Create in me a clean heart, O Gracious One,
and put a new and right spirit within me.
Enfold me in the arms of Love, and fill me with your holy spirit.
Restore in me the joy of your saving grace,
and encourage me with a new spirit.
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
I’ve written about Psalm 51 before and discussed what it means to put these words in David’s mouth as so many other commentators have done (just check the notes section below). This time, I wondered what it would be like to pray psalm 51 for myself. I studied the commentaries, I read different versions of Psalm 51, and finally I jotted down some phrases that stood out to me. I encourage you to try the same process.
This is my prayer:
Create in me something new, O God. Just as you hovered over the waters of creation, hover over my tears. Create something out of the nothingness that seems to fill more and more of me. I cannot continue to beat myself up. There is no fight left in me. I surrender to your love. Enfold me in your arms. Breathe on me breath of God. Put a new spirit within me. Restore me to the joy I once felt. All of the old life is gone, and the joy with it. Encourage me with a new spirit. Let us co-create again.
Psalm reflections can be listened to on the Period Pastor Podcast series, Like One who Watches for the Morning. In the podcast I read both the NRSVUE and Nan C. Merrill’s Psalms for Praying in addition to the reflection you see here.
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: 1st Sunday in Advent Psalm 80, 2nd Sunday in Advent Psalm 85, 3rdSunday in Advent Psalm 126, 4th Sunday in Advent Psalm 89, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1st Sunday after Christmas, Psalm 148, New Year’s Day Psalm 8, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 139, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 62, 4th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 111, 5th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 147, Transfiguration Sunday (Sunday before Lent)Psalm 50
Lent: Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1st Sunday in Lent Psalm 25, 2nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 22, 3rd Sunday in Lent Psalm 19, 4th Sunday in Lent Psalm 107, 5th Sunday in Lent Psalm 51 or Psalm 119:9-16, 6th 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, 2nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 133, 3rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 4, 4th Sunday of Easter Psalm 23, 5th Sunday of Easter Psalm 22, 6th Sunday of Easter Psalm 98, Ascension Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7th Sunday of Easter Psalm 1, Day of Pentecost Psalm 104
Season After Pentecost (Ordinary Time): 1st Sunday after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday) Psalm 29, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 81, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 138 or Psalm 130, 4th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 20 or Psalm 92, 5th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 9or Psalm 133 or Psalm 107, 6th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 130 or Psalm 30, 7th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 48 or Psalm 123, 8th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 24 or Psalm 85, 9th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 89 or Psalm 23, 10th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 14 or Psalm 145, 11thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 51 or Psalm 78, 12th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 130 or Psalm 34, 13th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 111 or Psalm 34, 14th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 84 or Psalm 34, 15th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 45 or Psalm 15, 16th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 125 or Psalm 146, 17th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 19 or Psalm 116, 18th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 1 or Psalm 54, 19th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 124 or Psalm 19, 20th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 26 or Psalm 8, 21st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 22 or Psalm 90, 22ndSunday after Pentecost Psalm 104 or Psalm 91, 23rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 34 or Psalm 126, 24th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 146 or 119, 25th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 127 or Psalm 146, 26th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 16, 27th Sunday after Pentecost (Christ the King) Psalm 132 or Psalm 93.
Sources and notes:
I think Marilyn Pagan-Banks says it best: Really, David? Thought and prayers seeking forgiveness from God alone are not enough Your transgression was not simply an affront to God. What about Bathsheba? Where is your apology to her? Why are there no words of remorse for the shame, pain and sorrow you caused this woman? You raped her Then summarily sent her back home — the stench of your semen between her legs. What about Uriah? Where is his apology? You tricked him– created an illusion of camaraderie, brotherhood, safety, You sat with him, broke bread with him, and then ordered his murder. And David, what about the child? The unnamed baby Bathsheba carried next to her heart? What about your baby–the one that became an offering for your sin? Where is the child’s apology? Oh David, King David. You’re sorry? Your confession is sorry. Spong, M. (Ed.). (2020). The words of her mouth: Psalms for the struggle. Cleveland, OH: The Pilgrim Press.
