Tag: Online worship

Nephi’s Psalm

Verse: ‘Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continuously upon the things which I have seen and heard’, (2 Nephi 4:16).

When we think of the psalms, we most likely, understandably enough, immediately picture the Book of Psalms, also known as the Psalter, found in the Hebrew Bible. The Bible is certainly rich in its various works of poetry, but many may not know that it is not only the Hebrew Bible that contains these things. The Book of Mormon too has a beautiful psalm hidden away inside of it. The Psalm of Nephi, or otherwise known simply as Nephi’s Psalm, is found in 2 Nephi 4:16-35. This is called a psalm as the text shares many similarities with psalms found in the Hebrew Bible’s Book of Psalms. This psalm is important as it shares the five common elements found in psalms. These are the recognition of sins, pleading for forgiveness, dedication to the Lord’s commandments, petitioning, and finally rejoicing in the forgiveness that God has given in His all-merciful nature. The Psalm of Nephi shares all five of these elements and is one of my favourite psalms found within scripture.

In Nephi’s Psalm Nephi lays out his hopes, joys, sorrows, and problems in his life, following the footsteps of the psalmist. When analysing or prayerfully reading this psalm it is crucial to understand the situation in which it is created. Nephi has just lost his father, Lehi, and these emotions of loss, which are familiar to many of us, are clear to see in this moving passage. These doubts and fears he brings up may be due to the fact that, as we know from the Book of Mormon, he is due to take over and lead not just his family but his people as their leader. Whilst we know how successful and great a leader he was, we must remember that at that time he must have been feeling all the anxieties and fears that we as humans feel also. These words of fear and sorrow are quickly replaced by praise for God and reminders of all that He has done for Nephi. We too can use these proclamations in our own prayer life as inspiration and worship.

I personally find it useful to prayerfully read and meditate this psalm in the evening before I sleep, alongside other psalms from the Hebrew Bible. It is indeed a beautiful reminder of how we should approach God, and our faith. Nephi encourages himself, as we can do ourselves if we pray his psalm as ours, to ‘no longer droop in sin’ but to ‘rejoice … and give place no more for the enemy of my soul’ (2 Nephi 4:28). He also promises that he will ‘praise thee forever; yea, my soul will rejoice in thee, my God, and the rock of my salvation’ (2 Nephi 4:30). Let us too meditate on the words of this psalm and use it to remind ourselves how we should approach and thank God, as well as reinforce and re-establish our covenant with him as disciples.

Eternal Rest

Verse: ‘…the Lord will be your everlasting light’, (Isaiah 60:19).

A prayer that I have rapidly become familiar with due to working in a Roman Catholic school is the Eternal Rest. After Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s death there was a heavy focus on her life and praying for her peaceful rest, in class as well as in Mass. It is a wonderfully simple prayer, yet one that contains much symbolism and meaning. Easy to remember, and easy to pray, for many reciting it brings both comfort and peace. During October, and more commonly November, countless Christians and members of other religious traditions will be praying in earnest for the dearly departed souls of our dead.

Whether one believes in any specific theological assumptions about the afterlife, or instead lives in hope that perhaps one may well exist, praying for our loved ones – and strangers too as many religions advocate doing – can be a cathartic experience and can help us feel like we are helping them somehow. This can help lessen grief and help us to manage, to varying degrees, the pain that we are in.

The words of the prayer in its common form are as follows:

Eternal rest, grant unto them, O Lord,

And let perpetual light shine upon them.

May they rest in peace.

Amen.

In this prayer are two very important theological concepts. The first is the concept of eternal rest in the Lord and the second is the perpetual light of the Lord. It is fairly common to pray for the peaceful rest of those who are departed and the concept of rest is frequent in the Bible; in the Book of Psalms there are even a collection known as Psalms of Rest. Within the psalms are also references to the Lord being our everlasting light, or, in the light of this prayer, our perpetual light. In Isaiah 60:19, the full verse of the shortened one at the start of the post, the importance of God’s light over any other source is emphasised, ‘The sun will no more be your light by day, nor will the brightness of the moon shine on you, for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory’.

Memento Mori

Verse: ‘…continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgements and the power of God, and all these things – stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord’, (Enos 1:23).

