Psalm 84: 1-7
How lovely is your dwelling place, Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young— a place near your altar, Lord Almighty, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in your house; they are ever praising you.Blessed are those whose strength is in you, whose hearts are set on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baka, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools. They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
As the university prepares to welcome new and returning students over the next few days, it is good to pause and imagine. It is a fantastic time of excitement, vulnerability, and a sense of personal journey. This is especially seen as freshers say goodbye to their parents, wave them off and set off into their university life – to learn to make friends and stand on their own two feet.
Eight years ago, when I started here, the first sign I put outside the chaplaincy office says, ‘If you’re looking for a Bible, please take one. Psalm 87 tells us of sanctuary.’ Underneath this sign is a stack of New Testaments and Psalms, which we regularly replenish.
I love the first seven verses of this Psalm, as quoted above. They tell of two things which I believe are crucially important as we look at the role of faith on this journey.
In the first 4 verses there is a sense of safety and sanctuary – the psalmist’s yearning for the security of ‘a nest near your altar.’ We pray that all students find this in their accommodation, or around campus.
In addition, verses 5-7 tell of God’s support for another aspect – the blessing of this journey. These verses say that when our strength is in God, and our hearts are set on pilgrimage, God will bless that journey, wherever it takes us, changing dry places into a valley full of springs and pools.
From the chaplaincy, we send all support to students arriving here setting their ‘safe places’ and preparing for the next stage of their journey.
Revd Nigel Rawlinson – University Chaplain
19th September 2024
Respond
