Laments for Lent – Week Two – Immigrant Justice

Laments, Laments for Lent, Praying with the Psalmists 1

Lord, how many are my foes!
How many rise up against me!
Many are saying of me,
“God will not deliver him.”

–Psalm 3:1-2

It’s Week 2 of Lent, so I’m going to talk about the second part of the Lament, the Complaint.

Here’s a bit from my book about the Complaint:

The Complaint is in every Lament, and its presence marks the Psalm as a Lament. And the psalmists don’t hold back. They pour out their hearts before the Lord. Usually, this section is the longest of all the parts of a Lament, going into great detail about all the trouble. In fact, a lot of Psalms sound like the psalmist is overreacting. If I were their friend, in many cases I’d probably try to tell them to calm down.

But if the psalmists do it, overreacting to God in prayer must be okay. If catastrophic thoughts are going through your head, don’t be afraid to express them to God.

I’ve decided that this year, I’m mostly going to pray about current events in my example laments. I should probably pray about war today, but I was already planning to pray about justice for immigrants – because I went to an Interfaith Prayer Vigil this week for Immigrant Justice. I wish I could even keep track of all the things that need prayer.

So let me get right to the lament. Again, I offer these as examples of how we can pray, using the patterns from Psalms.

Here again are the parts of a Lament:

  1. Address to God
  2. Complaint
  3. Confession of Trust
  4. Entreaty
  5. Sureness of Help
  6. Subsequent Praise

A Lament for Immigrant Justice

Father of all people,
Creator of all earth’s diversity,
we come before you with sadness
and ask you to hear our prayer.

Once America was known for gladly taking
the tired, the poor,
the huddled masses yearning to breathe free.
Once we asked other nations to send us
the homeless and tempest-tost.
So many of our own ancestors came
seeking a better life
or fleeing religious persecution.

Now they’ve closed immigration down to many countries,
and are hassling even vacationers if they find any manufactured problem.
They’re arresting people without due process,
if they don’t like the color of their skin or their accent,
without checking their status or believing their protestations.
Citizens have been held in horrible conditions
and so have law-abiding immigrants who were contributing to our country’s well-being.
A blind man was left to freeze to death
after being wrongfully detained.
A child in a bunny hat
was locked in prison.
People legally observing ICE activities
were shot and killed.
And those are only things I know about.
They’re also not allowing legal inspections
and keeping clergy from ministering to people who have been detained.

It’s all lawless and evil
and the opposite of how you told us
to treat the alien and the stranger among us.

O Creator who sees a sparrow fall,
how much more do you see your children?
You don’t lose people in those concentration camps;
you see the injustice done to each one.
You are with each person
now struck with fear from the rampaging secret police
who think they act with impunity.

Call them to account, O God!
Watch over your children.
Motivate your people,
show us how to stop the injustice.
Turn our system around
to bring the vulnerable freedom rather than incarceration
and hope in place of fear.
Reach out your hand to help each one
wrongfully targeted.
Bring mothers and fathers back to their children,
and bring our neighbors back to their homes.

Tear down the concentration camps,
and let all the plans against your children be destroyed.

God who brought your people out of slavery in Egypt,
open the prison doors through your might.

We believe that your hand is in history
– may we see the evidence soon.
“Break the arm [of power] of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness,
that would not be found out.”

And when ICE is abolished
and the concentration camps destroyed,
let’s throw a party with our immigrant neighbors,
eat unfamiliar foods,
and praise your name.

***
Okay, that’s my offering this week. Again let me say that I offer these examples partly to show that you don’t have to be eloquent! But praying through the form does help me think of something to pray when I feel at a loss about a problem much bigger than what I can deal with.

Laments for Lent: Week One – Address to God

Laments, Laments for Lent, Praying with the Psalmists 1

Lent has begun!

As I did last year, I’m going to write a blog series called Laments for Lent, in preparation for writing a book with the same name, a follow-up to my book and website Praying with the Psalmists.

I know, it’s been a year, and the book isn’t written yet. But that gives us an opportunity to walk through the process of writing a lament. In the book, I’ll have a 40-day reading plan for the Laments and Psalms of Confession in Psalms. (Or try my 6-week reading plan for reading all the Psalms.) Each week, we’ll focus on one of the six parts of a Lament.

I made an acronym for the parts of a Lament:

A – Address to God
C – Complaint
C – Confession of Trust
E – Entreaty
S – Sureness of Help
S – Subsequent Praise

This week, let’s talk about the Address to God.

I usually focus on the straightforward ones that essentially say, “Here I am, Lord; please listen to my prayer.” Today I feel like looking at the ones that start with a question.

