Psalm 1 (NRSV)
Read Psalm 1 on biblegateway.com
Verse 1Happy are those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or take the path that sinners tread, or sit in the seat of scoffers;
Verse 2but their delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law they meditate day and night.
Verse 3They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.
Verse 4The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.
Verse 5Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous;
Verse 6for the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.
Devotion
Given the frequency – and voracity – of discussions about the form and substance of worship, today’s psalm offers a relatively simple alternative. At the very heart of worship is speaking, singing and hearing the word of God proclaimed to and for us. This word is not stingy; it is not only delivering the promises it makes on Sundays. Rather, it does its work among us each day. It gives us cause to meditate upon it day in and day out. It drives and frees us to find out who God is and what God is doing for us in this time and place. The core question of worship, then, is this: "Who is Jesus Christ for us?"
Prayer
Deliver the promises you make for us, Jesus Christ, through the word and sacraments. Amen