Author Archives: Linda Calkins

‘For I am a stranger with you, and a sojourner, as all my ancestors were.’ (Psalm 39:14) There are moments in my life I wake up in the middle of the night, pondering what meaning my life has had, but mostly how short life really is. Some might find this morbid, but I find itContinue reading “A stranger and a sojourner”

When I was in seminary taking a course on the Psalms, another student and I chose Psalm 55. I used it to exemplify the prayer of an abused woman, having the other students sit in a room with candles, while I entered with my own candle, having put on makeup to look like I hadContinue reading “A Psalm for the Abused Woman”

‘They went astray in the wilderness and found no way to a city to dwell in; hungry and thirsty their soul fainted in them. So they cried to the Lord in their trouble and he delivered them from their distress.’ (Psalm 107:4-6) We are seeing more and more photos, facts, writings about the plights ofContinue reading “Refugees”

I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow, that sits alone upon the housetop. (Psalm 102:7) It’s tough to be lonely, to sit alone day after day, night after night. Many have done that and many continue to do that in the midst of a global pandemic. But also in the midstContinue reading “Like a sparrow…”

‘Forsake me not, O God, in my old age, when I am gray-headed…’ Psalm 71:16 I first noticed this Psalm at seminary as a senior, getting ready to graduate. A group of us were presenting the Scripture for the day, this being the Psalm. Didn’t take too much notice of it except one of theContinue reading “Gray Hair”

Psalm 1:3 And she shall be like a tree planted by streams of water that bring forth fruit in good season (my translation) It’s the first day of the month of April, a sense that winter is finally behind us, spring has fully arrived. It’s also a season of hope for the millions of usContinue reading “A New Month: A New Psalm”

Psalm 102:14 For your servants love her very rubble, and are moved to pity even for her dust. We have all seen the remains of a bombed city, building, home, any place that has been destroyed with only dust remaining. And for those of us who have no worries about this happening to our homes,Continue reading “Loving the Rubble”

You have noted my lamentation,; put my tears into your bottle…” Psalm 56:8 It is strongly doubtful God has a bottle, at least a physical one. But shall we imagine there is such an item with the divine…how many tears would be in your bottle? I have cried rivers of tears during my sixty-odd yearsContinue reading “God’s Bottle”

Psalm 114:4, 6 (from the 1748 Book of Common Prayer) ‘The mountains skipped like rams: and the little hills like young sheep…Ye mountains that ye skipped like rams: and ye little hills like young sheep?’ It’s a funny analogue to ponder mountains and hills skipping. The context of this Psalm is Israel coming out ofContinue reading “Skipping”

Psalm 108:1 ‘O God my heart is ready, my heart is ready’. Ready…set…go! We all know those words as they begin a race, whether it be with a person, a car or even a horse. And the contestants are ready, they’ve been ready for a long time. The training often is brutal, the early morningsContinue reading “I AM READY!”