Put A New Song In My Mouth

Today's psalm hopefully declares that the God of Creation has put a new song in our mouths. As today's meditation, I suggest that a part of this new song is gorgeously articulated in a poem/prayer written by the Rev'd. Dr. Carter Heyward, and included in her Christmas card this season:

Beyond the Pale

We sing about the birth of one whose life draws us
far beyond all religion into the core
of our humanity, pushes us down
into our soul where we connect with friends
and, yes, enemies and elephants,
fraser firs, stones and snakes, slimy and
tough and dangerous and endangered,
everyone of us here, all of us present
in the beginning, together
where it all starts, in these wildly
creative bursts of energy like stars and imagination.

And now, because he grew up standing
with the marginalized and poor, outcast and bullied,
disabled, battered, and, yes, women and
because he lived deeply in the Sophia of God,
and only because he lived and died so fully with Her,
we catch a flash of Spirit in the manger,
and ourselves yearning and swept up
in wonder and joy!

Today, I invite us to hear, and to sing, this new song with every breath we take!

Psalm 40

א  לַמְנַצֵּחַ, לְדָוִד מִזְמוֹר.	1 For the Leader. A Psalm of David.
ב  קַוֹּה קִוִּיתִי יְהוָה;    וַיֵּט אֵלַי, וַיִּשְׁמַע שַׁוְעָתִי.	2 I waited patiently for the LORD; who was inclined unto me, and heard my cry.
ג  וַיַּעֲלֵנִי, מִבּוֹר שָׁאוֹן--    מִטִּיט הַיָּוֵן: וַיָּקֶם עַל-סֶלַע רַגְלַי;    כּוֹנֵן אֲשֻׁרָי.	3 Yahweh brought me up also out of the tumultuous pit, out of the miry clay; and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.
ד  וַיִּתֵּן בְּפִי, שִׁיר חָדָשׁ--    תְּהִלָּה לֵאלֹהֵינוּ: יִרְאוּ רַבִּים וְיִירָאוּ;    וְיִבְטְחוּ, בַּיהוָה.	4 And Yahweh has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God; many shall see, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.
ה  אַשְׁרֵי הַגֶּבֶר--    אֲשֶׁר-שָׂם יְהוָה, מִבְטַחוֹ; וְלֹא-פָנָה אֶל-רְהָבִים,    וְשָׂטֵי כָזָב.	5 Happy are you who have made the LORD your trust, and have not turned to the arrogant, nor to such as fall away treacherously.
ו  רַבּוֹת עָשִׂיתָ,    אַתָּה יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי-- נִפְלְאֹתֶיךָ וּמַחְשְׁבֹתֶיךָ,    אֵלֵינוּ: אֵין, עֲרֹךְ אֵלֶיךָ--אַגִּידָה וַאֲדַבֵּרָה;    עָצְמוּ, מִסַּפֵּר.	6 Many things have You done, O LORD my God, even Your wonderful works, and Your thoughts toward us; there is none to be compared unto You! If I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be told.
ז  זֶבַח וּמִנְחָה, לֹא-חָפַצְתָּ--    אָזְנַיִם, כָּרִיתָ לִּי; עוֹלָה וַחֲטָאָה,    לֹא שָׁאָלְתָּ.	7 Sacrifice and meal-offering, You hast no delight in; my ears have You opened; burnt-offering and sin-offering You have not required.
ח  אָז אָמַרְתִּי, הִנֵּה-בָאתִי:    בִּמְגִלַּת-סֵפֶר, כָּתוּב עָלָי.	8 Then I said: 'Lo, I am come with the roll of a book which is prescribed for me;
ט  לַעֲשׂוֹת-רְצוֹנְךָ אֱלֹהַי חָפָצְתִּי;    וְתוֹרָתְךָ, בְּתוֹךְ מֵעָי.	9 I delight to do Your will, O my God; yes, Your law is in my inmost parts.'
י  בִּשַּׂרְתִּי צֶדֶק, בְּקָהָל רָב--    הִנֵּה שְׂפָתַי, לֹא אֶכְלָא: יְהוָה,    אַתָּה יָדָעְתָּ.	10 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation, lo, I did not refrain my lips; O LORD, You know.
יא  צִדְקָתְךָ לֹא-כִסִּיתִי, בְּתוֹךְ לִבִּי--    אֱמוּנָתְךָ וּתְשׁוּעָתְךָ אָמָרְתִּי; לֹא-כִחַדְתִּי חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ,    לְקָהָל רָב.	11 I have not hidden Your righteousness in my heart; I have declared Your faithfulness and Your salvation; I have not concealed Your mercy and Your truth from the great congregation.
יב  אַתָּה יְהוָה--    לֹא-תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי; חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ,    תָּמִיד יִצְּרוּנִי.	12 You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassions from me; let Your mercy and Your truth continually preserve me.
יג  כִּי אָפְפוּ-עָלַי רָעוֹת,    עַד-אֵין מִסְפָּר-- הִשִּׂיגוּנִי עֲו‍ֹנֹתַי,    וְלֹא-יָכֹלְתִּי לִרְאוֹת; עָצְמוּ מִשַּׂעֲרוֹת רֹאשִׁי,    וְלִבִּי עֲזָבָנִי.	13 For innumerable evils have encompassed me, my iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart has failed me.
יד  רְצֵה יְהוָה, לְהַצִּילֵנִי;    יְהוָה, לְעֶזְרָתִי חוּשָׁה.	14 Be pleased, O LORD, to deliver me; O LORD, make haste to help me.
טו  יֵבֹשׁוּ וְיַחְפְּרוּ, יַחַד--    מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשִׁי, לִסְפּוֹתָהּ: יִסֹּגוּ אָחוֹר, וְיִכָּלְמוּ--    חֲפֵצֵי, רָעָתִי.	15 Let them be ashamed and abashed together that seek after my soul to sweep it away; let them be turned backward and brought to confusion that delight in my hurt.
טז  יָשֹׁמּוּ, עַל-עֵקֶב בָּשְׁתָּם--    הָאֹמְרִים לִי, הֶאָח הֶאָח.	16 Let them be appalled by reason of their shame that say unto me: 'Aha, aha.'
יז  יָשִׂישׂוּ וְיִשְׂמְחוּ, בְּךָ--    כָּל-מְבַקְשֶׁיךָ: יֹאמְרוּ תָמִיד, יִגְדַּל יְהוָה--    אֹהֲבֵי, תְּשׁוּעָתֶךָ.	17 Let all those that seek You rejoice and be glad in You; let such as love Your salvation say continually: 'The LORD be magnified.'
יח  וַאֲנִי, עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן--    אֲדֹנָי יַחֲשָׁב-לִי: עֶזְרָתִי וּמְפַלְטִי אַתָּה;    אֱלֹהַי, אַל-תְּאַחַר.	18 But, as for me, that am poor and needy, the Lord will account it unto me; You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.