God of the Lullaby

AM Psalm 40, 54 • PM Psalm 51
Isa. 10:5-19 • 2 Pet. 2:17-22 • Matt. 11:2-15

When I read Psalm 40, I was struck by how easily I imagined God as a parent, stooping to pick up her crying child. I saw God the Mother picking up the psalmist out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay, out of the dirt and mud. She sets her child’s feet up high, making sure they are steady, right at eye level. She looks lovingly into the child’s eyes, taking in every smudge on the child’s face, every curl out of place on the child’s head. I imagine God cupping the child’s face, offering a touch of comfort.

She begins to sing, a cooing lullaby to calm the upset child. She sings the song of her people from ages past, the notes composed by people who cried out for help. She sings the words of comfort that remind her child that she is with them. With every line, the child’s breath calms, their heartbeat slows, and they return to their body. Happy are they who trust in the Lord. You are my helper and my deliverer; do not tarry, O my God.

May we read this Psalm and be like the child, willing to be embraced by Mother God. May we remember the songs of our people and those who came before us. May we rest in the loving embrace of God, especially when it feels impossible to do so.

May it be so and Amen.

Written by Angela Tyler-Williams

…who joins her voice with the choir of St. Paul these days and remembers all who taught her the comforts and presence of God in the music.