Justin Appel

Dear Friends,

Today’s readings include Psalm 100 (101), a bracing psalm speaking of David’s intention to follow God faithfully.

“O Lord, I will sing to You of mercy and judgement.”

The first phrase indicates David’s desire to receive God’s grace and his discernment—the latter of which is also called wisdom or prudence. Our ability to proceed in the Way of Life is based on these divine gifts: both the gracious favor of God and the divine ability to know how to choose a course of action.

“I will sing and understand in a blameless way.”

Prayer book prayers often treat ignorance as a sin to be avoided and confessed. The opposite of prayerful discernment is a careless ignorance.

David goes on to articulate his intention to live in a blameless way, which highlights the necessity for each of us to choose to follow Christ. David’s stated ability to “walk blamelessly” does not indicate a flawless obedience, but rather a wholehearted desire to orient one’s life towards God. This possibility of innocence, as difficult as that word might seem to us, is possible only as we walk in God’s mercy and grace, attempting as best as we can to follow Christ in our lives.

David expresses this desire to follow God so intently that he explicitly avoids things and people that detract from that trajectory. This causes me to think, am I willing to cut anything out of my life that prevents me from being Christ’s disciple?

“My eyes were on the faithful of the earth, so they might dwell with me.”

David points to the saints, those holy ancestors of the faith, who show us how to live, and who ‘minister’ to him.

Taken together, this psalmist’s intentions and invocations make a reliable blueprint for our daily life as Christians, and holy words that teach our mouths how to pray.

Yours in Christ,

—Justin