For many of us, believers or not, it can be hard to live in the shadow of death. In the Western world especially, we seem to have fostered a culture where it is better to live in ignorance of death and ignore the looming certainty of our fates. At university we had the good luck to study the rising trend of death cafes, during which the discussion of approaches to death between Western and Eastern religious communities was brought up. In communities where circular notions of life are the norm there has been found a much more logical and understanding approach to death. Where rebirth or reincarnation are believed, or at least taught/understood, death is seen more as a natural stage of life; one that is certain and should not be feared for what it represents. In communities with more linear understandings of life and death, or indeed no belief, death simply represents the end point on our journeys, a grim and dark final destination.

It is perfectly understandable, then, that people in this environment view talking about death as morbid or in bad taste, something to be hushed and silenced instead of engaged in good naturedly. For me this is something that shows a sad state of affairs where I reside. Studies have described the correlation between ignoring death and then heightened anxiety when a grave illness, sudden death, or terminal diagnosis are given. In live is it not always better to be prepared? Thinking about death does not have to lead to a depressive nature. There are many wonderful resources that paint it in a light that is far from fearful such as the classic text The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying that emerged from Tibetan Buddhism. In the Book of Enos the benefits of thinking about our death are laid out, in a similar way for centuries people from all faiths and none have engaged in a practice known as memento mori – the remembrance of death.

It can be helpful, and in fact calming, to meditate on the certainty of death. It can bring comfort and also help to put issues within our lives in a greater sense of perspective. Memento mori paired with carpe diem can indeed do wonders for our own self development. For those who are visual meditators there are many beautiful works of art that depict the Dance of Death (a beautiful rendition is the 15th Century fresco in the National Gallery of Slovenia which can be found online) which may be beneficial to study. Phillippe de Champaigne’s Vanitas would also be a perfect example of memento mori artwork. When I meditate on death I give myself time to prayer near the end, to ask for strength for any fears that came up, to ask for guidance in living each day to the best of my ability, and to thank God for the blessings I have in life – which are framed in piercing clarity after such a meditation.

What Happens Next?

Verse: ‘Now, this restoration shall come to all, both old and young, both bond and free, both male and female, both the wicked and the righteous; and even there shall not so much as a hair of their heads be lost; but every thing shall be restored to its perfect frame, as it is now, or in the body’, (Alma 11:44).

I think one of the most important questions adherents of almost any religious tradition can ask themselves is the age-old question of what happens next. What happens to my body? My soul? Do I go anywhere after death? Do I still know what is going on? For me this question isn’t one necessarily rooted in fear, but more curiosity of the unknown, and due to my religious faith and understanding I find it helpful to turn to the Book of Mormon for answers. Within the Book of Mormon there are several passages which go into varying levels of detail as to what happens and where one goes after death.

First of all, we know that the soul, the unique thing that makes us who we are, leaves the body after the death process and the soul is taken back to God (Alma 40:11). This is then followed by an intermediate state of being, it is not a permanent or final place of rest, but one in which we stay until the eventual Last Judgement (Alma 40:14). This intermediate state is one in which the righteous spirits reside in a state of constant happiness, which is referred to as paradise. It is a peaceful state of rest without trouble or sorrow (Alma 40:12). However, for some, those who committed deliberate acts of sin and wrongful deeds, their state of rest is known as outer darkness. The Book of Mormon describes it as a state of ‘weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth’ due to the sinner’s own iniquity (Alma 40:13).

It is important to remember that this is not a permanent state of existence and at some point in the future there will be the Last Judgement in which those who are in this temporal death will be raised from death (Alma 11:42). At this moment ‘death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies’ before the bodies and spirits of all are restored together (2 Nephi 9:12). Those in paradise must also come for judgement and so ‘the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous’ also (2 Nephi 9:13). In the physical resurrection all parts of the body are restored and the spirit is reunited to it. The knowledge of good and even will be in us all so we come before God knowing and recalling our guilt. We shall then all be judged for our deeds before God.

This may bring fear to those who sin, but those who live well can hope and look forward to the day we shall all be brought forth again, to exist with our loved ones and with God.

Jesus’ Journey After Death

Verse: ‘For this is the reason the gospel was preached even to those who are now dead, so that they might be judged according to human standards in regard to the body, but live according to God in regard to the spirit’, (1 Peter 4:6).

