Mulled Psalms: Moving from I to We

8/9/2019 Mulled Psalms: Moving from I to We

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Mulled PsalmsMoving from I to We

MARJORIE GRA

A lifelong revealer in creation and Scripture, Marjorie Grayaspires to threesupporting roles: homemaker, poem-maker, and peacemaker. She published adevotional book,Mulled Words: A Word a Week from God's Word(2009). Anearlier dra ofMulled Psalms: Moving from I to We,with introduction by PeggyRosenthal, was published in 2011.

Mulled Psalms is a book of poetry.Using the meta-phor of mulled cider or wine, it is a collection of carefully brewed,

distilled, and spiced beverages. e basic ingredient in each of these 150

poems is the biblical psalm of the corresponding number. us, the

length, subject, tone, and other aspects of a specific poem resemble that of

the original psalm. Because each psalm was mulled individually, at

varying times and temperatures of Spirit-fire, each comes alive as a new

entity. Many are prayers. All address or relate to God, the ultimatelyunnamable one, whom all humans yearn to know and name. Capital

letters are used for all nouns and pronouns, and for many other parts of

speech, referring to God.

Mull means ponder, reflect, contemplate. Heres a life-giving invitation to the Bibles prayer bookto meditate on all the stuff of lifes experiences: yourlures and longings, your angst and anger, your hopes and hungers. Marjorie Gray has not done all the mulling for you, but draws you to your own pondeing and psalming. Such honest-to-God praying will surely make a difference in your relationships.

KENT IRA GROFF, author of Honest to God Prayer

Gray has clearly lived long and prayerfully with the 150 biblical psalms, mulling over the core message and emotion of each psalm, letting it simmer wither. Here, she gives poetic expression to her mullings. So instead of the biblical psalmists speaking to us across the ages, we have here a fellow contempo-rary, speaking our own language, sharing our contemporary spirituality.

PEGGY ROSENTHAL, author of Praying through Poetry

Marjorie Grays compressed, muscular language consistently startles into insight. Intriguingly fresh, yet biblical, names for God and thoughtfully moderized images challenge the reader to enter these ancient poems as living, ever-renewing texts. Grays achievement here is remarkable and rare on both aliterary and devotional level. So psalm lovers will surely wantMulled Psalmson their shelves as a resource for study, prayer, and worship. But this is also awinsome volume for readers who have not yet fallen into the psalms, who have wondered what all the fuss is about.

DEBRA RIENSTRA, author of So Much More

e psalms are strange and beautiful old prayers. Gray knows them intimately. She inhabits them fullyand with her own fine skills as a poet, resurrectthem in language a 21st century person might use to pray. is is a book to be savored and cherished by anyone looking for new life in Scripture and byanyone struggling to pray.

DEBBIE BLUE, author of From Stone to Living Word


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Mulled Psalms

Moving from I to We

MARJORIE GRAY


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MULLED PSALMS

Moving rom I to We

Copyright Marjorie Gray. All rights reserved. Except or brie quotations in

critical publications or reviews, no part o this book may be reproduced in any man-

ner without prior written permission rom the publisher. Write: Permissions, Wipand Stock Publishers, W. th Ave., Suite , Eugene, OR .

Resource Publications

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I

Welcome now, dear readers and listeners, to this outpouring o psalm po-

ems. May you be gently nudged, as I am constantly, rom renzied, alse selto God-imaging true being; rom ego and empire building to heart, mind,

soul worship; rom isolation and conflict to amily and community. May

each mulled psalm inspire new mulling, as well as rereshing tastes o the

original psalms and all o Scripture.


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1

Happy ones ignore talking heads;

Glad souls repel liars,

never beriend jabbing jokers.

Rather they savor Live Words at all hours:

like river-irrigated orests God-

reshened, Joyous Peace-seekers thrive.

What o God-denouncers?Hapless dust-balls, sel-made justifiers

hopeless, ruthless, they are devoid o trust.

God Who sees all knows who is Just.

Violence blinds and sel-destructs.


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2

World leaders, why presume? How dare

figureheads flaunt selves, tout isms,

deying the ranscendent One?

Listen, posturing technocrats!

Holy Love laughs sadly. Listen!

Shiver under Gods displeasure.

Hear God name Creations Ruler,empowering Peace Prince to topple

regimes and pulverize shackles.

Kings, presidents, come and kneel now.

Love and serve with Servant Master,

always radiant, always at Peace.


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4

God? God, can I get a reply?

See me boxed in, calling, calling.

When will You end peoples mocking,

smoking pipe-dreams, etish worship?

God, You called us to Your service;Loving one, we know You hear us.

Now in awe I let go anger,

probe my motives, wait in silence.

People strive or ame, or money;

let Your Smile be my ulfillment.

Joy rom You exceeds all measures;

rest is sae, serene my slumber.


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11/21

6

Holy One, please do not scold

or treat us harshly.

God, I am exhausted:

heal her aching body;

lif his beaten spirit.

Will Your Love revive us?

How? When? Must we die first?Sleepless, always weeping,

tired o grieving, we are

sick to death o fights.

Back off, demons! God is Listening,

Receiving each tear, prayer and sigh.

All antagonists, retreat and,

mortified, lay down your weapons.


12/21

7

God Alive, our Hideout: Strong Love,

rescue us rom haters talons.

I we have betrayed our amilies

or even have loathed enemies,

our deeat may be well-deserved.

God, overcome our blind anger

by Your Calm, Straightorward Judgment.Rise, preside, and vindicate us:

Wise One, You see our true motives.

