Lasting Words: Psalm 139
What Sacred Scripture do you want read at your funeral?
Continuing with the divinely inspired words that I want to share with those who will grieve my death, whenever that will be, (for more, click here) I turn to my favorite Psalm. God knows that I strayed from Him in my life, seeking truth where truth was not – yet, God was everywhere that I looked and I could not see Him. God was with me – and Mysteriously, in me – all along, and I denied Him. I tried, as some ancient sages have written, to run from my feet….
Thankfully, God is merciful!
Psalm 139:
LORD, you have probed me, you know me:
you know when I sit and stand;*a
you understand my thoughts from afar.
You sift through my travels and my rest;
with all my ways you are familiar.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
LORD, you know it all.
Behind and before you encircle me
and rest your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
far too lofty for me to reach.b
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence, where can I flee?
If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;
if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.c
If I take the wings of dawn*
and dwell beyond the sea,*
Even there your hand guides me,
your right hand holds me fast.
If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light”*—
Darkness is not dark for you,
and night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one.d
You formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.e
I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!
My very self you know.
My bones are not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned in the depths of the earth.*
Your eyes saw me unformed;
in your book all are written down;f
my days were shaped, before one came to be.
How precious to me are your designs, O God;
how vast the sum of them!
Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sands….
Probe me, God, know my heart;
try me, know my thoughts.j
See if there is a wicked path in me;
lead me along an ancient path.*
Bible version: NAB
© 2018 Christina Chase
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Christina Chase View All
Although crippled by disease, I'm fully alive in love. I write about the terrible beauty and sacred wonder of life, while living with physical disability and severe dependency. A revert to the Catholic faith through atheism, I'm not afraid to ask life's big questions. I explore what it means to be fully human through my weekly blog and have written a book: It's Good to Be Here, published by Sophia Institute Press.
Christina Chase 
Good Evening Christina,
That has to be on the short list! Can your congregation sing, or do you have a good reader lined up? Quite a challenge to read for a friend or relative’s funeral without choking up, but the reader can save that until later. Your planned funeral is your gift to everyone who attends, so the reader has to be able to proclaim your chosen text. I’m sure you’ll know the right people!
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True! .I do know our music director fairly well, as well as the other voice in the choir who I would love to have sing, so… Thinking this one would be in music form! You’re right, though, about choosing people to read at the funeral – although I would love to have close friends or family members, I don’t think they’d be able to do it! But, I’m well acquainted with a very good lector and have befriended another – one that might be reading this, in fact! I think they would be able to hold it together and do the words justice. Not having any idea when the funeral would be, however, I really can’t say who would be able to read! Just in case, two of the people mentioned are younger than me. 🙂
Thank you for reflecting on this with me! (And now a little more work on the book for tonight…)
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Your blog posts are great, Tina. They’re honest and raw and they take guts. Thank you for sharing them.
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Thank YOU for reflecting with me! (“Tina,” huh? Showing how long you’ve known me! 🙂 )
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