Eden’s Entrance
Dear Savannah and Sutton,
Every poem, song and piece of art is an expression of the author’s or artist’s emotions and experiences. Even those things created by AI are born out of a machine’s attempt to produce something from all the information that is electronically available of human art, literature, research and creativity. In essence, AI is borrowing human emotion and creativity. Similary, when I read the Psalms, I feel like I am borrowing the emotions and experiences of the author. There is nothing wrong with that, because a person can gain great insight by learning from the experience of others. But the power of a piece expands exponentially when I allow the art, music, poetry or literature to take me into my own emotions and experiences. I encourage you to read Psalm 15 at the link below. My commentary is simply my personalization of that psalm. I hope that my reflection will, in turn, invite you into your own reflections, paraphrase or artistic interpretation that reflects your inner space of emotions and experiences. That journey is always worth the effort.
-Dad
Inside Out Lectionary Letters
Year A - 4th Sunday after Epiphany (Texts, Art, Hymns)
Readings for February 1, 2026
Micah 6:1-8 / Psalm 15 / 1 Corinthians 1:18-31 / Matthew 5:1-12
In Israel’s worship life, the “tent” and “holy hill” symbolized God’s presence. While the Israelites wandered in the desert, the tent of God traveled with them. When the Israelites entered the promised land, the tent continued as the focal place of ritual, allegiance and worship. The behavioral expectations that the psalmist proposes regarding those who can enter the holy tent, would seem to imply that no one is worthy. And maybe that is the point, given that salvation or redemption is an act of grace, not a reward for behavior. However, what if this poetry teaches us something about the inner life? What if the inner movement toward wholeness and holiness requires a shift in posture? What if there are practices or disciplines that make it possible to experience transformation? What if wholeness and holiness are not about a special location (where you go) or ritual practices (what you do), but rather about how you embody your authentic and best self? To that end, let’s consider a paraphrase of the five verses of Psalm 15.
Prayer
Oh Lord, how may one even knock on the door of the sacred space within, where the autograph of the divine is written upon the very core of one’s identity and being? How does one get there? Where is the map? Is it hidden, like the entrance to the Garden of Eden?
If it requires blamelessness or righteousness, then we are all screwed. But if by blameless, you mean I should stop blaming myself and others, and I should instead look for the good, the righteousness, in all things, well then that’s a truth worthy of holding in my heart.
Maybe then I will have the courage to stop slandering myself, degrading my efforts, covering my pain by praising my own works. Is trying to love and understand the hard-to-love and hard-to-understand parts of myself the doorway to this place of wholeness?
What if the vilest part of me is simply the most wounded part of me? The reason I ask is because I don’t think the most honorable part of me needs that sacred space nearly as much as the wounded vile part does.
So teach me generosity toward myself so that I might be generous toward others. Help me to discover the feeling of innocence, not because I am innocent, but because grace gives me hope. And give me courage to step into the garden where grace meets guilt, where the sacred bear-hugs the vile, and where love dances with the brokenness.
And that’s my prayer. Amen