Halt all violent endeavors;

guard each truthul, peaceul spirit.

Your Passionate Justice awes us.

Mischie plotters hatch mere bubbles;

trouble-makers drown in trouble.

Tank You, Proactive Advocate;

All praise to You, God Majestic.


13/21

8

Your Excellency! Cosmos Creator,

Celestial King: babies sound Your praises;

childrens chanting shames Your oes to silence.

God Whose fingers flung out planets and spun

myriad galaxies into orbit:

Do mere humans merit Your attention?Do You honor us almost as angels?

You adorn our lives with Glorious Purpose

to tend lie on land, in air and water.

God, Your Majesty! Holy Creator!


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With heart-driven poems we long to praise You.

Celebrating Your astounding actions

we rejoice in Your majestic presence.

May our songs trumpet Your supreme honor.

Accusers give up their case against us,

stunned to ace You, Deender o Justice.

Divine One, do You devastate nations

and decimate vengeul, vicious people?

All-Viewing One, You always judge justly,

shelter outcasts, saeguard troubled masses.

God, to know You is to trust You, the One

Who never turns rom those who look or You.

You remember and punish bloodshed,

never overlook mistreated people.

God, look on us today in Your Mercy;

draw us rom the panicked brink o despair.

May we reely publicize Your Kindness,

thriving in Your Ever-Living power.

Let God-denying regimes sel-destruct,

lost in labyrinths designed to trap others.

Your Justice is amous. Wily leaders

who orget You die and are orgotten.

You never orget one needy person

but offer Hope to each soul that suffers.


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10

Why the seeming chasm between us?

God, can You see how much we need You?

Prideul hustlers prey on poor amilies:

they flaunt obscene liestyles, kiss up to

landlords, warlords; they curse You, despise

your law. Fat-cats brag Nothing scares us.

Bigwigs talk big, pile on threats and lies.Cronies bully women, hurt children:

saety nets are severed while dragnets

keep ensnaring innocent weaklings.

Sneaky thieves assume You are blind, God.

Heaven, hear and rescue beaten ones.

Why permit perpetrators curses

with boasts that You will never judge them?

All-Seeing One, You see the suffering!

Weigh each groan and teardrop, or victims

depend on You. Break evildoers

power; call them to account. Divine

Judge, You rule the Universe in Peace:

violent empires have no uture.

Loving God, You draw close to those who

yearn or shelter, water, ood, reedom.

You move us to care, to encourage,

to advocate or abandoned ones.

No more ear o humans or demons.


16/21

11

We are sae here with You, God.

Why this earul urge to flee?

We see danger and evil

spiralingbombs, hijackings,

crumbling buildingswhat to do?

You preside in Holy Splendorshining through all Creations acets.

You observe every person closely,

prove our intentions sullied or pure.

You will brand violent people;

fiery guilt pangs will consume them,

Great Spirit will sweep them away.

God, You are good. You love justice.

You will guide us to ace Your love.


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12

God, help! No one is aithul.

Humans cannot be trusted;

everyones words are empty

bloated untruths, glazed with sweet talk.

God, please seal flattering mouths.

Mute minds that boast We alwayswin with wordswho can stymie us?

Messiah, keep the promises:

You hear needy peoples groans;

You will stop thieves o poor olks.

Your Words gleam like sun on ice,

Pure as babys first teardrops.

Love, saeguard hassled people;

extricate us rom rat-racers

who parade degradation.


18/21

13

Mercy, God, how much longer?

When, i ever, will we see You?

When will global conflict end?

How long will horrors persist?

Do You realize our conusion?

Let us see You; help us know You.Otherwise we sink and drown while

gloaters smile to see us flounder.

But we trust Your loving power;

your provision keeps us joyul,

overflowing with new love songs.

Tank You, divine ever-close Friend.


19/21

14

Foolish hearts insist there is no God.

Rotten characters rape and bribe;

no one is good. God is looking:

is anyone looking or God?

Does anybody understand?

No, all are headstrong; none do right.

Arrogant critics, cant You see?

You are swallowing up people

and thereby disrespecting God!

Dread will overwhelm You because

Holy Advocate stands with victims.

Tough crooks bulldoze poor peoples dreams

Gods live word resurrects vision,

spurs actions toward Earths Renewal!

Let the estive singing begin.


20/21

15

Great Spirit, who is welcome in Your

Secret Place? Who is at home there?

Tose with bright, clean liestyles, sincere

olks who do not backbite or revile.

Tese humble, brave souls cannot beswayed by vileness or violence.

Tey affirm all who respect God.

No matter the consequences, they

keep their word. Te poor can borrow

interest-reeno penalties, no bribes.

What a beautiul, solid lie!


21/21

16

Spirit, hover close:

keep us under cover, Master.

Our work is worthless

without Your Leading.

Hooray or Godly People,

Friends o Earth, our rue Friends always.Idol an-club crazies

will capsize weekly, daily.

We reuse them tribute,

not gracing their names with mention.

Love Source God, our Beneactor:

thanks or jobs that provide plenty.

Praise to You, Loving Spirit

Whose Counsel lights our night musings.

Keep us ocused, Holy Guide,

purpose clear, in sync with You.

Joy will buoy our hearty voicing;

Your Sweet Peace eases all strained nerves.

Breath o all Creations Lie,

breathe through us Your Re-creation.

Lie-Way Escort, thank You;

we are Alive in Love always.

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Mulled Psalms: Moving from I to We