U2

16Sep
I waited patiently upon the Lord; 
he stooped to me and heard my cry.


He lifted me out of the desolate pit, out of the mire and clay; 
he set my feet upon a high cliff and made my footing sure.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God; 
many shall see, and stand in awe,
and put their trust in the Lord.
-Psalm 40:1-3


While I was contemplating which of the daily lectionary readings I might possibly comment upon for today’s meditation, a text appeared on my phone from a good friend with a picture of his morning hike. Relieved by the interruption, I looked at the photo of a steep, stony, uphill climb which looked equal parts of achingly beautiful and desolately challenging. Returning to my own challenge of selecting a reading from the listing for today, a tiny portion of Psalm 40 beckoned to me as it told of being set on a high cliff.


‘Choose me! Choose me’ Psalm 40 said. ‘I know the Reverend Gary Taylor wrote about me on Friday. But lots of people have written about me - just Google Psalm 40!’ And so I did.


In 1982, in Ireland, in the midst of troubles upon troubles, in a recording studio, in a rush and under pressure, Paul David Henson, better known to the world as Bono of the rock band U2, opened his Bible to Psalm 40 and based his words on those of the Psalmist. The resulting track, titled 40, also known as 40 (How Long), was the concluding track in their record breaking album War. In almost 400 concerts, 40 has been the concluding number, sung by the band as one by one they depart the stage and the audience sings on.


Psalm 40 has echoed across the ages, rejoicing in God’s greatness, and pleading for God’s help. How many have sung this psalm, a song of praise for our God, a song of petition for relief from human foibles and failings? How long shall we sing this song?


Musical Reflection - u2 - 40

Lord, across the generations, may we continue to find new songs to sing your praise, and may our voices encourage others to put their trust in you. Amen.

Atonement

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September 16, 2024
U2
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