Psalm 138(C)

Though you are above us all,
    you care for humble people,
and you keep a close watch
    on everyone who is proud. 
(Psalm 138:6 CEV)

Psalm 138:

Reflection:

Loving God with whole-hearts means being open to and willing participating in God’s transformative work in the world. The mighty will be brought down, the oppressed will be lifted up. The values of the world will be turned upside-down. Just like Miriam, Deborah, Hannah and Mary sang (and lived), let us all sing God’s praises and live according to God’s love.

The Lord’s Prayer:

Breath Prayer:  

If you are new to breath prayer, I’ve recorded some examples:

Here are some simple breath prayers to accompany this psalm:

Meditate on whole-hearted praise

A simple prayer with one word on exhalation and one on inhalation: God fill me with your Holy Spirit. I receive your steadfast love and release my uncertainty. 

Or you can split a longer phrase between inhalation and exhalation or put a phrase on both.  Here is an example:

inhale on the first line, hold for the second, and release your breath on the third line

The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
    your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake the work of your hands. (Psalm 138:8 NRSV)

Do what is most comfortable to you.  Breath prayer is a practice not something we do perfectly.  Some days will be easier than others.

Ok, everyone, take a deep breath. Breath in. Breath out. Breath in. Breath out. Repeat as needed.

I began writing Psalm reflections during Lent of 2020 shortly after we decided to close the church building, work from home, and worship via zoom.  It is a practice I have continued since.  Many churches use the Revised Common Lectionary (RLC) that rotates scripture on a three-year cycle (A, B, and C).  Starting in Advent 2019, Third Church decided to worship with the texts from Year D, which is still not circulated as are years A, B, and C.  Year D was created with the goal of including scriptures that were left out or not used as frequently as others.  While we were using Psalms in year D, most other lectionary followers were using Year A.  In Advent of 2020 we rejoined those who use the lectionary in year B.  Advent of 2021 follows year C of lectionary pattern with Psalms in year C.    

I use the Vanderbilt Divinity Library’s resource for lectionary readings to make text selections.

Other Year C Psalm blog posts:

Advent – Transfiguration: 1^st Sunday in Advent Psalm 25, 2^nd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Luke 1:68-79, 3^rd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Isaiah 12:2-6, 4^th Sunday in Advent Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1^st Sunday after Christmas, Psalm 148, New Year’s Day Psalm 8, 2^nd Sunday after Christmas Psalm 147, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1^st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2^nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 35, 3^rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 19, 4^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 71, 5^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 138, 6^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 1, 7^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 37, Transfiguration Sunday (Sunday before Lent) Psalm 99

Lent: Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1^st Sunday in Lent Psalm 91, 2^nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 27, 3^rdSunday in Lent Psalm 63, 4^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 32, 5^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 126, 6^th Sunday in Lent (Palm or Passion Sunday) Psalm 118 or 31

Holy Week: Monday Psalm 36, Tuesday Psalm 71, Wednesday Psalm 70, Maundy Thursday Psalm 116, Good Friday Psalm 22, Holy Saturday Psalm 31

Easter: Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 114, 2^nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 150, 3^rdSunday of Easter Psalm 30, 4^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 23, 5^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 148, 6^thSunday of Easter Psalm 67, Ascension Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 97, Day of Pentecost Psalm 104

Season After Pentecost (Ordinary Time): 1^st Sunday after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday) Psalm 8, 2^nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 or Psalm 22, 3^rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 77 or Psalm 16, 4^th Sunday after Pentecost  Psalm 30 or Psalm 66, 5^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 82 or Psalm 25, 6^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 52 or Psalm 15, 7^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 85 or Psalm 138, 8^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 107 or Psalm 49, 9^thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 50 or Psalm 33, 10^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 80 or Psalm 82, 11^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 71 or Psalm 103, 12^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 81 or Psalm 112, 13^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 1, 14^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 14 or Psalm 51, 15^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 91 or Psalm 113, 16^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 91 or Psalm 146, 17^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 137 or Psalm 37, 18^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 66 or Psalm 111, 19^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 121, 20^thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 65 or Psalm 84, 21^st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 32, 22^nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 145 or Psalm 98 or Psalm 17, 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 98, 24^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 46.

