Timing

A Reflection on the Psalm for October 31st, 2021:
Thirty-First Sunday in Ordinary Time

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Psalm 18

R. I love you, O Lord, my strength.

I love you, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. My God, my rock in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the source of my salvation, my stronghold. 

R. I love you, O Lord, my strength.

I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, so I shall be saved from my enemies. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears. 

R. I love you, O Lord, my strength.

The Lord lives! Blessed be my rock, and exalted be the God of my salvation. Great triumphs he gives to his king, and shows steadfast love to his anointed. 

R. I love you, O Lord, my strength.
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This is a dance. There’s a pulse in the words. One, two, three. One, two, three. A love song in 3/4 time. A waltz. Some psalms are a declaration, a march in 2/4. One, two. One, two. A rallying cry stomped out in time, letting all hear who He is — even (especially?) telling ourselves who He is.


On my first brush with this psalm I feel it like one whispered close in His ear, as He leads me through this dance. In the swaying rhythm I can fall into this expression of devotion to Him. I simply desire to let Him know there is no other. I long to take this moment of movement and list for His ears alone all that I find Him to be: my strength, my rock, my fortress, my deliverer, my shield, my salvation, my stronghold, worthy to be praised.




We get to the end of the song, and I start back from the top. This time I find I can recast the timing. Thanking Him for the dance and letting go of the intimacy, my feet start to fall into a 2/4 march. Each tread a testimony of who He is. I pace out each assertion to the parts of myself that I war with, to the enemy within and without: I shall be saved; He heard my voice; the Lord lives!


But there is this time signature that borrows from both the 2/4 pulse of the march and the 3/4 pulse of the waltz. 6/8 time. One, two, three, four, five, six. One, two, three, four, five, six. The intimacy of the waltz carried into the forward motion of the march. Leaving behind my solitary stomp, I head back to the beginning and start over, this time linking arms with all of you as we move forward down the yellow brick road together. There is joy in the lilt, and determination in our steps forward with each realization of where He is leading us: blessed be; exalted be; great triumphs; steadfast love.


Thank you Father, for all the chances to be in motion with You. In Jesus name, amen.


Here are some songs of worship written recently in 6/8 time:

• There Is A Cloud
• Follow You Anywhere
• Who You Say I Am

Noreen Smith

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