"Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, who stand by night in the house of the Lord! Lift up your hands to the holy place, and bless the Lord." Psalm 134:1-2 The Orlando murders and the rampant hate targeting a community of color, of those who identify as LGBTQ, and of a specific faith in the aftermath, all has screamed for our constant, diligent attention. … [Read more...] about Psalm 134 (Psalms on the Trail)
Psalms on the Trail
Psalm 133 (Psalms on the Trail)
"How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard...." Psalm 133:1-2 I have two brothers, both of whom I admire deeply and love very much. But my youngest brother, in particular, and I have been at very different places for much of our lives. I don't mean location; for the last … [Read more...] about Psalm 133 (Psalms on the Trail)
Psalm 132 (Psalms on the Trail)
Lord, remember David and all the hardships he endured; how he swore an oath to the Lord, and vowed a vow to the Mighty one of Jacob: "I will not come under the roof of my house, nor climb up into my bed; I will not allow my eyes to sleep, nor let my eyelids slumber until I find a place for the Lord, a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob." Psalm 132:1-5 Our world is built … [Read more...] about Psalm 132 (Psalms on the Trail)
Psalm 131 (Psalms on the Trail)
The rock crevice above is on the AT in New Jersey and is called the Lemon Squeeze. I descended through it last week where at the top the backpack had to come off in order to fit through. Notice I'm smiling. But there were many other rocks not so fun. In fact, there was this one particular rock on an earlier day.... I was stuck. My fingers held onto a crevice in a … [Read more...] about Psalm 131 (Psalms on the Trail)
Psalm 130 (Psalms on the Trail)
"My soul waits for the Lord, more than those who keep watch for the morning." Psalm 130:6 My experience of keeping watch for the morning happens on the trail. After a hard day of backpacking, I am in the tent by dusk, body aching, exhausted and soon sink into sleep. But often around 3:30 or 4:00 a.m. I wake up and simply wait for it to get light. A bird might … [Read more...] about Psalm 130 (Psalms on the Trail)