Inscribing the Text: Sermons and Prayers of Walter Brueggemann

On Reading Psalm 4

On Reading Psalm 4 Oh for a thousand tongues, thousand and thousand, to sing our amazement at the break of day, to sing our awe that we are, because you utter us, to sing our gratitude that life breaks so well among us, to sing old, old songs that we have loved so well, to tell the old, old story that becomes the new, new song as fresh and urgent as today. Such tongues you give us—and some sing ... but some among us today and many of us often, and all of us sometimes, refuse such tongue, grow silent as teenagers, grow resentful as a hurt child, grow as calculating as those near defeat... And cannot sing anything of amazement, awe, or gratitude, cannot hear old songs or old stories, and resist new songs because our tongues first must come to truth about our hurt that is deep, about our fear that is massive, about our hate that is torrid, and about our alienation that is thick. Some among us today, and many of us often, and all of us sometimes are silenced too long, as though our life were a shushed library where we can die in silence. ■no Our words hover close to utterance but not out, and muteness reigns— tongues unused, words unuttered, silence unbroken. And some find permit, license to tell the truth of empty void, shushed self-esteem, doubted healing. All out, all said, all risked And we dare to know—for sure— that for all our able tongues You have ears: You listen You heed You invest You care You promise: "Before they call, I will answer, while they are yet speaking, I will hear." (Isa 65:24) In assurance we tell truth before you, As you hear our truth we may come again to praise and thanks, we may soon, not yet, not quickly, so listen, we bid, to so much not said until now Listen you great Ear of our future. Amen. June 20, 2002 (Montreal) 111 ...