Psalm 66 (A)

Come and see what the Beloved has done; wondrous are the deeds of Love.

Come and hear, all you who reverence the Most High, and I shall tell what the Beloved has done for me.

Blessed be the holy Name of the Beloved, Loving Companion Presence, who embraced me, and renewed my life.

– Segments from Nan C. Merill’s Psalm 66

Psalm 66

Reflection:

Faith in God is lived communally and personally. What God has done for “us” and what God has done for “me” are held closely together. We can see our individual story in the context of the larger story of the people of God and we can see our individual story in the other individuals’ stories.

I participated in a Psalms retreat/class at Montreat this fall for the spiritual formation certification through Columbia Seminary, and I gained a perspective on how the psalms have been the center of the prayer life for centuries of believers. The Psalms occupy a prominent place in the liturgy of the hours, a prayer schedule shaped by Saint Benedict for monastic life and is still in use today. Much like the structure of psalm 66, with the communal and individual witness of what God has done, this immersive weekend allowed participants to learn of the history of the psalms in the life of the people of God and to share individual experiences with the psalms. The combination of historic and contemporary witnesses of God’s steadfast love is powerful and hope-renewing.

We immerse in the psalms because they convey a broad experience of life with God. When I read these ancient texts, I know I am connecting with a community of faith that expands beyond my imagination. My experiences are not dissimilar from those of the psalmist nor those who will read the psalms in the future. These prayers are communal and personal all at once. God hears prayers, yours, mine, and ours.

Blessed be God, who renews life, again and again, and again.

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 year C.  Advent of 2022 year A.

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

Year A Psalms

1^st Sunday in Advent Psalm 122, 2^nd Sunday in Advent Psalm 72, 3^rd Sunday in Advent Psalm 146, 4^th Sunday in Advent Psalm 80, Christmas Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1^st Sunday after Christmas Psalm 148, New Year Psalm 8, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1^st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2^nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 40, 3^rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 27, 4^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 15, 5^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 112, 6^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 119, Transfiguration Sunday Psalm 2 or Psalm 99.

Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1^st Sunday in Lent Psalm 32, 2^nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 121, 3^rdSunday in Lent Psalm 95, 4^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 23, 5^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 130, 6^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 118 or Psalm 31.

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

Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 114, 2^nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 16, 3^rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 116, 4^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 23, 5^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 31, 6^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 66, Ascension of the Lord Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 68, Pentecost Psalm 104.

1^st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 8, 2^nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 33 or Psalm 50, 3^rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 116 or Psalm 100, 4^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 86 or Psalm 69, 5^thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 13 or Psalm 89, 6^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 45 or Psalm 145, 7^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 65, 8^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 86, 9^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 119, 10^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 17 or Psalm 145, 11^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 85, 12^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 133 or Psalm 67, 13^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 124 or Psalm 138, 14^thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 26, 15^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 149 or Psalm 119, 16^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 114 or Psalm 103, 17^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 145, 18^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 78 or Psalm 25, 19^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 19 or Psalm 80, 20^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 106 or Psalm 23, 21^stSunday after Pentecost Psalm 99 or Psalm 96, 22^nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 90 or Psalm 1, 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 107 or Psalm 43, 24^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 78 or Psalm 70, 25^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 123 or Psalm 90, 26^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 100 or Psalm 95.

Sources and notes:

“Thanksgiving Psalm 66 centers on fulfillment of the vow made when the psalmist was “in trouble”. This brief and very general reference to the psalmist’s distress enables almost anyone to pray the psalm by particularizing “trouble” with his or her own personal experience. …. Because of the public dimension of the vow, Psalm 66 ties together both the communal memory of God’s deeds on Israel’s behalf in vv. 1-12 and the individual testimony about God’s reduce in vv. 13-20, moving from the rural “we” to the singular “I”. ” W p. 179

“Psalm 66 is a song that celebrates the deeds of God for the people of God. That is the theme and purpose that unites it. The psalm is composed of two genres, a hymn of praises (vv. 1-12) and a song of thanksgiving (vv. 13-20). The human is congregational in style and the song individual. The psalm is generally treated as a composite of two distinct pieces. But as in the case of Psalm 118, the combination of group and individual praise seems to reflect the service of thanksgiving as a general institution in the post exilic period. They human is a processional fo rat congregation preceding the presentation of offerings by a representative person whose thanksgiving is made in identity with and on behalf of the congregation.” Mays p. 221

“The processional hymn has three stanzas, each introduced by an imperative summons to praise. The first stanza (vv. 1-4) begins with the same line that opens Psalm 100, a call to all the earth to acclaim God as king.” Mays p. 221