Psalm 10:1–

Why, Lord, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

Psalm 13:1–

How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?
How long will you hide your face from me?

Psalm 22:1–

My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?
Why are you so far from saving me,
so far from my cries of anguish?

Here’s a bit from Praying with the Psalmists:

A common thread in all the Laments is that even in deep distress, the psalmist turns to the Lord for help. The Address to God simply says, Lord, I’m turning to you; please hear my prayer.

Even when the psalmists start with a question, at least they’re bringing their pain to God.

My plan is to write an example lament each week of Lent. Phooey, it doesn’t have to be an example. It’s a lament from my heart – and I post it to encourage others to write laments, too. (Post in the comments!)

There are a lot of things I could write a lament about. But today on my heart is the Epstein child sex trafficking ring. (I read Virginia Guiffre’s book, and it is all so horrifying.)

A Lament for Children Abused

Father, why have so many children suffered
at the hands of rich and powerful men?
How have they escaped justice
for so many years?
Mother of All, can you see the wounds
in those now-grown children’s hearts?

“Why does the evil man revile God?
Why does he say to himself,
‘he won’t call me to account’?”

Lord God, thousands of children were raped,
abused, sold to others, and terrorized.
And even now the powerful people responsible
are being sheltered,
are being protected,
as if crimes against these girls don’t count
because those who are rich
can do whatever pleases them.

“But you, God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits herself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.”

God, if Abel’s blood cried out to you,
if you see a sparrow fall,
then surely you know the names of every victim
and you know every scar on their bodies and their hearts.

O Defender of the Oppressed,
may there be a great accounting.
May what was whispered in the dark
be proclaimed from the housetop.
May evil actions be fully exposed
and called to account.
May the days of harming others with impunity
come to an end.

“Break the arm of the wicked and evil man!
Call him to account for his wickedness,
that would not be found out.”

May the metaphorical arm of power coming from wicked people
be utterly shattered, Lord God Almighty.

Father, we do know their day is coming.
The rumblings have started,
the evil schemes are unraveling.
We know that ultimately justice belongs to you,
Defender of the Helpless.

And we will rejoice
when the oppressed find justice.
We will delight when victims get
to see their oppressors face judgment.
We will praise your name forever,
Avenger of the Innocent.

Laments for Lent – A Psalm of Confession for Ash Wednesday

Devotional Thoughts, Laments for Lent, Psalms of Confession 0


(See Sonderquotes for the longer quotation.)

As I did last year, I’m planning to write a lament every week of Lent, in preparation for writing a follow-up book to Praying with the Psalmists,, which I hope to call Laments for Lent.

In January, I got to do a workshop at my church’s women’s retreat. I led some women through writing their own laments. Just last Sunday, one of the women told me that she’s been writing laments and it helps her deal with all the hard things going on in the world around us. Those words lifted my heart – I suspected that these ideas could help people open their hearts to God, and I love to hear that yes, it’s not just me.

And today is Ash Wednesday. I’ve had a full day – did a once-a-year program at my work, talking with other librarians about my passion – children’s book award winners. After work, I went to an Ash Wednesday service at my church, sang a version of “Amazing Grace” with my choir, and got to read the Old Testament reading.

The passage was Isaiah 58:1-12. This is the passage that tells the people that empty forms of worship aren’t what God wants.

Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
and break every yoke?
Is it not to share your food with the hungry
and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter –
when you see the naked, to clothe them,
and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood?

And there’s much more like that. I recommend reading it. It felt like a bold choice in today’s world – and a convicting one.

So I want to start the Laments for Lent blog series with a Psalm of Confession.

(In my Psalms class back in college, the professor called them “Penitential Psalms.” I decided “Psalms of Confession” was simpler, but am now thinking about switching the name to “Psalms of Repentance.” Any opinion? Let me know in the comments.)

Psalms of Confession are essentially a subtype of Lament – you’re in trouble, but this time it’s your own fault.

The parts are almost the same as a Lament:

1) Address to God
2) Confession of Sin [Instead of Complaint in a Lament]
3) Confession of Trust
4) Entreaty [usually for mercy and forgiveness]
5) Sureness of Help [because God is gracious and forgiving]
6) Subsequent Praise

On Ash Wednesday, we think of our mortality, and I always think of Psalm 103:13-18

As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
for he knows how we are formed,
he remembers that we are dust.
The life of mortals is like grass,
they flourish like the flower of the field;
the wind blows over it and it is gone,
and its place remembers it no more.
But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children –
with those who keep his covenant
and remember to obey his precepts.

