Psalm 48

“We ponder your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.” vs. 9

For the Israelites the temple had more significance than the palace of the king. It was for them the dwelling place of the Lord on earth, and they came regularly with their offerings of praise and thanksgiving. Here sacrifices were offered by priests and Levites offered magnificent liturgies. Everything was done in order and with great decorum, but according to this psalmist it was also a place for pondering the steadfast love of God. We continue to need those spaces for contemplation. Oh we know that God cannot be confined to any particular building or temple, but there is within us a sense that buildings can be holy places. We even decorate our sanctuaries in ways that evoke a sense of holiness and mystery. There are statues, banners, and paintings that catch our eye and that bring to mind some aspect of our loving God. Sadly, there’s not always a lot of time given to pondering in worship, and some are even uncomfortable doing that kind of wondering. We’ve trained ourselves to be quick-moving in our worship, and some pastors like to “get ‘em in and get ‘em out” as fast as they can. Others call pondering, dawdling, and worry that they won’t get home in time for the early game kick-offs. In reality pondering is one of the richest spiritual practices, and is probably the best way for our minds to nibble away at the essence of the Divine Mystery.

Thought for the Day: Where and when do I do my pondering?