During this time of the year, one of my favourite months in our calendars, I – like countless others all around the globe – find it especially useful to bring my mind back to mortality and my dearly departed loved ones. This time of year can be especially hard for those who grieve hard and for whom memories of loved ones bring back pain and for them, as always, I will pray and hope that one day that pain will fade and the loving-kindness of cherished recollections will flourish instead. I find it interesting to begin my meditations with scripture, the contested verse that describes Christ’s reason for journeying to the underworld is especially titillating as there are various notions which have been derived from it over the years. Seemingly minor verses such as these can often be overlooked in favour of reading with a focus on the Gospel or other juicier sections of the Bible, but it is snippets such as these that are fundamentally crucial when it comes to forming our own theology. In my opinion, the most interesting is that held by those who believe it is evidence that He went down into the underworld to preach the word of God to those who had already passed away without hearing the message of salvation. This verse is 1 Peter 4:6.

For myself the imagery alone in that idea is something that I find truly uplifting. A question as old as Christianity must be what happens to those who did not hear the preaching, the sermons, the lectures … The Good News that is Gospel? In this verse we can read and understand that all people throughout creation have the opportunity to be saved, not just the fortunate few who have heard the message in their lifetimes. This was especially important during the rise of Christianity as if the message of salvation could only be understood and accepted by those currently alive, then countless millions were destined to an unfortunate fate simply because of ill-timing and scheduling of life on Earth. With Christ there is hope, and while we as Christians know a certain amount about His life on Earth; his mission, his ministry, his healing, we do not know much at all about exactly what he did during those three days in the underworld. For me personally, this is a fascinating thing to muse upon during my reflections in the late evenings of October. Let us find comfort in the knowledge that God cares and deeply loves everyone, either living or departed, and that we too can feel cared for no matter what our future holds for us, as can those we love, and those we miss.

Stewards of Earth

Verse: ‘And it pleaseth God that he hath given all these things unto man; for unto this end were they made, to be used with judgement, not excess, neither by extortion’, (Doctrines and Covenants 59:5a.)

In the last few years we have seen a surge in environmental activism, not that this is a new thing and I’m sure many remember the Rainbow Warrior and its fate. But a surge occurred and many rallied around the call of Greta Thunberg worldwide. Whether we agree with the protestors or not it is growing increasingly hard to ignore the growing ecological and environmental crises around the globe. Especially in the West these issues are becoming more and more personal, gone are the days where we could sit in deliberate ignorance as others struggled with issues of droughts, global warming, wildfires, flooding, and hunger. Gone are the days where we can take from the earth and remain unaffected. Just last week a county in the South West that I called home for over a decade was covered in drought conditions, followed by flooding due to heavy rain.

It is common for people to use the excuse that we can do as we wish since, in their opinion, the Earth was given to us. This may come from a misreading of Genesis 1:26 where it is stated that humans ‘rule over’ the other creatures. When discussing a human’s role on Earth the focus should be stewardship not ownership. The world is ultimately God’s, and in a sense all those who call it home, not just humankind, ‘The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it’, (Psalm 24:1). Adam was put into the Garden of Eden to tend to it, ‘The LORD God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it’, (Genesis 2:15). Since the start of humanity, we have not been given anything for the sake of ownership. We have been placed in a position of authority on this world to help preserve and grow. To tend to all living things.

The quote at the beginning of this article is from the Community of Christ’s Doctrines and Covenants. Through it the prophet Joseph Smith reminds us that the world and everything in it has been given to humanity to protect and cherish. We are called to take what we need, but not to steal or take in excess. The position of restraint in this world is reiterated as it is in the Bible, we are stewards and therefore our obligation is to nurture this world that we live in. The world that was created by God, and us to look after it. As we go about our daily lives this week, I wonder how many of us will pause to consider just how our actions will affect those who also call this blue and green marble home.

A Morning Psalm

Verse: ‘You, God, are my God, earnestly I seek you; I thirst for you, my whole being longs for you …’, (Psalm 63:1).

