Praise the Beloved!
Sing a joy-filled song praising the Blessed One among the people!
Be glad in the Creator, rejoice in Love Divine!
Praise the Divine Lover with dancing, with melodies and voice!
For the Beloved dwells within, journeying with us through all our lives,
Leading us in truth and love.
The humble are adorned with honor; the faithful exult in glory,
singing for You with thankful hearts!
With truth on our tongues, with gratitude as our friend,
We are in harmony with the universe, as we hold hands with all people.
The chains of oppression are broken, the fetters of injustice unbound.
The realm of Peace and Love shall reign!
Glory abides with those who are faith-filled.
Praise the Beloved!
All people on earth, welcome Love’s Companioning Presence
who abides in your hearts!
Nan Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
Psalm 149 is one of those biblical texts that says more about the interpreter than anything else. It can be read to insight violence, war, and justify greed and power. And, it can be read to inspire justice, the kind of justice that lifts up the oppressed. When I read texts like this, I try to observe my own reaction. What is happening in me that is making me feel/think a certain way?
I am grateful for Nan Merrill’s Psalms for Praying because she has cultivated a loving, compassionate, merciful, justice-oriented reading of the psalms which feels especially important for Psalm 149. I hope to see the world in through the same lens as Nan Merrill sees the psalms, full of love and compassion.
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
1st Sunday in Advent Psalm 122, 2nd Sunday in Advent Psalm 72, 3rd Sunday in Advent Psalm 146, 4th Sunday in Advent Psalm 80, Christmas Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1st Sunday after Christmas Psalm 148, New Year Psalm 8, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 40, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 27, 4th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 15, 5th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 112, 6th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 119, Transfiguration Sunday Psalm 2 or Psalm 99.
Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1st Sunday in Lent Psalm 32, 2nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 121, 3rdSunday in Lent Psalm 95, 4th Sunday in Lent Psalm 23, 5th Sunday in Lent Psalm 130, 6th 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, 2nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 16, 3rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 116, 4th Sunday of Easter Psalm 23, 5th Sunday of Easter Psalm 31, 6th Sunday of Easter Psalm 66, Ascension of the Lord Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7th Sunday of Easter Psalm 68, Pentecost Psalm 104.
1st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 8, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 33 or Psalm 50, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 116 or Psalm 100, 4th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 86 or Psalm 69, 5th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 13 or Psalm 89, 6th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 45 or Psalm 145, 7th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 65, 8th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 86, 9th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 119, 10th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 17 or Psalm 145, 11th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 85, 12th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 133 or Psalm 67, 13th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 124 or Psalm 138, 14th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 26, 15th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 149 or Psalm 119, 16th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 114 or Psalm 103, 17th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 145, 18th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 78 or Psalm 25, 19th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 19 or Psalm 80, 20th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 106 or Psalm 23, 21st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 99 or Psalm 96, 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 90 or Psalm 1, 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 107 or Psalm 43, 24th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 78 or Psalm 70, 25th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 123 or Psalm 90, 26th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 100 or Psalm 95.
Sources and notes:
“Psalm 149 is the fourth in a group of five Hallelujah psalms that conclude the book. Like the others, it begins and ends with the liturgical cry, “Praise the LORD.” The distinctive feature of the psalm is surprising; it seems to be a hymn of preparation for holy war waged by the people of God against the nations.” Mays p. 446
“In assigning to the faithful the role of warriors who carry out the LORD’s judgement on the nations, the hymn can be grouped with prophecies in Micah 4:13 and Zechariah 10:5; 12:6. There is an eschatological, almost apocalyptic, dimension to the psalm’s anticipation of a warfare of the faithful that will settle the conflict between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God. The expectation of a victory over nations and peoples that leaves kings and princes in chains as subdued captives is a vision that transcends local conflicts and specific wars. Inspired by psalms and prophecies of the coming kingdom, this psalmist has composed a hymn that calls the faithful to a praise and militancy that serves its coming. It is important to note that the faithful are the humble, the lowly (v. 4), the type who will be called in the New Testament the poor in spirit, the meek (Matt. 5:3, 5). Something wonderful and strange is afoot here, the lowly becoming the warriors who fight for the kingdom and inherit the earth.” Mays pp. 447-448
“The call to sing a “new song” occurs also in Psalms 96 and 98 and in each instance seems to refer to some sort of new beginning or new insight into the relationship between God and the people.” W. p. 313
“The song of celebration is a new song sung at the appearance of a new reality, new creation, new harmony, new reliability (Pss. 33:3; 40:3; 96:1; 98:1; 144:9; 149:1; Isa. 42:10; Rev. 14:3). Its style and rhetoric must speak of the quality of surprise and newness tat are appropriate to such new reality.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 166
“The word translated “vengeance”…. is used almost exclusively in the Hebrew Bible in reference to the vengeance of God on those who violate the basic order and balance of the created world.” W. p. 315
“The words of Psalm 149 have been used to incite and justify war against those deemed to be the enemies of God. It was used to provoke the Peasant Revolt in Germany in the sixteenth century and to call the Roman Catholics to a holy war against the Protestants, beginning the Thirty Year’s War in the seventeenth century. The author of the book of Hebrews writes, however, that “the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword” (4:12). As believers today seek God’s justice in the world, words can be a powerful weapon in the hands of the “faithful” against those who cause or allow others to suffer injustice.” W. p. 316
“The action that is urged is war-like action that concerns vengeance, chastisement, binding in chains, execution of judgement. I do not know what to make of this, for it is quite unexpected in the hymns. It is a statement of sobering historical realism. Praise of God is not flight from historical reality. In its songs Israel does not escape from either historical responsibility of historical temptation. one cannot tell whether this is responsibility (to fend off oppressors) or temptation (to gather imperial power). Either way, it is clear that Israel’s praise of Yahweh keeps one foot in and one eye firmly on historical reality. There is no liturgical or spiritual escape from the hardness of history. The liberation questions will not be siphoned off in song.” Brueggemann The Message of the Psalms p. 166
“If the present arrangement of the collection of Psalms is intentional as Westermann has urged, and if Psalm 1 and 150 are deliberately placed to show that torah obedience leads to praise, then this psalm has as its partner Psalm 2. The second psalm of the collection may match the next to the last. This would make an appropriate connection, because psalm 2 concerns the anointing of a king in defiance of the nations, and Psalm 149 also urges some restraint behavior. Both psalms may lie close to the royal temptation to absolutize power.” Brueggremann the Message of the Psalms pp. 166-167
“But vv. 6-9 should not be taken literally. Rather, their theological thrust is to assert God’s universal sovereignty and to invite God’s people to join God at God’s work in the world. That work, as the whole book of Psalms makes clear, consist fundamentally of justice (see v. 9) and righteousness (see Psalms 96-99), the result of which is peace (see Psalm 72:3,7). Thus, again when understood figuratively, vv. 6-9 are a profoundly theological call to discipleship. To be sure, the military imagery will always reuse careful interpretation, but its value is to convey the reality that the faithful will always face opposition insofar as they really do represent and work to enact God’s justice an righteousness in the world (see Eph 6:10-17). In short, the proclamation of God’s sovereignty is eschatological; it is always made in the midst of option na circumstance sth seem to deny it (see Psalms 2; 93; 96-99).” NIB p. 726
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.
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