“Compare this opening stanza to Revelation 15:3-4 with its hymn on the great and wonderful deeds of God to whom all the nations shall come and worship. There is a sense in which the praise of God as king always has a prophetic reach. God’s rule is eternal (v. 7), but his kingdom is coming.” Mays p. 222

“The second stanza (vv. 5-7) invites the nations to “Come and see the works of God.” The challenge is like that of Psalm 46:8, where the works of God are visible in the self-destructiveness and futility of war as a manifestation of human power. Here it is the exodus and the wonder at the sea: “He turned sea (yam) into dry land; the river (nahar) they crossed on foot.” The event was not just a miracle. Yam and Hahar are the names of the personalized cosmic powers who the Canaanite god Baal overthrows in teh ancient myth of Baal’s ascent to kingship over nature. The psalmist draws on that myth to peak of the primal saving event in Israel’s story as the revelation of the LORD’s rule over the nations. The hymn recalls (vv. 6-7) the rejoicing that broke out “there” among the people in the song of Exodus 15 over the revelation that it is the LORD who reigns forever over the gods and the nations (cf. vv 11, 14, 17-18). The congregation recalls that rejoicing as a celebration in which they participated. Worship transcends time, and the congregation that sings the psalm becomes part of the astonished joyous people of exodus.” Mays p. 222

“In the third stanza (vv. 8-12), the congregation tells the peoples of the world directly what God has done for them. God has put them through a time when they were subjected to mere human begins (‘enosh, v. 12), a time when they were proved and refined like silver in a smelter (v. 10). The language describing their suffering is similar to that by which the prophets describe the affliction of the exile (the figure of testing and smelting in Isa. 48:10; Jer. 9:7; Zech. 13:9; Mal. 3:3; the net in Exek. 12:13; 17:20; and passion thorough water and fire in Isa. 43:2). The corporate travail of hte congregation is described in this way to make it very clear that their humiliation was no contradiction of ht reign of “our God.” Quite the opposite, it was, itself, God’s work. And now he has brought the through and given them life abundant (vv. 9 and 12b). “You brought us fourth” (v. 12) is exodus language used to say that the first exodus has happened again, bu tin a different and unexpected way. Human and cosmic powers sought their death, but God brought them to a new life. Noting this, the Greek version names this psalm “a song of the resurrection.” Mays pp. 222 – 223

“The offerings are presented to keep the promises made in prayers for help in times of trouble. They are not to be thought of as ways to pay God back but rather as ritual acts of acknowledgement and confession.” Mays p. 223

“When the church uses this psalm, it recognizes its continuity with the community of those whose story is made up of exodus and rent and confesses that it is a shoot grafted into the olive tree of Israel. And it has a new witness to God’s awesome deeds of salvation to add to the old, a story of death and resurrection that is the gospel of the kingdom of God to the nations, an answer to the cry for life that lies in the heart of everyone.” Mays pp. 223 – 224 Also, note Brueggemann’s orientation, disorientation, new orientation cycle of psalms.

“The LXX and the Vulgate add the title “psalm of the resurrection” to Psalm 66, which has prompted Christian use of this psalm during the Easter season. This makes sense in light of verse 9, which speaks of “our God” “who has kept us among the living”. In the end, the focus of Psalm 66 is not so much on the big events of Israel’s history in which men played such a prominent role but on the little deliverances of daily life in which women played a crucial part and that illustrate God’s continuing faithfulness.” W p. 184

“Just as Christians affirm participation in the paradigmatic death and resurrection of Jesus (see Rom 6:1-11), so also the psalmist affirms participation in the paradigmatic event of exodus. Finally, what God has done for all God’s people (v. 5) is inseparable from what God has done for the individual (v. 16), and vice versa. Such is the lesson of Psalm 66 the it is read as a whole. As Brueggemann puts it, “This psalm shows the move from communal affirmation to individual appreciation, which is what we always do in biblical faith.”” NIB p. 486

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.

Bourgeault, C. (2006). Chanting the psalms: A practical guide Audio Book. New Seeds.

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.

Brueggemann, W. (2002). Spirituality of the psalms. Augsburg Pub. House. 

Chilson, Richard, ed. You Shall Not Want: A Spiritual Journey Based on the Psalms. Ave Maria Press, 2009.

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

Cudjoe-Wilkes, G., Wilkes, A. J., & Moss, O. (2022). Psalms for black lives: Reflections for the work of Liberation. Upper Room Books. 

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.