DAY 228

INDELIBLY WRITTEN

Psalm 91, 92 & 93 and Romans 15:1-13

Some Scripture is burned into memory, not for the greatness of the Scripture itself, but for the day that it was proclaimed and preached. There are some days in our lives that are joyous, some that are sad, some that are traumatic…you get the point. On some of those days we find ourselves in church and the Scripture, and the exposition of the Scripture, write indelibly upon our hearts…such it is for me and Psalm 91; when I read it I cannot help but recall that day.

It was September 11^th, 2001, a horrid day. At the time my day job had me immersed in our nation’s response. I sat that day with co-workers whose children may or may not have been in one of the towers. I managed to speak a few times to my priest that day. I was his Warden, a label applied to a position a lay person holds in the Episcopal Church. A Warden is a person who works on the governing board of the Parish to help the priest in the needs of the parish, especially the building and financial aspects of parish life.

In my conversations with him that day he shared with me all the affected parishioners. He shared with me that there would be a service at 7 pm, “Would I come and help?” He asked. I was able to get off work and do some small part that I cannot remember. What I can remember is two things.

First, they came, they came in droves. I had rarely seen that many people in the church. I did not know who they were. He did. Our priest knew almost all of them. These were the ones he had visited in the hospital, the ones whose baby he had baptized never to see them again, or the ones he had done hours of pre-marriage counseling with and officiated at their wedding never to see them again…until that night. He knew them all.

Second, I remember the Scripture and Sermon. I cannot forget it. I remember praying before the service for our priest. What would he say? What could he say? How could we have comfort on such a night as this?

He began. “September 11^th, 9.11 and number that we call for emergencies, a number that we call when we need help…those who attacked today have sought to do much harm and even mock us…they want 911 not to mean help, but rather panic and despair. But God prevails: for by God the numbers 911 communicate something completely different, “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, abides under the shadow of the Almighty.”

There we were, in a packed church with frazzled nerves, wondering what tomorrow would bring, and this man of God stood up and proclaimed one of the great psalms, one of the great prayers, a prayer of God’s absolute protection. “Dwell in the shelter of God.” His point was profound, "When all that we thought we were sure of is challenged and shaking, remember to go to Him who is unshakable." He simply and powerfully invited us to be people of faith...and on that day we needed to be reminded.

Consider as you read this blog the terrible days in your life, and then reread Psalm 91. Drink this Psalm in, memorize it, and remember, in the moments after you find yourself calling 911, open your Bible and read Psalm 91, “He shall deliver you from the snare of the hunter…He shall cover you with his pinions, and you shall find refuge under his wings…”