Psalm 109

God, may I chose life over death,
right over wrong,
love over sin.
May I never seek how close to the line
I can get;
May I run far from the line.
May my life reflect Christ,
reflect his love and perfection.
Make me not proud in my disobedience,
but humble in forgiveness.
Make the path smooth before me
as you rescue me from temptation
and restore me in your grace.

Psalm 38--An Easter Psalm

What do you require of us, O God?
Must we work our way to please you?
Must I struggle to find you?
Do you hide from me until I am good enough?
No! The Lord stands with open arms!

O Lord, I praise you that repentance is all you ask.
Salvation is not in penance.
You do not offer a gift and then ask for payment.
You give the gift of your son freely.
Your forgiveness does not force us to suffer.

Lord, your mercy is astounding.
What can I do but be still in awe?
You are all my hope each day.
Covered in Christ's righteousness, my soul is at peace.
Praise to you, Lord, who makes the way for your children.

Psalm 34

Your Tabernacle, O Lord, brings revelation to us!
In the courtyard, we remember:
The white garments, our sin covering.
The sacrifices, our sin offering.
The laver, our cleansing from sin.

In the Holy Place, we remember:
The lampstand, the light of your presence.
The shew bread, the sustenance of your presence.
The altar of incense, our prayers in your presence.

In the Holy of Holies, we remember:
The veil, cover of your mercy.
The Ark of the Covenant, your law, your reality.
The Mercy Seat, your atonement for man.

Lord, may we come in from the courtyard!
May we remember your son's sacrifice,
that which covers us in pure righteousness,
that which cleanses us as water cleanses hands.

Lord, may we move through the Holy Place,
Seeing the glorious light of who you are,
tasting the sustaining flesh of your Son,
smelling the sweetness of our answered prayers.

Lord, may we enter the Holy of Holies,
as the veil torn leads us to forgiveness,
as we learn you are completely pure, holy,
and you speak our depravity fallen under grace!

Your Tabernacle! Your symbol!
Your visual aid created to teach us!
May we learn your lesson well
and always praise you for your revealing Tabernacle!

I wrote this Psalm as a response to and reflection on The Tabernacle Experience. My husband, daughter and I went to this experience, where you move through a life size replica of the Tabernacle. A narrator, via an MP3 player, guides you through the Tabernacle. Not only do you walk through it, but you also interact with it: You carry white linen with you, reminding you of the priests who wore white linen to represent a covering for sin. You throw wood on the altar to represent your own sacrifice for sin. You wash your hands in the laver, a symbol of cleansing. You light the lamp stand, remembering God's light. You eat the bread dipped in wine, a symbol of Jesus' sacrifice. You take the incense from the altar and enter the Holy of Holies, representing your prayers to God. And you stand in front of the Ark of the Covenant, awed by the Mercy Seat of God that covers the law we can never keep. It was a breathtaking experience. It brought the Tabernacle to life and put an indelible memory into my mind of what God meant the Tabernacle to be: a representation of Christ who was to come and be the final sacrifice through whom we obtain mercy and are covered in God's holiness. Wow! I think one of the neatest experiences was moving from the outer courtyard into the Holy Place. Just even the act of moving from this bright sunlight into a darker place gave me a sense of awe and holy seriousness, and also a feeling of comfort. Then moving into the Holy of Holies, an even darker place, holding the incense and smelling it and seeing the Ark...it's hard to put into words. I think I got just a glimpse of what it was like for the High Priest. How holy that time was for him and how awesome.