Cast Your Burden Upon the Lord

Today is the winter solstice. The shortest day and the longest night of the year. It is the most difficult of days for those of us who have issues with diminishing light. 

But today's psalm offers an approach to hope for our anxiety and distress. Verse 23 says: Cast your burden upon the Lord and God will sustain you. And sometimes that is the only option, to give our burdens up to God. To put them down. To hand them over. To rise to the sweet breath of freedom from whatever is weighing us down.

As we prepare for our Blue Christmas Taize this afternoon, I invite us to cast our burdens upon the Lord. As a start, for just this one day. Join us at 3pm for an hour of quiet time in community, and then for a service of solace and unburdening.

For no weight is too heavy with God's help.

Psalm 55

א  לַמְנַצֵּחַ בִּנְגִינֹת, מַשְׂכִּיל לְדָוִד.	1 For the Leader; with string-music. Maschil of David.
ב  הַאֲזִינָה אֱלֹהִים, תְּפִלָּתִי;    וְאַל-תִּתְעַלַּם, מִתְּחִנָּתִי.	2 Give ear, O God, to my prayer; and hide not Yourself from my supplication.
ג  הַקְשִׁיבָה לִּי וַעֲנֵנִי;    אָרִיד בְּשִׂיחִי וְאָהִימָה.	3 Attend unto me, and hear me; I am distraught in my complaint, and will moan;
ד  מִקּוֹל אוֹיֵב--מִפְּנֵי, עָקַת רָשָׁע:    כִּי-יָמִיטוּ עָלַי אָוֶן, וּבְאַף יִשְׂטְמוּנִי.	4 Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked; for they cast mischief upon me, and in anger they persecute me.
ה  לִבִּי, יָחִיל בְּקִרְבִּי;    וְאֵימוֹת מָוֶת, נָפְלוּ עָלָי.	5 My heart writhes within me; and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
ו  יִרְאָה וָרַעַד, יָבֹא בִי;    וַתְּכַסֵּנִי, פַּלָּצוּת.	6 Fear and trembling come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me.
ז  וָאֹמַר--מִי-יִתֶּן-לִי אֵבֶר, כַּיּוֹנָה:    אָעוּפָה וְאֶשְׁכֹּנָה.	7 And I said: 'Oh that I had wings like a dove! then would I fly away, and be at rest.
ח  הִנֵּה, אַרְחִיק נְדֹד;    אָלִין בַּמִּדְבָּר סֶלָה.	8 Lo, then would I wander far off, I would lodge in the wilderness. Selah
ט  אָחִישָׁה מִפְלָט לִי--    מֵרוּחַ סֹעָה מִסָּעַר.	9 I would haste me to a shelter from the stormy wind and tempest.'
י  בַּלַּע אֲדֹנָי, פַּלַּג לְשׁוֹנָם:    כִּי-רָאִיתִי חָמָס וְרִיב בָּעִיר.	10 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue; for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
יא  יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה--יְסוֹבְבֻהָ עַל-חוֹמֹתֶיהָ;    וְאָוֶן וְעָמָל בְּקִרְבָּהּ.	11 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof; iniquity also and mischief are in the midst of it.
יב  הַוּוֹת בְּקִרְבָּהּ;    וְלֹא-יָמִישׁ מֵרְחֹבָהּ, תֹּךְ וּמִרְמָה.	12 Wickedness is in the midst thereof; oppression and guile depart not from her broad place.
יג  כִּי לֹא-אוֹיֵב יְחָרְפֵנִי,    וְאֶשָּׂא: לֹא-מְשַׂנְאִי, עָלַי הִגְדִּיל;    וְאֶסָּתֵר מִמֶּנּוּ.	13 For it was not an enemy that taunted me, then I could have borne it; neither was it my adversary that magnified herself against me, then I would have hid myself from her.
יד  וְאַתָּה אֱנוֹשׁ כְּעֶרְכִּי;    אַלּוּפִי, וּמְיֻדָּעִי.	14 But it was you, my equal, my companion, and my familiar friend;
טו  אֲשֶׁר יַחְדָּו, נַמְתִּיק סוֹד;    בְּבֵית אֱלֹהִים, נְהַלֵּךְ בְּרָגֶשׁ.	15 We took sweet counsel together, in the house of God we walked with the throng.
טז  ישימות (יַשִּׁי מָוֶת), עָלֵימוֹ--יֵרְדוּ שְׁאוֹל חַיִּים:    כִּי-רָעוֹת בִּמְגוּרָם בְּקִרְבָּם.	16 May God incite death against them, let them go down alive into the nether-world; for evil is in their dwelling, and within them.
יז  אֲנִי, אֶל-אֱלֹהִים אֶקְרָא;    וַיהוָה, יוֹשִׁיעֵנִי.	17 As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
יח  עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר וְצָהֳרַיִם, אָשִׂיחָה וְאֶהֱמֶה;    וַיִּשְׁמַע קוֹלִי.	18 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I complain, and moan; and Yahweh has heard my voice.
יט  פָּדָה בְשָׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי, מִקְּרָב-לִי:    כִּי-בְרַבִּים, הָיוּ עִמָּדִי.	19 He has redeemed my soul in peace so that none came; for they were many that strove with me.
כ  יִשְׁמַע אֵל, וְיַעֲנֵם--    וְיֹשֵׁב קֶדֶם, סֶלָה: אֲשֶׁר אֵין חֲלִיפוֹת לָמוֹ;    וְלֹא יָרְאוּ אֱלֹהִים.	20 God shall hear, and humble them, even The One that is enthroned of old, Selah such as have no changes, and fear not God.
כא  שָׁלַח יָדָיו, בִּשְׁלֹמָיו;    חִלֵּל בְּרִיתוֹ.	21 Hashem has put forth his hands against them that were at peace with him; one has profaned God's covenant.
כב  חָלְקוּ, מַחְמָאֹת פִּיו--    וּקְרָב-לִבּוֹ: רַכּוּ דְבָרָיו מִשֶּׁמֶן;    וְהֵמָּה פְתִחוֹת.	22 Smoother than cream were the speeches of his mouth, but his heart was war; his words were softer than oil, yet they were keen-edged swords.
כג  הַשְׁלֵךְ עַל-יְהוָה, יְהָבְךָ--    וְהוּא יְכַלְכְּלֶךָ: לֹא-יִתֵּן לְעוֹלָם מוֹט--    לַצַּדִּיק.	23 Cast your burden upon the LORD, and God will sustain you; He will never suffer the righteous to be moved.
כד  וְאַתָּה אֱלֹהִים,    תּוֹרִדֵם לִבְאֵר שַׁחַת-- אַנְשֵׁי דָמִים וּמִרְמָה,    לֹא-יֶחֱצוּ יְמֵיהֶם; וַאֲנִי,    אֶבְטַח-בָּךְ.	24 But You, O God, will bring them down into the pit; men of blood and deceit shall not live out half their days; but as for me, I will trust in You.