O sing to the Beloved a new song, for Love has done marvelous things!
By the strength of your Indwelling Presence,
we, too, are called to do great things;
we are set free through Love’s forgiveness and truth.
Yes, your steadfast Love and faithfulness are ever-present gifts in our lives.
All the ends of the earth have seen the glory of Love’s Eternal Flame.
Make a joyful noise to the Beloved all the earth;
break forth into grateful song and sing praises!
Yes, sing songs of praise extolling Love’s way;
lift up your hears with gratitude and joy!
Let the voices of all people been in harmony,
in unison let the people magnify the Beloved.
Let the sea laugh, and all that fills it; the world and those who dwell in it!
Let the waters clap their hands; let the hills ring out with joy before the Beloved,
who radiates Love to al the earth.
For Love reigns over the world with truth and justice
bringing order and balance to all of Creation.
Reflection:
YHWH’s kingship makes the world safe, because YHWH’s reign is marked by “righteousness and equity” and comes with “the policies and norms of neighborliness” (Brueggemann). YHWH’s reign reorients the world toward love, forgiveness, truth, and justice to bring balance to all of creation.
White Christian Nationalists will use enthronement psalms to justify that their god reigns and therefore, they should also reign. And they bring this reign about with military might and oppression of the vulnerable. But that is not the way YHWH reigns.
We are not made safe by guns and bombs, nor by laws that police our bodies and dictate whom we marry, but we are made safe by love and compassion freely and lavishly given to all.
Sing a new song with your beloved neighbors, a song filled with gratitude and joy that God’s reign means everyone has what they need to thrive.
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, 3rd Sunday 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 9 or 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, 11th Sunday 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, 22nd Sunday 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:
“The psalm lifts up the prospect of a coming kingdom where power and policy make for salvation.” Mays p. 312
“The psalm believes and claims that Israel’s God had been shaping Israel’s particular history to establish and reveal his rule over universal history. The belief is astonishing and the claim appears to be theological bravado. But the basic conviction was as old in Israel as hymns like Exodus 15 and Psalm 68 that celebrated the exodus and possession of the land as the manifestation of the LORD’s everlasting reign. Long before the rescue of he exiles from Babylon, some in Israel had been given the insight that the LORD’s victories in Israel’s history were the work of the God whose victory over primeval chaos had brought forth the world. Salvation corresponded to and continued creation. Both were the royal work of the one who rules over all.” Mays p. 313
“Psalm 98 proclaims exuberantly the message that pervades and forms the theological heart of the psalter: God reigns. Like other enthronement psalms, Psalm 98 presents justice and righteousness as the essence of the worldwide policy that God wills and enacts (vv. 2, 9). Psalm 98 also makes it clear that this policy is motivated by God’s faithfulness and love (v. 3). In short, the good news is that God rules the universe with faithfulness and love, and the ecumenical, ecological, economic, social, and political implications of this message are profound.” NIB p. 579
“In verse 1 the psalm singer proclaims that YHWH’s right hand and holy arm have achieved “victory,” in verse 2 that the Lord has made known his “victory,’ and in verse 3 that all the ends of the earth have seen the “victory” of God. Thus we observe a movement in Psalm 98 of the promise of “victory” — from being told of it to knowing it to actually experiencing it.” W p. 35
“The assurance of YHWH’s victory (vv. 2-3) and the promise that YHWH will judge the entire world and all the peoples provided the women and men in exile in Babylon and those who returned to the land after the exile and lived under Persian rule with confidence of a secure future despite the exigencies of life. Thus the “new song” celebrates YHWH’s goodness to the people in the past and offers a firm promise for the future.” W pp. 35-36
Brueggemann Chapter 5 Enthronement Psalms in From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms.
“Two things are clear about the imaginative, liturgical world of ancient Israel. First, that world was peopled by many gods. There are many indicators in the Bible that Israel’s religious world was not monotheistic but consisted in a plurality of gods who sometimes cooperated and sometimes competed. Second, it is clear that the community of gods was not a democracy but was organized into a hierarchy that was often competitive.” Brueggemann, From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms. p. 49
“When we come to the book of Psalms, it is clear that YHWH’s victory in the exodus is just one instance of an often-repeated lyrical celebration of YHWH’s victory over many things: (1) the gods, with the establishment of YHWH as king over all other deities who must submit to YHWH; (2) the threat of chaos; and (3) over all the powers of evil and death. Thus this God is peculiarly allied with Israel but is at the same time celebrated as the cosmic king over all creation. This interface of Israelite particularity and cosmic sovereignty is a regular feature of Israel’s psalms, an interface that constitutes one of the wonders and one of the quandaries of Israel’s faith.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms. p. 49
“Six psalms are regularly identified as hymns that celebrate the kingship of YHWH over all gods and all creation and are, of that reason, termed “Enthronement Psalms” (Pss. 47, 93, 96, 97, 98, 99). Each of these six palms identify YHWH as “king,” a claim that evokes celebrative doxology in Israel that constitutes , in each case, the body of the psalm. It is the establishment and acknowledgment of YHWH’s kinship aha makes the world safe. Because of YHWH’s triumph, the other gods are either subordinate agents who cooperate with YHWH’s rule (as in the “council of the gods” in Psalm 82) or are completely defeated, humiliated opponents. Thus the lyrical imagination of Israel manage dot acknowledge a commonly assumed purity of gods while at the same time asserting YHWH’s superiority among the gods.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms. pp. 49-50
“The other gods are advocates of other social policies, characteristically policies of greed and violence. One primary reason for jubilation is that teach god brings with him or her a set of norms and social policies. YHWH always comes with policies and norms of neighborliness.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets Are Hid: Introducing the Psalms. p. 53
“Yahweh will judge, which means he will establish a rule marked by righteousness and equity. … The world will be fully tuned in a new direction.” Brueggemann The Message of the Psalms p.148
Joy to the World by Issac Watts is based on Psalm 98
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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