NaPoWriMo Poem #22: A Psalm

Today I skipped church--something I rarely ever do. But my work was piling up and I've simply been exhausted after the worrisome events of this past week. So upstairs I went to have my own worship service. After hauling up my prayer journal, 1928 Book of Common Prayer, Divine Hours: Prayers for Springtime, and my iPod, I lit my pillar candle and slipped the iPod into the player, switching on soft strains of Gregorian Chant before opening the prayer books to start my time with the Lord. I spent an hour in His Presence, praying His Word, especially from Psalm 119--my favorite Psalm.

Wikipedia informs us of the etymology of the word "Psalms": "The word psalms is derived from the Greek ψαλμοί (psalmoi), perhaps originally meaning 'songs sung to a harp,' from psallein 'play on a stringed instrument.'"

So in the spirit of the Psalms, especially Psalm 119: a Psalm of Susanne.

I sing Your praise,
O Lord Almighty,
for my soul longs
for Your Holy Presence.
For Your Word
is Truth,
the path to holiness,
the path to joy.

For I drink of Your Spirit,
drinking deeply of the depths
which envelop me in Your Spirit,
leading me along
lovely pathways, oak-shaded,
against edges of towering cliffs,
through valleys rife with danger,
atop cragged peaks where
I lift arms, as Moses,
supported by Your strength.

I soar above the mountains,
Your wings bearing my weight
silently, effortlessly.
Even if I am prey
pursued by the hunter
of my soul,
I am safe in You,
for You are
my deliverer,
my protector and defender,
my salvation--
both now
and evermore.
Amen.