Jim’s book Everyday Psalms from Wood Lake Publications, info@woodlake.com.

The question of who is “in” is a never-ending list. It is far more direct to ask, “Who won’t be welcome?” To this question there is an easy one-word response: Nobody.

A basic presumption here is that being made in the image of G*D means that everyone will eventually wrestle their way through the various dualistic choices set before them to choose that which is not split from itself — steadfast love with the rest of creation. To separate from others will be no more thinkable than chopping off your hand for a misdeed going back to one misapprehension or another. Body, mind, spirit, and relationships are all in this together and placing the blame on a hand for an intention’s error is both inappropriate and ineffective.

So see the blessing in others and accept the opportunities set before you.