Topic

Laura Sportack (Peace Mennonite church) spoke on “Psalm 15: The Moral Mystery”. The psalm’s unyielding decrees concerning ethics and morality have resulted in the psalm being rather less popular these days. However, if one looks at the psalm as giving thanks to God for the sacred canopy of moral behaviour which can protect us if put into practice by others, the psalm becomes a source of security. Any community which seriously tries to follow the psalm’s ideals will live in relative peace. Imagine what North America’s societies would be like if everyone in government spoke the truth (15:2b). However, even though none of us can claim even to “walk blamelessly”, we should not feel defeated by this, nor even fear that this defect will exclude us from God’s presence, for Laura argues that the psalm’s ideals are in fact intended to describe God’s qualities. Since Jesus actually embodied the psalm’s ideals (and entered heaven), Psalm 15 is commonly read for the Feast of Ascension. We, too, should now strive to conform to this image of God, an image which reminds us that faith without action is insufficient. Psalm 15 can then become the doorway through which we enter into God’s tent, God’s Kingdom, God’s holy mountain. [JEK]