So – those are the thoughts swirling inside me. Let me go ahead and write a psalm of confession: (To start, I’m also going to borrow from Psalm 51.)

Ash Wednesday, 2026.

Have mercy on me, God,
according to your unfailing love.
According to your great compassion
heal my inadequacies.

Father, I live in a country that is abducting foreigners,
incarcerating the vulnerable,
letting people die for lack of health care,
showing no compassion to the poor,
while letting the rich get away with raping children.

And what have I done to help?
Shepherd, I’m so inadequate,
so at a loss,
and so busy running my own little life.

Even in my own lane I feel inadequate.
I want to be a good mother to my boomerang kid,
but I don’t even know how to help.

I want to tell folks how to write their own psalms,
and I haven’t managed to get my book published
(And maybe it’s not that helpful anyway?)

I wanted to write a follow-up book
and started thinking about it a year ago now.
What’s taking me so long?

So many projects, so many ideas,
and what do they even mean in the context
of trying to break the bonds of injustice?

Then there are those postcards I ordered
to send to representatives.
Was I planning to mail them any time soon?

I feel not only inadequate
but helpless.

But you, Father, know that we are dust.
You are never surprised by my inadequacies.
And you love me anyway.

Help me, Lord, to discern
the path you have for me.
Guide me in the way I should go.
Show me joys along the way
to remind me that you are not angry with me
because of my inadequacy.

Father, you are compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger, and rich in love.
You promise that if anyone asks for wisdom,
you’ll give generously, without finding fault.

So I do ask for that mercy and grace and forgiveness
and wisdom and guidance for these perilous times –
and I know that you will answer,
I know that you will shine your love on me.

And then I will praise your name,
and pause in wonder at your mercy and faithfulness.
Thank you for your great love.

Okay, that’s my prayer today. You are welcome to paste your own psalms into the comments.

And what do you think: Should I call them Psalms of Confession, or Psalms of Repentance?

[To subscribe to this series, go to my Sondermusings Substack. Its subscription service is better, so I gather my Christian writings there.]

Finding the Lament Form – and a Lament Against War

Laments, Praying with the Psalmists 0

Cardinal on a bare tree branch

I’m excited! This coming Saturday, I’m going to be leading a workshop, “Finding Hope Through Lament,” at my church’s women’s retreat. It’s a breakout session of forty minutes each, and I’ll lead two sessions of up to 15 people each, so nice small groups. I’ll be taking the group through writing their own laments using the form of a lament found in Psalms. I’ve outlined this in my not-yet-published book, Praying with the Psalmists, on my website prayingwiththepsalmists.com, and here in my Sonderjourneys blog.

The form comes from the one my Psalms professor from Biola University gave us back in the 80s. I changed the wording a bit to turn it into an acronym I could remember:

A – Address to God
C – Complaint
C – Confession of Trust
E – Entreaty
S – Sureness of Help
S – Subsequent Praise

But you know what? It’s hard to find a Lament in the book of Psalms that includes all the parts in that order and is short enough to list as an example. In fact, the only one I can come up with is Psalm 54, and it flips the two S’s at the end. There are two verses for the Address to God, then one verse for each part:

Save me, O God, by your name;
vindicate me by your might.
Hear my prayer, O God;
listen to the words of my mouth.

Arrogant foes are attacking me;
ruthless people are trying to kill me –
people without regard for God.

Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.

Let evil recoil on those who slander me;
in your faithfulness destroy them.

I will sacrifice a freewill offering to you;
I will praise your name, Lord, for it is good.
You have delivered me from all my troubles,
and my eyes have looked in triumph on my foes.

However, despite the difficulties in finding individual Psalms that fit the form precisely, I do maintain that if you read through the Laments, you will find these elements over and over again.

And though the biblical Laments only loosely follow the form, if we follow the form, we can write our own laments.

But we can absolutely do like the psalmists and only follow loosely! It’s not a prescription. It’s an idea, a pattern, for a way to pray that doesn’t hold back from negative emotions.

As an experiment, I’m going to try writing a lament as short as this Example Psalm, Psalm 54, and try for two lines per part. What’s heavy on my mind right now is Greenland and the potential for war with Europe.

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
answer my cry, my Shepherd.

The president of the United States is threatening to attack Greenland;
and no one in the world knows how to stop him.

I believe that “the king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord.”
I believe that you are the greater power.

Rise and act, Lord of hosts!
Ultimate peacemaker, smother the fires of war
in hearts and minds on every side.
Let there be peace on earth;
let our alliances continue.

Father and Mother of us all, I believe that you hear the cries of your people.
I believe that you will help as we cry out to you.

