“Permanence in a finite and transient world”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Saturday, March 9, 2024
Psalm 90 (Forward, p. 40) CEV p. 611
It is sad—and rather unfortunate—that many songs and hymns, and many Scripture passages to boot, are coloured by experiences or associations from our past. Some people, for instance, have come to avoid certain hymns because they were used for the funerals of many family members or friends. For me, I tend to avoid “O God, Our Help in Ages Past”, and by extension, Psalm 90, upon which it is based. This is due to its long connection in my mind with Remembrance Day, and to my memories of standing there, stock rigid in parade formation during this incredibly slow and mournful hymn. I was cold and miserable, and the hymn did nothing to allay these feelings. That the hymn and its Scripture passage dealt almost completely with the uncertainty and temporariness of life didn’t help in the least.
There is, however, a sense that it is quite too bad that I harbour such feelings about this hymn and this psalm, for they speak quite strongly and eloquently to this present age. With the twin prospects of global warming and climate change, recurrent disease outbreaks and health warnings, wars and sabre-rattling throughout the world, and political instability, infighting and divisions everywhere, there certainly is a cause for alarm. It certainly does feel like an instable and finite and transitory world, even as the hymn and psalm suggest.
However, within this rather disturbing scenario they have something very positive to say, something very helpful. They tell us that in spite of—and in the midst of—such a finite and transient world—there is one thing—a Person really—that stands immovable, unchangeable and permanent, and that is Almighty God. It is, as the opening two verses of the psalm say:
“Our Lord, in all generations you have been hour home. You have always been God—long before the birth of the mountains, even before you created the earth and the world” (CEV).
Or, as the hymn says, “O God, our help in ages past, our hope for years to come, be thou our guard while troubles last, and our eternal home.”
Isn’t that exactly what we need to hear today, what we need to hold on to and treasure and take to heart—that no matter what happens around us, no matter what the dangers or stressors or difficulties, God is still there and still with us to help us and guide us. Let us never lose sight of this hope, and never let go of that help. Amen.
Forward notes: “Lord, you have been our refuge from one generation to another” (verse 1).
Commemoration: Gregory of Nyssa
“After experiencing several deaths in his immediate family, Gregory of Nyssa was hungry for the presence of the Living God. Initially, though, Gregory (c. 335-c. 395 CE) kept his faith at a distance, holding it in tension with the cares and occupations of the world. Through his tragedies, Gregory discerned that the God of his salvation was one in whom he could confide. In his solitude, he began redeveloping a faith that would sustain him for the rest of his life.
“Our society is often unkind to our faith. Many people may not identify with or respect our spiritual journey. Often, the faith of our childhood needs to be re-formed so it may grow and mature. Sometimes, tragic events in our lives prompt this introspection, but that isn’t always the case. God continues to extend a realm of rest and renewal to us, even when we aren’t aware. If God is our refuge, how can we return over and over to the place that gives us life, to the place that restores our souls?”
Moving Forward: “Do you keep your faith at a distance? What is stopping you from a wholehearted relationship with God”.