“We read in verse 17 that what God seeks from us is a broken and contrite heart. God does not expect us to be perfect, thankfully. What God does expect when we fall short is honest acknowledgement of our wrong, heartfelt regret when we hurt others, and a renewed willingness to learn and grow. Humility, it has been said, involves not thinking less of ourselves, but thinking of ourselves less. In order to achieve the kind of honest contribution described in Psalm 51, we should stop thinking about ourselves at least long enough to consider how our actions might have affected someone else. We don’t always like what we see when we do this, but fortunately God stands ready to restore us and continue the long process of removing our shortcomings.” Dafler p. 57
“Most interpreters consider Psalm 51 the quintessential model of repentance and humility. Not surprisingly, the Revised Common Lectionary assigns Psalm 51:1-17 to Ash Wednesday for Years A, B, and C to mark the beginning of the liturgical season of Lent. Traditionally, Jews pray v. 15 before the central prayer of the Jewish liturgy, the Amidah (or 18 Benedictions), a prayer of praise, petition, and thanks. Western Christian tradition has grouped Psalm 51 with six other so-called penitential laments: 6, 32, 102, 130, and 143, though only Psalms 32 and 51 actually offer confession. The superscription of Psalm 51 ties confession to a narrative moment in the life of David in 2 Samuel 12. In this intertext the prophet Nathan rebukes David by means of a parable after he rapes Bathsheba and arranges for Uriah’s murder.” W p. 71
“A striking rhetorical effect is produced by the repetition of the vocabulary of sin and forgiveness, expressed in twenty-one imperative petitions and used throughout the psalm to underscore the psalmist’s commitment to renewal. We are left with the image of a very humble David (if we take the superscription seriously as interpretive clue) who earns our sympathy. Interpreters have literally swooned over the emotional power of David’s confession.” W p. 73
“Unfortunately, the hyperbole of both text and interpreter serves to push the victims of David’s transgressions–Bathsheba, Uriah, and the chid born of rape who dies as punishment–into the background. This rhetorical effect is magnified by the appeals to God’s character that support the psalmist’s petitions. J. Clinton McCann, for example, things that Psalm 51 is “as much or more about God’s character than it is about human sinfulness.” God is merciful, full of grace and steadfast love, cleansing, justified, creator, restorer, sustainer, and deliverer.” W pp. 73-74
“The NRSV translates “mercy,” which obscures this feminine image of God; a better translation would be “womb-love” (Gen. 43:30; 1Kgs 3:16-28; Exod 33:19; Pss 25:6; 103:13; Jer 31:20; Isa 49:14).” W p. 74
“The psalmist names God’s womb-love as a warrant for forgiveness, which prompts associations with other God mages that challenge the dominant, violent Warrior-Deliverer God metaphor. The “disjunctive metaphor” of womb-love joins those of God as Mother in Labor and Nurturing Mother in the First and Second Isaiah (Isa 42:13-14; 45:9-10; 49:13-15; 66:10-13) to embody hope for the future of traumatized, exiled Israel. “Womb-love” also gives hope to the sinful psalmist. How ironic that the king who abused his power calls on womb-love that challenges abusive power in order to save himself!” W p. 74
“…Nathan’s parable in 2 Samuel 13:1-4 focuses on all the interpersonal sins David commits, drawing attention to all three offended parties–God, Bathsheba, and Uriah–but David in both 2 Samuel 12:13 and Psalm 51:4 names only God.” W p. 75
“The only punishment David accepts is purging with hyssop (v. 7), whose branches are used for sprinkling in purification rituals (see Num 19:6; Lev 14:4).” W p. 75
“Verses 10-12 ask for restored personhood, again with reference to the body. A “clean heart” means a new beginning, a capacity for new living. In these verses, three times there is reference to “spirit/wind”. The first is a request for a new spirit (cf. Exek. 36:26), a chance to begin again. The latter two are a recognition that the “wind” to live is a gift from God. One should not make anything doctrinal of “holy Spirit” in verse 11, for the phrase simply acknowledges that a genuine life-giving wind is wholly God’s gift. The petition is for bodily restoration. But at the same time it knows that the body depends on the fresh wind of God. Notice this is not conventional dualism, but a way of speaking about the need for God’s gift to be given in each moment; without it the bodily person is unable to function (cf. Ps. 104: 29-30).” Brueggemann The Message of the Psalms p. 100
“If this text can on any ground be linked to David, we may note that in the beginning of the David narrative (1 Sam. 16:13), David received the wind/spirit, which enabled him to rule. Indeed he could not rule without it. The tradition recognized hat tin his unthinkable act against Uriah and Bathsheba, David has lost the power of Yahweh authorizing him to rule. The wind to govern is gladly given by Yahweh (cf. Isa. 11:2), but is never possessed. It is always held in trust. Sin can destroy God’s royal mandate for David, and for us. Such utterly alien sin can leave us powerless and without authority for ling our lives. That much this psalmist knows. He places himself utterly at the disposal of Yahweh and asks for a reissue of gifts that make regal life possible.” Brueggemann The Message of the Psalms pp. 100-101
“The very lips which diminished the self are now able to exalt God (v.15). This verse is frequently used as a liturgical prayer. As in so many such uses, it may be intuitively correct. But when taken out of context, its force is greatly weakened. The full psalm shows that one cannot ask for lips to praise until one has engaged in a profound yielding and emptying. That is because the God of this psalm wants no religious conventions (the kind often given after the liturgical prayer) but only a dismantled self. The dismantled self, characterized in very 17, requires a shattering of one’s spirit, a brokenness of one’s heart (cf. Isa. 57:15). True worship and new living require a yielding of self to begin again on God’s terms. But the brokenness may not be a psychological dismantling. It may as well be an economic unburdening, a political risking, a stepping away from whatever form of power we have used by which to secure ourselves. Our handling of this psalm has often been narrowly reductionistic, when in fact the emptying that most needs to be done may take very different forms, depending on who prays the psalm.” Brueggemann The Message of the Psalms p. 101
