Psalm 19

The Text of Psalm 19

Last week I saw this bumper sticker near downtown Bozeman: "I bet Jesus would have used his turn signals." That's a pretty straight-forward sentiment. And humorous. It gets the point across without being offensive. At least it doesn't offend me.

Then last Friday on my way home I stopped at a light behind a 3/4-ton Dodge Ram diesel. Dark green, about 10-years old. It had two stickers on the back bumper. On the right side: "This is Montana. Leave it alone." On the left: "At least the war on the environment is going well."

Those sentiments are not straight-forward. What do those bumper stickers mean? Are they serious? Sarcastic? Ironic? Conversation starters? Conversation enders? I don't know. I'm hoping for irony. But, this is Montana. Leave it alone.

Psalm 19, without irony, declares that day and night the heavens are telling of God's glory and proclaiming his handiwork. It's a beautiful Psalm. C.S. Lewis thought it "the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world."

In verses 1-6 the Psalmist writes that the heavens and the sun, as mute works of the creator God's hands, nevertheless declare, proclaim, speak the glory of the creator God. Without words or speech, in silence, "their voice goes out through all the earth, / and their words to the end of the world." God's sun circuits the entirety of heaven's canopy, "and nothing is hid from its heat." And we understand. In fact, I think we understand that all of God's creation, not merely the heavens and the celestial bodies, proclaim and tell of the glory of the creator.

Then, in verses 7-10, the Psalmist describes torah, another of God's good creations. Torah is God's words of teaching, instruction, and examples of how to live righteously as creatures in God's creation. That is, torah (the Lord's laws, decrees, precepts, commandments, ordinances, biblical stories or narratives, prophetic writings, and psalms—all of it!) tells us how to be in right relation with God and God's creation.

And I don't think making war on our environment is the torah way to be in right relation to God's good creation. What do these photos of some of our handiwork proclaim?

Canada tar sands extraction

Kentucky mountaintop removal coal mining

Visions of Isengard and Mordor. What song of glory to God do these places sing now? Perhaps a lament about their stewards' handiwork? I hear it. Without irony, "At least the war on the environment is going well."

"Their voices go out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world."

So, during Lent, we confess and repent:

"But who can detect their errors?
Clear me from hidden faults.
Keep back your servant from the insolent;
do not let them have dominion over me.
Then I shall be blameless,
and innocent of great transgression."

As a reminder, insolent means "showing a rude and arrogant lack of respect." Can't think of a better word to describe our behavior toward the handiwork of God as pictured above. And if we treat the creator's handiwork this way, how will we treat his Son?

So we pray:

"Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart
(which is to say, my whole life, my words and my deeds)
be acceptable to you,
O Lord, my rock and my redeemer."
Amen.