The Scheme for March – April can be found here

Jos 15; Mark 1; Psalm 139

Of all the Psalms, perhaps 139 is the one which should cause us the greatest comfort. ‘Lord you have searched me and you know me . . . Yet . . .

At the opening of the Anglican Eucharist we pray – Almighty God, unto whom all hearts are open, and from whom no secrets are hid . . .

Perfect Love casts out fear, says the beloved disciple.  It is perhaps a measure of how far we have progressed in the Christian life being able to say this, not out of fear, because we feel we are ‘good people’, but because we know that God loves us although we are far from ‘good’.

The last few verses may cause difficulty for some, but this is the gift of the Psalms, in a sense after Psalm 1, Psalm 139 holds the key to praying the Psalms. For we begin in this as in all true prayer as open to God. In all our goodness, and in all that is not good – we bring our selves before God – and thus we may well pray things that those who pretend to be good might think terrible.

For where can we safely pour out EVERYTHING that is on our hearts – even the ‘unpresentable’ parts – except to the one who knows us through and through – who is nearer to us than we are to ourselves. It is in such openness that the healing of who we are takes place