“The concluding verses, 18-19, are a rather odd addition. They are clearly added by a Jerusalem enthusiast who must have come along later, and who seems to contradict the statement of verse 16. But perhaps we may find a more subtle explanation concerning the intent of these verses. In verses 16-17 it is clear that God wants no sacrifice, but a yielding (cf. 1 Sam. 15:22; Hos. 6:6). Could it be that when one has really yielded, then everything, even conventional worship and animal sacrifice, can be a proper gesture? But only after yielding. that is, what is prohibited in verse 16 before verse 17 becomes acceptable to Yahweh in verse 18, after verse 17. The Bible is not interested in making lists of what is acceptable, as much as it is interested in transformed intentionality. Given such transformation, what had been precluded now may be a form of legitimate worship.” Brueggemann The Message of the Psalms p. 102
“YHWH is marked here by “mercy, steadfast love, and compassion” (v.1). Indeed, before the speaker articulates his own failed self, he articulates the mystery of God as teh one who in fidelity can override convenantal, moral failure.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 107
Out of his helplessness, the speaker has no doubt that God is able to save and now assumes that God is willing as well as able. The first verb in verse 10 “create,” is the same verb used in the creation account of Genesis 1. The psalmist has a large, lyrical notion in mind: that God should take the scattered, chaotic, failed self that he is, and out of it for a new, restored self. The movement from failed self to restored self is a gift asked of God in confidence. Reference to “holy spirit” in verse 11 is not a trinitarian stamen. It is, rather, reference to the same “life force’ of God that is present in Genesis 1:2 that made a livable earth possible. So, now in Psalm 51, God may make a livable self possible. The speaker knows that viability for life is a gift from God. That life-force is termed “holy” because it belongs only to God and is never possessed or earned by human creatures. Thus the petitions of verses 10-14 voice complete dependence on God’s gracious giving of the power for life.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 109
“The final verses of the psalm are a bit curious. Verses 18-19 show the way in which the psalm has been claimed for and restated in Jerusalem worship. While verse 16 has recognized the inadequacy of “sacrifice and burnt offering,” these verses now seem to reverse direction, affirming that once there is restoration, “sacrifice and burn offerings” may indeed be performed as authentic sacramental acts. These acts are no substitute for a genuine relationship of trust, but when there is such trust, they can become effective and important signs of that relationship.” Brueggeman From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 109
“By means of Psalm 51’s superscription, King David became a case study for the (re)performance of the psalm. The simple structure exposited in the psalm is also given us in the narrative: “I have sinned against the LORD.” …. “Now the LORD has put away our sin: you shall not die” (2 Sam. 12:13). It all transpires in one verse. the simple, definitive change wrought by divine forgiveness constitutes the structure of Psalm 51 as well as the 2 Samuel narrative. It is the same structure in Christian liturgy as well. In psalm, narrative, and liturgy, it is a move from failure to restoration, a move from confession to assurance, even if the assurance is only implied in Psalm 51. the exchange is between human failure and divine assurance, made possible by human honesty and a divine readiness to begin again in mercy, steadfast love, and compassion.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 111
“Psalm 51 has suffered some abuse in Christian use by being co-opted for a liturgical over accentuation on sin and self-abusing notions of guild that are not the primary horizon of the psalm (or book of Psalms). Despite that misuse, Psalm 51 discloses and performs the deepest insight of gospel faith: that human failure, set honestly in the context of God’s mercy, permits a move to new life.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 112
“Psalm 51 makes available the truth of our life before God. On the one hand, it resits arrogant autonomy that imagines (as with David) that we can live without accountability or dependence on the will and purpose of God. On the other hand, it contradicts the practice of denial that is so seductive in a society that has not time, patience, or energy for the nurture of an interior life. it turns out that truth telling before god is an indispensable condition for joyous existence. Such emancipation makes for exuberant signing and glad generosity.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 112
“The ultimate aim of repentance is not abstract rightness. The aim, instead, is to experience newness of heart and a reset of whatever relationships may have been damaged by our actions against people, against nature, and ultimately against God. The psalmist expresses this desire most strongly in verse 10 crying, “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.” May the psalmists prayer be our own, so that after all of our transgressions, moral failures, and ethical shortcomings, we might experience the Lord’s most choice gifts to a should aggrieved by sin, “the joy of our salvation” (v. 12).” Cudjoe-Wilkes, G., Wilkes, A. J., & Moss, O. (2022). Psalms for black lives: Reflections for the work of Liberation. Upper Room Books. p. 86
Alter Alter, 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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