And I look forward to the day when I will visit Europe again,
praising you for peace between our nations.
May I never take it for granted again.

There – not the best lament I’ve ever written. Honestly? It’s hard to write the Sureness of Help section when I’m honestly not sure what the outcome will be. Will God not stop the destructive path our leader is taking, maybe to finally open the eyes of his followers? I simply don’t know. But I do believe that God hears our prayers. And I do believe that God will help those who cry out to him. And I hope – oh so much – that there will not be a new war with Europe.

Christmas Letter 2025

Letters 5

Merry Christmas, my Friends!

Well, this is the year it happened. I did not even try to send Christmas cards – not even to the people who sent cards to me. So this is my Christmas greeting, coming with lots of love. Presented in a way that I can write at the last minute and have it still be seen by lots of my friends and family.

This Christmas, I’m thinking about Mary’s Magnificat (from my church’s wonderful cantata) and how I do believe that God will bring justice and make things right. (See my earlier posts on this blog.) And meanwhile, we can find joy in the fact that God did not “recoil” (again from a song) with disgust at becoming human, but showed God cared about humanity by becoming one of us.

My big trip in 2025 was to go to Oregon to see my kids in June. I booked a cabin on the Columbia River for a few days, and also spent some time in Portland with some of my siblings and their kids. It was a refreshing and peaceful interlude.

Other than that, my go-to place for mini-retreats this year was Blackwater Falls, West Virginia – not too far away, but lovely. I actually visited in Spring, Summer, and Fall. It turns out to be a great place to get away and get some hiking and reading done (not at the same time).

My day-to-day life didn’t change much in 2025. I still love my job as Youth Materials Selector for my local public library system. I still take frequent walks by the lake outside my windows, and I’m still addicted to taking pictures of the local great blue heron.

And I probably have too many activities going on, but there’s nothing I want to cut back. On Monday nights, I co-lead a virtual ladies’ small group through my church. Even though we meet virtually, we’ve come to mean a lot to each other. Tuesday nights are when I play online Dominion (a game) with my youngest, Tim, who’s across the country. Wednesday nights are for choir rehearsal. And Sunday is for church (and choir) in the morning and afternoons with the gaming group (board games) I’ve been part of for eleven years now. All of those activities bring me lots of joy.

And I’ve always got projects going on. This year, I’m celebrating my 25th year (Can you believe it?) of writing Sonderbooks with #Sonderbooks25. The actual 25th anniversary will happen August 2026, but yes, I’m in the 25th year. I’m celebrating by – slowly – revamping my old Sonderbooks Stand-outs pages into phone-friendly format. And when I started doing that, I started rereading all the old reviews and a bunch of the books. So it’s taking much longer than planned, but I’m having a whole lot of fun doing it. Oh, and I’m always posting new reviews, almost every day. Need ideas for something to read? Do check out Sonderbooks.com. My life would probably be simpler if I stopped writing and posting book reviews, but it satisfies something deep within me to do lots of reading and then share with others about the wonderful books.

I’d still like to find a publisher for my book about Psalms, Praying with the Psalmists. But after attending a writers’ conference, I decided to make a website before I find a publisher rather than after – and I’m happy to report that prayingwiththepsalmists.com is up and running, with five of the twelve webpages up and running. Each page corresponds with one chapter in the book and offers info about a type of Psalm and links to examples. The goal is to get people trying out writing their own psalms, using examples from the different types. Check out the website and try it out! I’m hoping to do a break-out session about writing laments at my church’s women’s conference in January – so local people, watch for that.

Oh, and Book Award Committees! I’m now co-chair of one of the best award committees – the Mathical Book Prize. I’m still madly reading this year’s nominees. We’ll meet in January and announce our winners in February. I still love the combination of books plus math.

I’ve also this year created two ways to subscribe to my online writing. My substack, Sondermusings, is a way to keep up with my Christian writing and progress on my Psalms book and website. I’ve got an email newsletter, Book Talking with Sondy, for books, reading, and library news. I’d love to increase those numbers, so sign up if you’re interested! (Both are free.)

My reason for being extra-busy leading up to Christmas is wonderful (to me) – I’ve got my oldest, Zephyr, living with me for a time! As of last Saturday, so I was busy cleaning out the stuff my youngest, Tim, left behind in their room nine years ago, plus the stuff I’d put on top of it (mostly books from when I was on book award committees). But the end result is I’ve got Zephyr with me for Christmas! It’s a little rougher on Zephyr, as she wasn’t particularly keen to leave Portland. But she had some time with her dad and now time with me – and hopefully we provide a safe place to figure out what’s next.

