Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew & Matthew (SsAM)

Seeking to know and love God in every person, here, now.

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Grant me understanding that I may live.

Danny Schweers ready to go to a funeral, eyeball-to-eyeball with his dog.

2022-10-28, a reflection by Danny Schweers.

I love this saying, the last half of verse 144 of Psalm 119. It promises that, if we can understand, we can live.

Of course, people go on breathing even when they do not understand. I know. I have been doing it for decades! But when I do not understand, I do not breathe easily. I am anxious, not even half alive. Failure, suffering, even death can come at any time, and I worry. I am hunkered down. Celebration and joy are far off, a distant vision.

This verse is reassuring. Indeed, all of Psalm 119 points to joy and celebration as a result of understanding. “I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, when I have learned your righteous judgments.” “Open my eyes, that I may see…” “Your promise gives me life…” “Your word is a lantern to my feet and a light upon my path.” “My lips shall put fourth your praise…” “My tongue shall sing of your promise…”

One thing I now understand about Psalm 119 is that it is the longest of all the psalms. With 176 verses in all, it is the longest chapter in the Bible.

Doing a little more research, I now also understand that this psalm is an orderly progression through the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Its first eight verses begin with the letter Aleph, the next eight verses begin with the letter Beth, and so on through the end of the alphabet to the last letter, Tav. Twenty-two letters times eight verses per letter equal 176 verses in all. This construction would make the psalm easier to memorize and, when said or chanted or sung, the repetition would be remarkable to hear in the original Hebrew. Or so I imagine!

Actually, I do not have to imagine. Neither do you! To listen to all of Psalm 119 chanted by a Sephardi Jew (32 minutes), click here.

William Wilberforce 130x190pxDoing more research, I learned that Psalm 119 was a favorite of William Wilberforce. I had heard of him, but here are some details. He headed the British Parliament’s campaign against the British slave trade for 26 years until the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807 and then worked another twenty years to abolish slavery entirely. Soon after his death, the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833 abolished slavery in most of the British Empire. A diary entry from 1819 tells us that Wilberforce once walked from Hyde Park comforting himself by quoting aloud the 119th Psalm. He had memorized it!

John Ruskin self portrait 130x190pxJohn Ruskin, the influential critic (one of my heroes), wrote: “It is strange that of all the pieces of the Bible which my mother taught me, that which cost me most to learn, and which was to my childish mind, chiefly repulsive — the 119th Psalm — has now become of all the most precious to me in its overflowing and glorious passion of love for the Law of God.” Mahatma Gandhi credits Ruskin’s book, “Unto This Last”, with transforming him from a lawyer into a social activist.

So, all this makes me want to memorize Psalm 119, perhaps in the original Hebrew after I have mastered that language some time in the next 50 years. In the meantime, I will work to memorize the last half of verse 144 and make it part of my prayers: “Grant me understanding, that I may live.”

____________________

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Danny N. Schweers chairs SsAM’s Communication Committee. He is an active photographer and writer. Click here to visit his website and make a comment. In the top photo, the author is about to go to a funeral and is eyeball-to-eyeball with his dog.

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NEWS

Clergy Transition – Our Search for a New Rector

SsAM IS NOW RECEIVING NAMES FOR OUR NEXT RECTOR! If you are a clergy person and interested in our open rector position, we invite you to … [Read More...]

Worship God with us in downtown Wilmington, Delaware

You are invited to worship God with us in person on Sunday at 8:00 or 10:30 a.m. in downtown Wilmington, Delaware. Our 10:30am Sunday … [Read More...]

Welcome To SsAM. You are invited!

SsAM, the Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew & Matthew in downtown Wilmington, Delaware, welcomes you. Come to God’s Table! Come, you … [Read More...]

SsAM Presents: Upcoming Events

Slavery By Another Name, Saturday, March 25, 10am via Zoom Recently, seventeen individuals viewed the PBS video "Driving While Black". Some … [Read More...]

Why I Walk

First Friday Walks for Justice in Wilmington, Delaware. A reflection by Mary Lou Edgar for March 21, 2023.  Shortly after I joined … [Read More...]

Wednesday Nights in Lent with Father Jim

Join the Rev. James M. Bimbi for a Lenten journey in the holy land as we read and reflect on the material in the book “River through the … [Read More...]

Holy Week and Easter Services in Downtown Wilmington, Delaware

Holy Week 2023 at our church in downtown Wilmington, Delaware starts with the promise of Palm Sunday, becomes tragic on Good Friday, but … [Read More...]

Children’s Chapel continues on March 26, April 2, and April 23 at 10:30am.

Children’s Chapel will meet on March 26, April 2 (Palm Sunday), April 23 at 10:30am. Chapel is usually on every second and fourth Sunday at … [Read More...]

First Friday Walks for Justice and Peace in Wilmington, Delaware

The next walks are on Friday, April 7 and May 5 at 5:30 p.m. in the SsAM parking lot, 713 N. Shipley Street. Join us for this peaceful, … [Read More...]

Vestry Nominees Wanted

A call to Christian Service - Nominees wanted to serve on SsAM’s Vestry by April 10, 2023. When Jesus called his disciples, he did not ask … [Read More...]

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Worship Services

We will be delighted if you worship with us in-person or via video this Sunday at 8:00 and 10:30 a.m. Click here to learn more!

Visit Us

719 N. Shipley Street
Wilmington, DE 19801
with free parking weekends and evenings next to the church at 713 N. Shipley Street. Click here to learn more about parking and directions.
Office Hours
Monday – Thursday, 9:00 to 4:30
Friday, 9:00 to 1:00

OUR MISSION

To be an inclusive Christian community which worships God, follows Christ in all aspects of our lives, and serves the Greater Wilmington area through actions and ministries which promote peace, justice, reconciliation and empowerment for all people.

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PHONE: 302 656-6628

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Are You New to SsAM?

If you are new to SsAM, please click here to see the Welcome to SsAM booklet in PDF format. The Episcopal Church of Saints Andrew and Matthew is a dynamic and diverse congregation in downtown Wilmington, Delaware.

Our Vision

The Episcopal Church of Sts. Andrew and Matthew seeks to be a dynamic, spiritual center that is active in the pursuit of peace and justice in the community and a place where all God’s people are honored.

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