Psalm 78 (2023-2024B)

Listen well, O peoples of the earth, to inner promptings of the Spirit;
Let Silence enter your house that you may hear!
For within your heart Love speaks: not with words of deceit,
But of spiritual truths to guide you upon the paths of peace.
Do not hide this from your children; teach of the inward Voice,
and help all generations to listen in the Silence,
That they may know the Beloved and be free to follow the precepts of Love.
For the Spirit of Truth is written upon open hearts,
that we might share the Divine Plan,
And model to the children Love’s way as we have been shown;
That each new generation might honor Silence, the children yet unborn.
Herein lies the hope of the future: to live as co-creators with the great Creator,
Not like those who live in ignorance too impatient to wait for Love’s word,
Whose spirits are not faithful to their birthright of Love.
Since the birth of consciousness, armed with free will,
many there are who have rebelled against the Creator.
They did not keep the great Covenant
but refused to live according to Love’s way.
They forgot their purpose and the beautiful Plan,
and all that have been given as Gift.
Throughout the ages, the Eternal Lover has show the marvels of Creation,
wonders to behold.
Remember how the sea was divided so the people passed through,
how the waters stood as a wall;
How in the daytime, they were led with a cloud,
and through the night with a fiery light.
Recall how the rocks in the wilderness cracked open,
that the people might drink their fill as from the deep;
Yes, streams came out of the rock, and caused waters to flow down like rivers.
Yet did the people close their hearts,
rebelling agains the Most High, living in a wilderness.
Over and over, they tested Love by demanding that their desires be met.
Speaking against Love, they cried,
“Can the Mighty One not spread a feast for us?
The rocks opened so the water gushed out and streams overflowed.
Can we not also expect bread and meat to be provided for us?”
Did they not know how their rebellions separated them from
the Source of all that is?
How often the people lost faith on the journey,
not trusting in the saving power of the Beloved!
Even so, their complaints were answered with compassion;
And the doors to heaven opened raining down their sustenance,
the very grain of heaven.
They ate of the bread of the angels; food was sent in abundance.
The East wind blew in the heavens, and the South wind was called forth;
Out of heaven’s abundance came the winged birds,
as many as the sand in the seas;
They fell right in their midst, all around their habitation,
And the people ate and were well filled;
all that they craved was given to them.
Yet justice prevailed, retribution was made,
even as their mouths were still filled with food.
To restore the balance, the strongest among them died,
the strongest in their midst.
In spite of all this, the people continued to separate themselves from Love;
their eyes and ears were closed.
So they lived their days in fear, and their years in terror.
When they fell, they sought the Most High;
they repented and sought help earnestly.
They remembered then the Rock, who was their strength,
the Almighty One, the Redeemer.
Flattery poured from their mouths, lies issued from their tongues.
Their hearts were not filled with love; they were not true to the covenant.
Still the Beloved, being compassionate,
forgave their hypocrisy and gave them new life.
How patient was the Eternal Lover, how blind to their fickle hearts,
Knowing that they believed themselves to be but flesh,
a wind that passes and comes not again.
How often the people rebelled against Love in the wilderness,
grieving the Beloved with their distance!
How often they tested Love and turned their backs to the Holy One!
They forgot the power of Love, and the times that they were saved,
When they were comforted by signs, and sustained through miracles.
Through all generations the rives have flowed, rivers now polluted by greed.
Through famine and floods, the Beloved has brought forth new life.
All through the ages, the earth has yielded its bountiful harvest;
yet, valleys and mountains, forests and fields have been misused.
Yes, greed has become the great destroyer of life, taking without offering back,
consuming the earth with abandon, leaving death, disease,
and destruction in its wake.
We cannot be spared what we have sown;
Generations to come will suffer from our willful ways;
their lives will be a mirror to blind and stubborn hearts.
Injustice, oppression, and greed will turn back upon hearts of stone;
children born will reap a harvest of lost dreams.
Even so, the Source of all life remains faithful,
ever-ready to lead us out of the wilderness,
to speak to us in the Silence of our hearts.
Yes, You are our hope, our strength, and our comfort;
our fears will not overwhelm us.
You will guide us to the New Jerusalem,
to the Mountain of Hope, the City of Light!
You will be an ever-living Presence to those who call upon your Name,
to all who open their hearts to Love.
When, O peoples of the earth,
will you stop testing and rebelling agains the Source of Life?
When will you awaken and live according to Love,
And attune yourselves to the music of the spheres?
For as you turn back to the Beloved, listening for Love’s voice
within your own heart, you will live with integrity, you will radiate love.
When you call upon the Beloved, your prayers will be heard;
your needs will be met abundantly.
The Beloved is a stranger to those who choose to walk in darkness,
to all who are the enemies of Light.
For You, Love of all loves, gift us with freedom to follow the way of Life, or
to live in the shadow of death.
Who will awaken our sleeping minds, and lift up our heart to Truth?
Who will rouse us from apathy,
quicken our spirits that we might serve your Plan?
The Beloved awaits our response to the new dawn,
where the people of earth will united in peace,
Where harmony will reign forever in the beauty of diversity,
and all nations will bow before the Most High.
Those who choose the way of darkness, who follow the road of ignorance,
become lost;
They know not the joy of abandonment to Love’s Companioning Presence.
O peoples of Earth, O nations around the globe, turn back to Love,
build anew upon strong foundations, renew your commitment to the Divine Plan!
Listen long in the Silence that the Word may be heard,
that decisions arise from the depths of your Inner Being where Wisdom dwells.
For the Spirit of Truth is written upon gentle and open hearts,
not as on stones of old.
With steadfast love, will the Counselor guide you;
and to all who abandon themselves to the Beloved with the Divine Plan revealed.
Amen and amen!
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying

Psalm 78

Reflection:

Psalm 78 is the second longest Psalm (Psalm 119 is quite a bit longer) and it recalls the history of the people of God. We tell this story to future generations not to glorify battle or justify decisions they made, but to recount the past including our flaws and failures so that future generations can learn from the mistakes and lead change. Psalm 78 tells of human failure and unfaithfulness and God’s compassion and love. The story of God’s wonders is told in a way that invites future generations to be willing participants; to experience relationship with God not with hard hearts and stiff necks, but with open hearts and a willingness to turn back to God. Perhaps this next generation will be faithful to God and compassionate to neighbors. 

In Nan Merrill’s version, there is an invitation to silence in the opening of the Psalm. She writes, “Listen well, O peoples of the earth, to inner promptings of the Spirit;
Let Silence enter your house that you may hear!
For within your heart Love speaks: not with words of deceit,
But of spiritual truths to guide you upon the paths of peace.
Do not hide this from your children; teach of the inward Voice,
and help all generations to listen in the Silence,
That they may know the Beloved and be free to follow the precepts of Love.”

I’ve been using this time between jobs to focus on the practice of silence and living a more contemplative life. Sitting in silence each day and consenting to God’s presence and action in my life is slowly changing me. In the practice, I gently acknowledge and then let go of the thoughts that stream in. Even though I’m new to this practice I can already feel the space that is creating in me. I’m judging myself less harshly, I’m not over-analyzing nearly as much as I used to, and generally, I’m less triggered in stressful situations. Somehow, life feels a little more peaceful.

May we all be guided by ancient wisdom found in Silence: love.

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: 1^st Sunday in Advent Psalm 80, 2^nd Sunday in Advent Psalm 85, 3^rd Sunday 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^rd Sunday 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 9 or 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^th Sunday 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^nd Sunday 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:

“Psalm 78 is the voice of a teacher. It is largely composed of narrative, a telling of the story of the LORD’s way with Israel. In this respect it is similar to Psalms 105; 106; and 136. Because of this common dominant feature, this group of psalms is often classified as “historical psalms”.” Mays p. 254

“The speech is an eloquent testimony to the crucial importance of tradition in biblical religion. Its basic assumption is that remembering and telling are essential to the existence of the people of God. The speaker views the people of God as a family whose identity and ethos are maintained across generations because parents tell children the story of how they came to be the people of the LORD.” Mays p. 256

“This teaching does recite the mighty works of God (vv. 12-16, 43-55), but each recital leads up to a specific castoff Israel’s failure, and the instruction turns on these cases as negative examples of what the audience should not be like. The speaker’s torah, just like the canonical form of Israel’s foundation story, includes the response of the people. The way o fGod and the way of the ancestors (Hebrew “fathers”) are women together. the people of god are instructed, not only by what God has done and said, but also by what the fathers and mothers in faith have done and said. The biblical torah of the fist five books and the four Gospels is composed in that way. The speaker uses examples of failure by the ancestors. There is irony here; those who passed on the tradition also failed it. Every generation will have to reckon with the face that the story tells of failure as well as faithfulness.” Mays p. 257

“The final point of the speaker’s instruction, however, is not about wrath. Judgment is the word, but it is not the last word. The last word is the triumph of grace. The people fail, but the failure of the people is not the failure of God. God prevails against faithlessness.” Mays p. 258

“With its seventy-two verses, Psalm 78 is the second-longest plasma in the Psalter, after Psalm 119. Because of its length, many readers avoid it. Their aversion is intensified by its categorization as a “historical psalm” (along with Pss 105, 106, 135, 136) that retells Israel’s story in order to teach future generations. Clearly, many readers prefer prayer to a history lesson. The problem with this “historical” label for Psalm 78 is that it “flattens” events and encourages us too read them “statistically” like a photograph rather than “dynamically” like a film; the psalmist, however, “practices the memory, not to recount the past, but to prompt the kind of remembrance that leads to change.” Not only is the unfaithfulness of ancestors exposed but so are God’s actions on Israel’s behalf during the exodus, wilderness wanderings, settlement, and establishment of Davidic monarchy anchored in Zion. The psalmist terms these actions “wonders” (v. 4, from the root “do wondrously”; cp. exodus. 3:20; 15:11). Consequently, reciting this history invites “participating in the ongoing legacy of God’s wonders, which instills a distinct communal identity.” W p. 269

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.