Moving away from the topic of psalms of repentance I thought it would be fitting to share a morning psalm that I use, and that the Early Church purportedly used in morning worship also. Psalm 63 is an often referred to as ‘Praise from the Wilderness’. I like this title because although a large majority of us live in an urban environment it can often seem to be a spiritual concrete jungle. The lack of spirituality in especially urbanised areas can often feel like we are also in a kind of wilderness. It is a relatively short psalm, therefore easy to pray in the morning without rushing, and is beautiful in the way that the psalmist, and therefore anyone who is praying it, calls out for divine intimacy. It is very clear that the psalmist wants God to come closer to them, and in this way, we too can ask God to come close to us each morning as we get ready for the day to come.

It is important to understand that psalms give us ways in which we can pray to God, be with Him, and understand our own emotions as we pray, which can often mirror the psalmist’s. In the morning it is very beneficial to pray in a joyous manner, praising God for the opportunity to share another day on this planet and with all the loved ones and friends we have around us. For this purpose, Psalm 63 is ideal. Prayer should set the mood for the hours that follow it, a prayer of repentance may bring about feelings of sorrow or a desire to grow closer to God. Similarly, this psalm helps to set a beneficial mood as we start our day. The words ‘your love is better than life’ (Psalm 63:3) and ‘I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods’ (Psalm 63:5) help us to centre ourselves and give examples of how we should proceed throughout our day, not only remembering God but also praising Him and loving Him.

This psalm is recommended by many churches and religious organisations within different Christian denominations for use as a morning psalm within a prayer rule or simply on its own. It has also been said that ‘the spirit and soul of the whole Book of Psalms is contracted into this Psalm’ (J.J. Stewart Perowne, The Book of Psalms, p.486) which I think is a rather wonderful mentality we can have as we recite this psalm in the morning hours. We can think of the ways this psalm encapsulated the Book of Psalms as we read and pray it. As we read Psalm 63 and begin our day, no matter the fears or tribulations we may be expecting, we can utter the words of the psalmist and remember that everything can be overcome if we earnestly seek Him, if we thirst for Him, and long for Him.

The Seven Penitential Psalms

Verse: ‘I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin’, (Psalm 38:18).

To continue our explorations into the Book of Psalms I thought it fitting to discuss a practice which I try and incorporate into my daily prayer routine when time will allow, but would definitely recommend the practice during the forty days that make up Lent. During the morning I attempt to pray at least one psalm of repentance after my morning prayer. It helps to centre myself and remind me that, despite my best efforts, I will be subject to many vices such as anger, pride, and perhaps even greed – to name the most common – as I have been in the past.

The Seven Penitential Psalms consist of Psalms 6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, and 143. The fact that there are seven of these psalms is useful for creating diversity in repentance. Psalm 51 is perhaps one of the most well know psalms of repentance and was discussed last week but repeating it every day, or multiple times a day, can become tedious and boring. Each of these seven psalms follow a similar pattern of prayer. First the recognition that one has sinned against God and the justice and fairness of punishment. This is then followed by expressing sorrow for the sins committed and the intention to make things right, i.e. by no longer committing sin. Hope is then found in the mercy of God.

Each morning after my usual routine prayers I used to pray Psalm 51 attentively. However, even once a day this can become repetitive and almost automatic in nature, leading to a drowsiness of the mind as we don’t think about the words we are actually reciting, especially since the pressures of the day are often compelling us to rush or worry. To counter this some people may find it easier and more effective to use a different one of the Seven Penitential Psalms each day, assigning them a specific day of the week. I would recommend keeping it simple and going through in ascending order as this is easier to remember and makes logical sense. So, Monday: 6, Tuesday: 32, Wednesday: 38, and so forth.

As well as this, in the Hebrew Bible there is an absolutely fantastic example by a prophet of a prayer of repentance, aptly named, it is known as Daniel’s Prayer of Repentance or simply as Daniel’s Prayer (Daniel 9:4-19). One of the reasons this is an interesting example of praying for intercession and repentance is that Daniel does not just pray for himself, rather he prays for others around him and at several points seeks forgiveness for them after confessing their sins (Daniel 9:15-19). It is easy to pray to God to help us in our own suffering and with our own sin, but we should not forget the needs of those around us either. For this reason, Daniel’s Prayer may be a promising alternative to those who may wish to use an Old Testament prayer in place of a psalm.