So those are my Christmas Eve thoughts before getting to sing in 9 pm and 11 pm Christmas Eve services. Then tomorrow I’m going to spend a cozy Christmas at home – the first time in nine years that staying home won’t mean I’m alone!

Here’s wishing you all, wherever this finds you, a warm and joyful holiday season!

Mary’s Magnificat as a Messianic Psalm

Messianic Psalms, Praying with the Psalmists 0

Happy Third Sunday of Advent!

Today I got to sing in our church’s annual Christmas cantata. Over a hundred performers in choir, orchestra, children’s choir, handbell choir, narrators, and even a dancer made it happen. I told people that since I was only one-hundredth of the performance, it’s not bragging for me to say it was spectacular. I truly believe that we who got to participate were even more blessed than those who witnessed it. Each one of us doing our bit came together to make something stunningly beautiful – all following the careful instruction and coordination of the Director. How like what a church should be!

But one of our songs was a setting of Mary’s Magnificat, found in Luke 1:46-55. She prays it after the angel announces that she will become pregnant and she goes to Elizabeth, who also has a miraculous pregnancy. And since I’m thinking about Psalms lately, I noticed that Mary’s Magnificat is a Messianic Psalm.

First, I contend that it’s a Psalm because it’s full of parallelism. The verses are in two line sets, saying similar things in another way. (And of course Mary would express herself in this Hebrew poetry form, certainly what she was used to.)

But look at the Key Concepts I have found in Messianic Psalms. And then let’s look at how most of them show up in Mary’s Magnificat:

Messianic Psalms Key Concepts

  • God’s Rule
  • Coming Justice
  • Certain Victory
  • Eternal Scope

    • Now let’s look for them in Mary’s prayer:

    My soul glorifies the Lord
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
    for he has been mindful
    of the humble state of his servant.
    From now on all generations will call me blessed, [Eternal Scope]
    for the Mighty One has done great things for me – [Certain Victory]
    holy is his name.
    His mercy extends to those who fear him [God’s Rule]
    from generation to generation. [Eternal Scope]
    He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
    he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts. [Coming Justice]
    He has brought down rulers from their thrones
    but has lifted up the humble. [God’s Rule]
    He has filled the hungry with good things
    but has sent the rich away empty. [Coming Justice]
    He has helped his servant Israel,
    remembering to be merciful [Certain Victory]
    to Abraham and his descendants forever,
    just as he promised our ancestors. [Eternal Scope]

    Okay, other people might assign those concepts differently. But compare with the Messianic Psalms in Psalms – Psalms 2, 45, 72, 110, and 132 – and see if you don’t think Mary’s Magnificat has similar themes.

    Over the years, I’d often wondered why Mary starts talking about bringing rulers from their thrones and lifting up the humble – but it fits with the news that she’s been told she will be mother of the Messiah, the Anointed One, the one who brings justice!

    And with the Christmas promise of “peace on earth, good will toward men,” doesn’t Advent seem like the time to long for justice, to cry out for peace?

    Today we also sang “Joy to the World.” It’s another song about how things will be some day.

    He rules the world
    with truth and grace.
    And makes the nations prove
    the glories of his righteousness
    and wonders of his love.

    And as in Psalms, we sing and rejoice in the assurance that what we long for will actually happen. Some day.

    And as I keep saying, Mary’s example and the entire book of Psalms tells us we can also pray this way.

    So let me write a short example Messianic psalm (Happy Ending psalm). Please try it yourself and paste yours into the comments.

    An Advent Psalm

    Joy to the world!
    Lord, you came as a tiny baby,
    and you’re coming again to make all things right.
    Your beginnings were humble
    and you are one of us –
    even though you came from power
    you did not identify with the powerful,
    but began your life in a bed of straw,
    dependent on your mother for sustenance,
    even you who sustain the hungry.
    Our joy is because
    the injustices of the world are not forever.
    You stepped into human history
    showing us a way of love.
    And yes, you’re toppling the hierarchy
    and lifting up the lowly.
    You’re filling the hungry with good things
    and coming near the desolate.

    The story of your first coming
    is a story of God showing up where least expected.
    (Yes, you were long-expected,
    but not in a manger!)
    And I’m sure your second coming
    will also be full of surprises.
    Even so come, Lord Jesus!

    Thanksgiving Psalm for a New Life

    Praying with the Psalmists, Thanksgiving Psalms 0

    It’s Thanksgiving week! So that seems like a good time to write a Thanksgiving psalm.

