Psalm 89 (2023-2024B)

¹ I will sing of your steadfast love, O Lord, forever;
    with my mouth I will proclaim your faithfulness to all generations.
² I declare that your steadfast love is established forever;
    your faithfulness is as firm as the heavens.
⁴⁹ Lord, where is your steadfast love of old,
    which by your faithfulness you swore to David?
⁵⁰ Remember, O Lord, how your servant is taunted,
    how I bear in my bosom the insults of the peoples,
⁵¹ with which your enemies taunt, O Lord,
    with which they taunted the footsteps of your anointed.

⁵² Blessed be the Lord forever.
                Amen and Amen.

Psalm 89

Reflection:

In Psalm 89 we see that the people of God remember God’s promises and are waiting for the fulfillment of those promises. They are waiting for the happy ending. And in the midst of current unpleasant circumstances, they are waiting anxiously. We know God’s attributes are righteousness, justice, steadfast love, and faithfulness. We also know that right now it doesn’t feel like that because the world is full of self-righteousness, injustice, hate, and disloyalty. We are disillusioned. Why did the LORD’s anointed fail? Why can’t the people of God live in peace and safety? How long O God, until you come to make things right? Even in the midst of unanswered questions and unfinished work, the psalmist affirms that God always listening and remembers. Knowing that God does not forget, gives us a little hope that God will return and make all things new. 

As people of faith, we know that we are not alone, we have each other and we have God who listens when we pray, when we cry, and when we scream into the void. So together we wait, we hope, and we talk to God who listens to all of our unfinished stories. And together we will find a way to move forward.

Advent is a season of unfinished stories and anxious waiting. Christians remember a time when God became flesh and dwelt among us. The Messiah came down from heaven to be with creation. And yet, Christ’s work is not complete. We are still waiting for the second coming. 

I invite you to give God the unfinished story your holding so it is no longer taking up room in your hands. I believe that as God’s people we are called to continue God’s unfinished work of justice and love, even if we don’t finish the work.

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.  Advent of 2023 year B.

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

Year B Psalms

Advent – Transfiguration: 1^st Sunday in Advent Psalm 80, 2^nd Sunday in Advent Psalm 85, 3^rdSunday in Advent Psalm 126, 4^th Sunday in Advent Psalm 89, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1^st Sunday after Christmas, Psalm 148, New Year’s Day Psalm 8, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1^st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2^nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 139, 3^rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 62, 4^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 111, 5^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 147, Transfiguration Sunday (Sunday before Lent) Psalm 50

Lent: Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1^st Sunday in Lent Psalm 25, 2^nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 22, 3^rdSunday in Lent Psalm 19, 4^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 107, 5^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 51 or Psalm 119:9-16, 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 114, 2^nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 133, 3^rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 4, 4^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 23, 5^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 22, 6^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 98, Ascension Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 1, Day of Pentecost Psalm 104

Season After Pentecost (Ordinary Time): 1^st Sunday after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday) Psalm 29, 2^nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 81, 3^rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 138 or Psalm 130, 4^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 20 or Psalm 92, 5^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 9or Psalm 133 or Psalm 107, 6^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 130 or Psalm 30, 7^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 48 or Psalm 123, 8^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 24 or Psalm 85, 9^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 89 or Psalm 23, 10^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 14 or Psalm 145, 11^thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 51 or Psalm 78, 12^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 130 or Psalm 34, 13^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 111 or Psalm 34, 14^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 84 or Psalm 34, 15^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 45 or Psalm 15, 16^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 125 or Psalm 146, 17^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 19 or Psalm 116, 18^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 1 or Psalm 54, 19^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 124 or Psalm 19, 20^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 26 or Psalm 8, 21^st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 22 or Psalm 90, 22^ndSunday after Pentecost Psalm 104 or Psalm 91, 23^rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 34 or Psalm 126, 24^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 146 or 119, 25^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 127 or Psalm 146, 26^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 16, 27^th Sunday after Pentecost (Christ the King) Psalm 132 or Psalm 93.

Sources and notes:

Altar, Robert.  2007.  The Book of Psalms: A Translation with Commentary New York: W. W. Norton & Company

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, Walter. Davis Hanskins, Editor. 2022.  Our Hearts Wait: Worshiping Through Praise and Lament in the Psalms Westminster John Knox Press, Louisville KY.

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

Brueggemann, Walter. (1984). The Message of the Psalms: A Theological Commentary. Minneapolis: Augsburg.

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. 

Green, Barbara. 1997. Like a Tree Planted: An Exploration of Psalms and Parables Through Metaphor. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press. 

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.

Morgan, Michael. 2010.  The Psalter for Christian Worship Revised Edition. Westminster John Knox 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.

Weems, Ann. 1995. Psalm of Lament. Westminster John Knox Pres

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