“Such knowledge”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, September 10, 2022
Psalm 139:1-18 (Forward, p. 43) CEV p. 640
Here our psalmist waxes eloquent on how God knows all the ins and outs, all the intimacies, the intricacies, of one’s life past and present. Many would find this very daunting, challenging, and even daunting and worrisome. And, what is more, he alleges that God even knows our thoughts and motives, our inner fantasies and desires. And yes, God knows our future steps even before we take them and our future experiences even before they happen.
Imagine: God knows those things that I keep to myself, things that no one else knows about—and yes, even those things that are unknown even to myself. Yes, for many, this would be quite frightening. But then, there are two things that I hold on to. One is that with God we don’t have to measure up or be ‘good enough’. We are accepted as we are, warts and all. And the other is that we are forgiven, no matter what. So, I do not find such knowledge on the part of God to be overly challenging—except to realize that even with His grace and forgiveness, I still need to be accountable for how I live my life.
But, actually, on another level, I find His knowledge to be rather helpful. A number of years ago, I was involved in a time of personal inventory, a time of self-examination. Knowing that all of us carry a certain amount of ‘baggage’, that is, the weight of past experiences, around with us—things that can easily impede or adversely affect us in the here and now, I decided to try to discern just what these might be. And seeing as God knows all of this, I enlisted His help. And, as I expected, there were a number of things that He revealed that I might never have uncovered on my own. And so, knowing that God knows me as I have never known myself, and loves me and cares me none the less, is most helpful and reassuring. Amen.
Forward notes: “Lord, you have searched me out and known me; you know my sitting down and my rising up; you discern my thoughts from afar” (verse 1).
“When the pandemic began in 2020, our church in Greenwich, Connecticut, began offering Morning Prayer on Zoom. Prior to the pandemic, I could never attend a service of Morning Prayer because I was commuting to New York City. In this time when so much has changed, the Morning Prayer service has been a gift. It has been spiritually nourishing to be in community with others as my day begins.
“For me, the most powerful part of every service is when we pause for intercessory prayers. I am deeply moved by what I hear. Each person talks to God in a different way. There are thanksgivings, and, of course, there are requests. Some of the prayers are requests for small things, some are petitions for family or friends or for strangers or entire countries or communities. Every prayer I hear is a conversation spoken from the heart with God in that person’s own unique voice. It is powerful. It is intimate. What a divine privilege to be a part of such a moment.”
Moving Forward: “Longing for community? Read and reflect on the day’s meditations at prayer.forwardmovement.org/fdd.”