    Thanksgiving Psalms don’t have a hard-and-fast form. But they do usually include these elements:

    1) Call to Praise
    2) “I Was in Trouble”
    3) “I Called”
    4) “God Answered”
    5) Response of Praise

    This is different from the general Psalms of Praise – these talk about a specific time when God helped.

    As for my subject? Well, it dawned on me a couple days ago that this month marks 20 years since my then-husband moved out and left me and 15 years since my divorce was final.

    And life is very good.

    So let me try a Thanksgiving psalm about the way God has been with me and reshaped my life, twenty years later.

    Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness;
    thank you for your mercy.
    Thank you for always bringing good out of bad
    and joy out of mourning.
    Thank you for all the beautiful gifts
    that would never have come my way
    if life had gone as I’d planned.

    My mother was a stay-at-home Mom,
    and that was my own ambition, too.
    Sure, I wanted to be a writer.
    Yes, I loved working part-time at the library.
    But having a career had never really entered my head.
    (Not to mention that I was in love with my husband
    and was happy to follow where his career took him.)

    So when it all fell apart
    and dissolved between my grasping fingers –
    it was hard to imagine being happy again.

    I did cry out to you, Lord!
    Every day my prayer came before you.
    My requests probably weren’t wise;
    I didn’t know what was best.
    I asked for my husband to return.
    I wanted the life back that I’d thought I had.

    But you, Lord, answered
    in ways I’d never imagined.
    Father and Mother of my soul,
    you knew what I needed better than I did myself.
    You gave me a career,
    one suited exactly to me,
    that brought joy to my heart
    and even touched kids’ lives.

    I got to serve on award committees,
    highlighting great books.
    I got a position even more suited
    to my abilities and inclinations.

    And that’s only the framework;
    there’s been so much more.
    I was in so much financial trouble as a single Mom –
    you brought me out of it.
    I’m far from family –
    you’ve given me dear friends from many different places.
    I’ve had severe health problems (that stroke was no joke)
    you gave me folks looking out for me.

    I have a job I love,
    a small group who cares,
    my debts paid off,
    a website that people appreciate,
    a book that touches lives,
    opportunities to travel,
    a choir to sing with,
    a beautiful place to walk,
    and so many reasons for Joy.

    Yesterday, I was walking by my lake
    enjoying the sun that had come out, shining on the water,
    when the great blue heron plopped down
    near the path ahead of me,
    as if begging to have a portrait shoot.
    I was happy to oblige!

    A funny little thing like that
    is common in my life now.
    But may it never cease to make me smile
    and bring me joy
    and remind me how rich and full
    is this new life you’ve given me.

    It’s nothing I dreamed of
    but it has joys I never imagined.

    Father, some changes are looming now;
    it’s possible I’m on the brink of a new phase of life.
    I got some bad health news
    of a chronic illness that will mean some life changes.
    And my adult daughter will be staying with me,
    perhaps for a couple weeks,
    perhaps a month,
    perhaps longer.

    Let this be a reminder
    that I’m incredibly bad at envisioning the future.
    Life is all about change
    and things don’t stay the same.

    But you are with me.
    And you continually give me good and perfect gifts.
    You do immeasurably more
    than all we ask or imagine.

    Thank you, Father!
    May your Name be praised.

    Here’s to life with You.

    Salvation History Psalm – Hiking

    Praying with the Psalmists, Salvation History Psalms 0

    Last time I posted, I said that there was only one type of Psalm that I hadn’t written an example psalm for. I was wrong. I also was missing an example for Salvation History Psalms.

    I don’t want to simply use the example I wrote for my book – because the whole point of the book is that people can take the patterns of these types and write their own psalms. So certainly I can write another example.

    As always, the point is not to make my words sound beautiful. The point is to show you something that anyone can try, another approach to prayer that might be helpful at some time in your life.

    The Psalms in the Bible that I’ve called Salvation History Psalms (and this category I got from my Biola professor, Dr. Edward Curtis, so these are mostly from his list) are: Psalms 44, 68, 77, 78, 81, 87, 89, 99, 105, 106, 114, 122, 126, 129, 135, and 136. Basically, I included Psalms in this category if they referred back to the people’s history with God, usually involving the nation of Israel.

    The key concepts I found in these Psalms are:
    • Remember
    • Stories of Help
    • Faithlessness and Faithfulness
    • Entreaty
    • Praise

    But essentially, in the salvation history psalms we write for ourselves, the idea is to think back over how God has worked in your life or in your group’s life. We could also write one to pray for our country, talking about history that happened before we were even born.

    But today I was thinking about hiking.

