Psalm 37:1-10

1 Do not fret yourself because of evildoers; do not be jealous of those who do wrong.

2 For they shall soon wither like the grass, and like the green grass fade away.

3 Put your trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and feed on its riches.

4 Take delight in the Lord, and he shall give you your heart's desire.

5 Commit your way to the Lord and put your trust in him, and he will bring it to pass.

6 He will make your righteousness as clear as the light and your just dealing as the noonday.

7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

8 Do not fret yourself over the one who prospers, the one who succeeds in evil schemes.

9 Refrain from anger, leave rage alone; do not fret yourself; it leads only to evil.

10 For evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait upon the Lord shall possess the land.

(This year, Monday Matters will focus on wisdom conveyed in the treasures of the book of Psalms. We'll look at the psalms read in church before Monday Matters comes to your screen. Please note that these days in the church, there are two tracks of readings in the lectionary, offering a choice of psalms. Your church may or may not have read the psalm included in this email.)

In times when I’m inclined to fretfulness, especially because of insane things going on in the world, Psalm 37 has steadied me, bringing me back to center. In times when I’m focused on how well other people are doing and how resentful I feel, Psalm 37 has offered a healing perspective that helps me let all that go. In times when I forget abundant blessings that have come my way, Psalm 37 reminds me of how God has fulfilled the desires of my heart. You may have heard a portion of this psalm in church yesterday. (It’s reprinted in this email for easy referral. ) As I heard it again yesterday, I was struck with what God asks of us. Here’s what we’re called to do: Be still before the Lord.

The call to be still does not only appear in Psalm 37. It also shows up in Psalm 46, spoken into a context where the earth was moved, mountains toppled, waters raged. Have you ever felt like you were in that kind of situation? When I served in New York City in 2001, over the course of that mournful autumn, we did many memorial services for the victims of the attack on 9/11. It was a time when things we counted on (the economic and military centers, dare I say idols of our nation) were toppled. In each of those memorial liturgies, we included Psalm 46, with its call to be still and know that God is God.

The call to be still appears in the story of the Exodus. Picture this. The Israelites are at a dead end, no way out. Red Sea in front of them. Egyptian army behind. (For movie buffs, it’s like that moment when Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid are trapped on that cliff. They can’t go forward. There’s no retreat.) The Israelites freak. They blame Moses. They blame God. And then they hear a word from the Lord through Moses: Be still and I will fight for you (Exodus 14:14). Deliverance and liberation follow, and their story strengthens generations to come. Have you ever been in one of those moments that seem to provide no way forward? What would it take to be still in that dead-end moment? Can you believe the dead end could become a threshold?

The call to be still came to Elisha who was being mentored by Elijah (kind of a biblical Batman/Robin thing). Then came the word that Elijah would be taken away. Elisha may have tried to hold on, to avoid the grief of losing someone close (II Kings 2:3,5). Have you ever been in that kind of situation, losing someone you love? In response, the word of the Lord came to Elisha: Be still. In our contention with loss, that word comes to us as well.

The call to be still appears in the gospels when the disciples are out on the sea and a squall stirs up. They panic, fearing for their lives, and they ask Jesus to do something. Actually, they ask why Jesus is not more panicked. He says to them and to Mother Nature: Be still (Mark 4:39) With that, the turbulence ends. Have you ever been in a storm? Maybe you’re there right now. What would it take to be still?

With a nod to all of those biblical witnesses, what does it mean for us to be still? It probably involves a physical process, the intention of slowing down, calming the monkey mind. It may begin as a scheduling issue, just setting aside quiet time. I will confess that stillness is not my strong suit. In moments I try to grab silence, monkey mind kicks in and I start thinking about my to-do list, or what I’m going to have for lunch, or all the ways I’ve been offended, or maybe the ways I’ve let people down.

The Jesus Prayer helps. Breathe in: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God.” Hold breath. Breathe out: “Have mercy on me, a sinner.”

At its heart, the call to be still is not withdrawal or resignation or passivity. It’s an expression of trust. Perhaps one of the greatest expressions of trust. Mountains may topple. Storms may rage. Enemies may thrive. Loved ones may leave or be taken away. In any and all of those situations, the call to faithful people, folks with ears to hear, is to trust in the faithfulness of the God we worship. Newsflash: That’s not always easy to do. It’s why we have community. It’s why we have the psalms. It’s why we have teachers like Richard Rohr and Thomas Merton who remind us that in quiet, in contemplation, in meditation we find strength to act in the world.

Wherever you find yourself this morning, may the call to be still bring you back to center and help you find a way to move forward this week.

-Jay Sidebotham