Sources and notes:

“The opening psalm of the final David collection in the Psalter celebrates God’s answering the cry for help from the psalm singer and emboldening her to declare God’s word to “all the kings of the earth.” In the aftermath of the Babylonian exile the Israelites questioned their very identity and future as the people of God. With the full knowledge of the “steadfast love” and “faithfulness” of YHWH, though, the post exilic Israelite community could find a way to “sing” God’s praise in the aftermath of an exile in which they could not “sing” the songs their captors requested (Ps. 137:4).” W p. 258

“Verse 6 is a particular reminder that to acknowledge God’s reign and to live in dependence upon God means a transformation of what and whom the world generally values. Hannah’s song (1 Sam 2:1-10), which v. 6 recalls, is taken up by Mary in anticipation of the birth of Jesus (see Luke 1:46-55, esp. vv. 51-53). Jesus embodied God’s strange sovereignty and world-transforming values, distancing himself from the proud and powerful in favor of the lowly, Jesus showed us what it means to live in fundamental dependence upon God, to offer one’s “whole heart” gratefully to God.” NIB pp. 693-694

“The profession that God rules the world is clearly appropriate for the season of Epiphany, with which Psalm 138 is associated. Like all proclamations of God’s rule, Psalm 138 calls us to decision. It invites us to join the psalmist and the kings of the earth in praising God and offering ourselves to God with our “whole heart”.” NIB p. 694

WBC Allen, Leslie C. 1983. Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 101-150. Vol. 21. Waco, TX: Word Books, Publisher.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. 1974. Psalms: The Prayer Book of the Bible. 8th ed. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Press.

Brueggemann, Walter. 2007. Praying the Psalms: Engaging Scripture and the Life of the Spirit. 2nd ed. Eugene, OR: Cascade.

Brueggemann Brueggemann, Walter. 2014. From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms. Edited by Brent A. Strawn. 1st ed. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

Chittister Chittister, Joan. (2011). Songs of the heart: reflections on the psalms. John Garratt Publishing. 

WBC Craigie, Peter C. 1983. Psalms 1-50–Word Biblical Commentary. Vol. 19. Waco, TX: Word Books.

Creach Creach, Jerome Frederick Davis. 1998. Psalms: Interpretation Bible Studies. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.

DAFLER, J. (2021). PSOBRIETY: A journey of recovery through the psalms. Louisville, KY: WESTMINSTER JOHN KNOX.

W de Claisse-Walford, Nancy L. WISDOM COMMENTARY: Psalms Bks. 4-5. Edited by Barbara E. Reid. Vol. 22. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 2020. 

W Hopkins, Denise Dombkowski. WISDOM COMMENTARY: Psalms Bks. 2-3. Edited by Barbara E. Reid. Vol. 21. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical, 2016. 

NIB Keck, Leander E. 2015. The New Interpreters Bible Commentary. Vol. 3. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

Lewis, C. S. (2017). Reflections on the Psalms. Harper One, an imprint of Harper Collins Publishers. 

Mays Mays, James Luther. 1994. Psalms. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.

McCann McCann, J. C. (1993). A theological introduction to the book of Psalms: The Psalms as Torah. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

McCann, J. C., & Howell, J. C. 2001. Preaching the Psalms. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.

Merrill, N. C. (2020). Psalms for praying an invitation to wholeness (10th Anniversary Edition ed.). London, England: Bloomsbury Publishing.

Miller Miller, Patrick D. 1986. Interpreting the Psalms. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press.

Schlimm Schlimm, Matthew Richard. 2018. 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know.Nashville, TN: Abington Press.

Spong Spong, M. (Ed.). (2020). The words of her mouth: Psalms for the struggle. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press.

WBC Tate, Marvin E. 1990. Word Biblical Commentary: Psalms 51-100. Edited by David Allan. Hubbard and Glenn W. Barker. Vol. 20. Waco, TX: Word.

OTL Weiser, Artur. 1998. Old Testament Library: Psalms. Translated by Herbert Hartwell. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Manchester University Press.