    I am taking a short mini-retreat in the hills of West Virginia, and today I was hiking in the Autumn forest. This is a lull before I’m facing a possible big bend in the road of life. Or the path of life. For nine years I’ve lived alone, but now my oldest – the one I prayed a blessing over last time – may be moving in with me, as the apartment she found didn’t end up working out. Now she’s staying with her dad, three hours away from me, and that may very well work out long term, but at least I am facing the possibility of some big life changes, and need to pray through my worries about that.

    So – I was looking for a topic for a Salvation History example psalm, and I decided that thinking about hiking fit the bill. Let’s see where that leads me.

    A Hiking History Psalm

    Father, the first hikes I went on as a kid
    were with my earthly father.
    We’d stop on the long drive to Oregon to visit Grandma and Grandpa
    and go for a hike with Daddy!
    I remember an amazing hike through the Redwoods,
    and another hike at Silver Creek Falls.
    Hiking was something special and magical,
    a time with my sister,
    a time when you could share secrets
    and enjoy an amazing lush world
    so different from home in Los Angeles.

    When I was a young adult,
    I dreamed of living in a place
    where I could go hiking right from my own doorstep.
    I was thinking a far-off dream for retirement,
    so was astonished when all four places we lived in Germany fit exactly that.

    Later, as a single Mom, I dragged my kid to go hiking with me
    when I could persuade him,
    and shared special times in nature together.

    But for nine years now, I’ve learned the delight
    of hiking alone.
    No one’s impatient at my picture-taking,
    no one’s bothered by my pace,
    I don’t have to worry about anyone else’s safety or enjoyment,
    and I can commune with God and nature
    and absorb the beauty and the peace.

    Now there’s a bend in the path ahead,
    and it’s going through bushes,
    so I can’t see where it leads.

    Two of my favorite hymns are about your leading, Lord.
    I was singing “All the Way My Savior Leads Me” today:

    All the way my Savior leads me,
    cheers each winding path I tread,
    gives me grace for every trial,
    feeds me with the living bread.
    Though my weary steps may falter,
    or my soul athirst may be,
    gushing from the rock before me,
    lo, a spring of joy I see.

    And “He Leadeth Me”:

    He leadeth me, O blessed thought!
    O words with heavenly comfort fraught!
    Whate’er I do, where’er I be,
    still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.

    He leadeth me; he leadeth me.
    By his own hand he leadeth me.
    His faithful foll’wer I would be,
    for by his hand, he leadeth me.

    And this week, my small group is looking
    at the passage in the Lord’s Prayer:
    “And lead us, not into temptation…”

    I believe that you, Lord, give guidance;
    I believe that you show us the way we should go.
    You say in James:

    If any of you lack wisdom,
    let them ask God,
    who gives to all generously
    and without finding fault,
    and it will be given to them.

    And yes, Lord, you have led me,
    over and over again in the past.
    When I asked you for wisdom and guidance,
    you always helped me through.
    I do believe you won’t leave me alone now.

    Lord, there are things I’m worried about for my daughter;
    I want her to launch well.
    But thank you that you promise
    to give both of us wisdom
    to show us the path.
    Thank you for all the joys that will come with this change
    and someone to hike with again.

    On today’s path, they were not generous with the trail markers,
    but every single time I wasn’t sure which way to go –
    I’d look up and spot a trail marker,
    making my path clear.

    Make our steps clear, Loving Father.
    Show us the way, Mother and Nurturer.

    And thank you that you walk with us
    on the paths of life.

    A Blessing Psalm for my Daughter

    Blessing Psalms, Praying with the Psalmists 2

    I’ve made a new website! Praying with the Psalmists is a website with resources and examples to guide you to deepen your prayers and open your heart to God by writing your own psalms.

    I’ve been trying to find a publisher for a book with the same name and envisioned a website where folks who read the book could post their own psalms. It finally dawned on me – what was I waiting for? I already have a website and I have already posted example psalms in this Sonderjourneys blog. So I’m making twelve webpages to match the twelve chapters of the book – one for each type of Psalm, one intro page, and a page about memorizing Psalms.

    But there is one type of Psalm for which I haven’t yet posted an example, and that’s Blessing Psalms.

    These are different from Psalms where you are praying specific requests for people – those are covered in the Laments. Blessing Psalms are more general prayers of goodwill. You’ll find biblical examples in Psalms 20, 67, 128, and 134.

    I don’t give a Form or Key Concepts for praying Blessing Psalms. As with all psalms, I’ll try using parallelism to make it sound like Hebrew poetry. The other principle I’ll use is, unlike how I was taught, I’m not going to get specific. I’m not going to tell God what to do, but ask God for general good things for one I love.

    And today, the person I want to bless is my transgender daughter, Zephyr.