The Sinner’s Guide

Verse: ‘Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions’, (Psalm 51:1).

Those who are familiar with typical prayer rules will likely know Psalm 51 by heart. As it belongs to the collection of penitential psalms found in the Book of Psalms it is traditionally used as a psalm of repentance and many Christians belonging to a wide range of denominations will recite it in both the morning and the evening – if not more. Charles Spurgeon, famous Baptist preacher and author, referred to Psalm 51 as The Sinner’s Guide due to the manner in which it outlines how to return to God’s grace after committing sin. As we read this psalm, we can understand how we should come before God, confess and repent, and seek forgiveness. It is also a testament of faith; in this psalm David has complete faith in God and this faith leads him to believe he is certainly forgiven, something that can be hard for us to believe at times when we come before God to pray and ask for forgiveness.

Like David in this psalm, we should not stand before God and make excuses for our sins and wrong behaviour, but instead should admit our wrongdoings and repent, asking Him for forgiveness and a fresh start once again. This psalm is a great example of trusting in the mercy of God. We can come before Him completely sinful and spiritually spoiled, in both word and deed, and with a contrite attitude we can be forgiven and given a new chance to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ. Whenever we fail, we know we can turn back and ask for forgiveness and repent, our God is a loving God, and a merciful God. It is important to remember, however, that repentance is not just being sorry but it is the act of promising not to repeat the transgression. It is no good to simply keep coming back for the same issues as this proves we are not actually sorry for what we have done.

Repentance and forgiveness are important tenets of Christian faith. As Christians we are told to come and confess and repent of our sins so that we may become clean. In the Book of Proverbs, we are called to confess and renounce our sins, ‘He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy’ (Proverbs 28:13). The Gospel of Luke describes the importance in Heaven placed on repentance, ‘In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents’ (Luke 15:10). It is regarded as so important that in some traditions within Orthodoxy such as Coptic Orthodoxy this psalm is even used in every daily office. Reciting this psalm is a humbling and practical way in which we can learn to repent and ask for forgiveness during our daily prayer routines.

Praying Through The Psalms

Verse: ‘For God has willed to make Himself known to us in the mystery of the Psalms’, (Praying with the Psalms, Thomas Merton).

The Psalms, the collection of which is commonly referred to as the Psalter, are widely prayed by Christians and Jews alike throughout the world. These beautiful poems and hymns are considered to be a book of worship given to God’s people to use in their lives. Praying the Psalms helps us as followers of God to draw closer to Him. They, in the words of Thomas Merton, ‘make Himself known to us’; and draw us closer they certainly do. Since the start of Christianity, the Psalms have been used by devotees in their daily prayers. In some periods of time Psalters were so widely possessed that they were even used to help teach children to read.

The Book of Psalms can often be neglected by readers as it is tucked away in the depths of the Hebrew Bible, this is a great shame as many Christian denominations and traditions throughout history have placed a great deal of importance on it for good reason. Within the Cistercian tradition, for example, all 150 psalms are sung or recited every one or two weeks depending on the structure of worship. Within Orthodoxy and Protestantism there is a similar pattern of devotion centred around the Book of Psalms. These practices are not just for the monastic or members of the priesthood; the Book of Psalms was given to us all to use in walking our path with God. A practice which is my personal favourite is to pray all 150 psalms each month (depending on the number of days).

If we split up the Psalms into 30 days then 5 psalms must be recited or sung each day. To do this multiple the date by 5, for example the 13th day of a month would be: 13 x 5 = 65. So, you would end that day’s reading on Psalm 65. Then go back by five psalms which would give you psalms 161-165 so you know where to begin. Already this is much more manageable than it may at first have seemed. With this method the daily psalm readings will always conclude with a number ending in 0 or 5.

I personally split this number into two in my morning prayer and three in my evening/night prayer. For months where there are less than 30 days, such as February with 28, simply stop on that day’s number and go back to Psalm 1 on the 1st March instead. For months with 31 days repeat the psalms for day 30, which would be psalms 146-150. In this manner it is possible for devotees to pray the Psalms twelve times each year! A number which at first seems so impossible and daunting to some is really so simple to put into practice. There is something incredibly beautiful and unifying in praying the same psalms which have been recited by the faithful for thousands of years.