    She’s had a rough month. Had to find a new place to live, and it wasn’t easy. She did find success, and I’m so happy for her. I’m hoping it will mean new beginnings in more ways than one, and so I’m writing my example psalm of blessing for her.

    Because Zephyr isn’t exactly a traditionalist, for this example psalm, I’m going to use names for God from Wilda C. Gafney’s A Woman’s Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year W.

    Blessing for Zephyr:

    Ever-living God, Mother of Creation,
    hear my prayer
    and shine your face on my daughter.
    Ever-loving God, Fount of Wisdom,
    have mercy on her,
    and bless her.

    Gracious and Compassionate One,
    Send your angels to gently guide her steps,
    her plans,
    and her decisions.

    Mother of the Mountains,
    May you make all her plans succeed
    and grant her the desires of her heart.

    God Who Is Mystery,
    May you bring companions to grace her steps,
    friends to encourage her heart,
    and animals to shower her with love.

    Healer and Sustainer,
    shower her with love,
    sprinkle her days with joys.

    Protector and Provider,
    give her each day her daily bread,
    and keep her from harm.

    Strengthener and Mother of Wisdom,
    grant her strength to make her way in the world
    as the unique and wonderful person you created her to be.

    And thank you that you love your daughter
    even more than I can as her earthly mother.
    Shine on her with that love
    as she shines her unique light in the world.

    Amen.

    Now it’s your turn! Share your blessing psalms in the comments.

    God Who is Mystery,
    may

    Happy Ending Psalm for Tough Times

    Messianic Psalms, Praying with the Psalmists 0

    I’ve been neglecting this blog since I wrote the weekly posts in my Laments for Lent series. Naturally, I took a break after finishing that series, and then I had a vacation in June to Oregon (see the Columbia Gorge picture above), and a trip to ALA Annual Conference in Philadelphia after that, and then a mini-retreat to Canaan Valley State Park in West Virginia – and I need to get in the swing of writing again.

    I recently read another book on praying laments, which I will review before long. But it got me thinking about ways my own book, Praying with the Psalmists (as yet unpublished) is different. Yes, I talk about Laments, but I go through the entire book of Psalms and divide them up into ten types – and I talk about how we can use each type as an example in our prayers.

    And the most difficult type, honestly, to explain why we should use it in prayer was Messianic Psalms.

    Now, many Psalms have elements that ended up being fulfilled in Jesus – and I do think some of the Laments would have surprised the original psalmists. But the Psalms I named as specifically Messianic were talking about the ruler, the Anointed One, at the time – Psalms 2, 45, 72, 110, and 132. I doubt that the psalmists who originally prayed these Psalms realized they were being prophetic, and I certainly am not suggesting that we must prophesy when we pray. But think about it: We know how the story ends!

    So in my book, I call them Happy Ending Psalms. I believe that the arc of the universe does tend toward justice and I believe that Christ will return and make things right.

    I found four key concepts that show up in Messianic Psalms: God’s Rule, Coming Justice, Certain Victory, and Eternal Scope.

    All that is to say that in posting about Psalms tonight, I’m going to attempt a category I’ve been neglecting – a Messianic psalm or better called a Happy Ending psalm or Justice psalm:

    Justice Psalm for Troubled Times

    Lord, why do the nations rage,
    and the peoples plot in vain?
    Why are the rulers of our land
    blaming immigrants for every woe?
    Why are they abducting people
    who came here seeking refuge
    and locking up people
    who answered the call on the Statue of Liberty
    and came here for a better life?

    And Father, I don’t know what I can do about it.
    I feel helpless when I hear of detention,
    horrible conditions, and harsh treatment.

    Let the evil not go unnoticed, Lord!
    Help us to not look away.
    You’ve said that your people
    are to care for the stranger in the land.
    Watch over the immigrants,
    the homeless,
    the hurting.
    Watch over everyone wrongly imprisoned –
    let them know they are seen.

    And I don’t know how,
    I don’t know when.
    But I pray that justice will be done,
    that those responsible for these deep wrongs
    will be called to account.

    Let America once again –
    or maybe for the first time –
    truly become the land of the free
    and the home of the brave,
    where we take in the tired, the poor,
    and the huddled masses yearning to be free,
    where we defend the fatherless and the oppressed
    and never turn a deaf ear
    to the cry of the poor.

    I know that the day will come
    when you will wipe away every tear from our eyes.
    But, Lord, hear now the cry of the poor
    and the immigrant.

    May your justice come swiftly
    and your unfailing love shine.

    — And I still feel at a loss. But it helps my spirit to pray.