Giver of Life, we praise You!
Bestower of all gifts, we give You thanks, for your steadfast Love endures forever!
Who can tell of your generosity in all generations, the rich variety of the living cosmos?
Blessed are they who recognize the Gift, and who follow the precepts of your Life at all times.
You remember us, O Beloved, as we journey through life; help us to live the Mystery,
That we may fulfill our divine destiny, that we may co-create with You,
that we may live into our divine birthright.
Stand by us that we may become poor in spirit,
acknowledging our own weaknesses that lead us astray.
Teach us to be patient with ourselves, that we might offer the gift of patience to others;
O, that we might learn to be calm, to persevere with utter trust as we face the fears that bind us.
We yearn for all that will bring us new life, we long for your very Presence among us;
Comfort us, O Beloved, with the tranquility of your Spirit; lead us into calm waters.
Yes, the Comforter will nourish our souls, and gentle us, that we may be pliant in Love’s hands.
The earth itself will reap the blessing of those who become beneficent and live with integrity.
We listen for your Voice, O Giver of the Journey, and we praise You with grateful hearts!
Breathing Life of all, we hunger for You; and we thirst for purity of heart.
Awaken us to all that is holy, to the sacred, that our lives may be a reflection of You;
For we love You, and in our hearts we will to do you Will.
Breath of the Merciful, teach us the way of compassion,
that we may heed the cries of the poor;
That we may be merciful to those who live in the bonds of prison, illness, and loneliness;
And, may we e strong voices in support of justice; may we offer forgiveness as a healing balm.
Your Teaching is joy to our hearts, O Creator of the Dance.
May we become bearers of joy, we who are invited to share in the Cosmic Dance!
We pray for the gift of wisdom, that the motivations of our heart might be made pure,
That we may recognize that perfect timing of all things and know the seasons of the heart.
May we walk with faith all the days of our life–confidence in your Living Presence,
even in times of trouble, and with assurance for what is an all that is to be;
May we have faith in the unfolding of our lives, and radical trust in the universe!
Awaken us to the Oneness of all things, to the beauty and truth of Unity.
May we become aware of the interdependence of all living things,
and come to know You in every thing, and all things in You.
For as we attune to your Presence within us, we know not separation,
and joy becomes our dwelling place.
Quiet us, O Silent Speaker, that out of still spaces we may hear your Voice;
And, as we ponder the immensity of your gift to us of life, awe and wonder fill our hearts; for
From galaxies and the furthest stars to the smallest atom in our heart,
You are the Flame of Love.
Forgive us, O Holy One, for our wanton ways that have laid waste to our planet!
May we embrace Creation as a whole, and become attuned to all the world;
May we be blessing to the universe, and see divinity in the within and the without of all things.
O Great Hunter, search our beings, awaken our inner eyes and ears;
Come into the Secret Room of our hearts and be our Guest.
Help us to understand and embrace the fears that bing us,
that we may grow in courage, and challenge injustice where’er it prevails.
For as we withdraw our projections upon others, balance and harmony adorn us;
Our peaceful presence becomes blessing to the world; we become at one with all of Creation.
Yes, as our hearts are awakened to your Presence within us,
we are led back to the Source of all life.
Call us, O Beloved, to spaces of solitude, and times to befriend the Silence;
That we may ever know, O Divine One, that You are with us always,
we cannot hide from your Love.
For You, in whom we live and have our being, distinguish not our race or creed;
Male and female are equal in your sight, You take pleasure in the richness of diversity!
May we learn the bitter lesson of judgement- ’tis but a mirror of ourselves we see.
Increase our willingness to risk, Beloved, to be open to change and surprises by the Spirit,
to be willing to suffer that our souls may grow;
For our sons increase as we let go,
as we release all that diverse and separates us from You.
Gather us together, O Healing Presence,
forgive us for the destruction we wrought among the nations,
That we may live in peace with all people and bring glory to your Name.
Blessed are You, Creator of All that is, we praise You from everlasting to everlasting!
With joy and gratitude, let all the people say, “Amen!”
Praises be to You, our Joy!
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
Psalm 105 and 106 are similar in their content. The big difference is in the way the content is presented. While Psalm 105 is praise for all that God has done, Psalm 106 recounts all the ways people have ignored (or rejected) what God has done in their history and is doing in their current situation. Psalm 106 reminds us that our sins are intergenerational and social as the patterns of our lives repeat.
The good news is that God’s pattern repeats as well. The pattern of love and forgiveness and restoration. God is our comforter, healer, and our steadfast companion. The Sacred Presence is with us, even when we are unaware or unsure or doubting.
Psalm 105 and 106 tell the same story a little differently. The way we choose to tell our story matters. I hope that all of us can choose to tell stories full of mercy, gratitude, and love; stories that we want to be a part of and that we are open for others to join. Love is always with us.
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, 15thSunday 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 106 is the counterpart of Psalm 105 and stands in relations of dialectical contrast to it. Psalm 105 concentrates on the marvelous works of the LORD; Psalm 106 focuses on Israel’s failure to trust themselves to the LORD in spite of his saving wonders. In the first, Israel possesses the land of Canaan because the LORD has kept his holy promise to Abraham; in the second, Israel has lost the land because it failed to trust and obey. Read together, the two psalms constitute a study in the tension between the promise and the purpose of God on the one hand and the perversity of the people of God on the other as the logos of Israel’s story.” Mays p. 340
“The body of Psalm 106 is composed of a recitation of incidents taken from Israel’s foundation story, beginning with the exodus and concluding with Israel’s life in Canaan (vv. 4-46). the recitation begins with an introductory confession that the present Israel and its ancestors have sinned (v. 6). Examples of the sins of the ancestors follow. …. The tradition is remember and recited, not as mere information, but as instruction.” Mays p. 340
“After accounts of what happened at the Red Sea (vv. 7-12) and in the wilderness (vv. 13-33), the recitation tells about Israel’s life in the land (vv. 34-46). This confession of sin is set within a complex introduction and conclusion that combine a variety of forms with different functions. It begins and ends with the hallelujah formula, marking it as a piece that belongs to the praise of the LORD. Verse 1 is a basic formulaic hymn of praise for use in thanking the LORD for the steadfast love manifest in the salvation of Israel. Verse 2 raises a question about who is qualified to offer the praise called for in era 1. The beatitude at verse 3 answers that those who always do justice and righteousness are qualified. Thus preparation is made for the praise of God’s mighty works that is in substance a confession of sin.” Mays pp. 340-341
“The stories about the ancestors are also about contemporary Israel. …. The stories about the ancestors blend into language about the time in which the psalm was written, and verse 46 is clearly speaking about the exile and dispersion. Israel had learned that sin is intergenerational and social. If any penitence does not comprehend that, it fails to grasp the profundity and tragedy of the sinful predicament.” Mays p. 342 (emphasis mine)
“The psalm begins with a summons to praise (v. 1) and ends with a prayer for the restoration of praise (v. 47) because it understands praise to be the crucial factor in Israel’s relation to its God. Praise is the joyful, thankful rehearsal of the LORD’s promises and deeds to re-present the words and acts as the reality in terms of which the congregation lives. The basic failure underlying all particular sins is the failure to take the words and the deeds as the basis of life (vv. 7, 13, 21-22, 24). The voice of trusting praise is the sound and sign of a people restored by the LORD’s salvation (vv. 12, 47).” Mays p. 342
“The psalm gives the office of the intercessor a significant place in Go’d relation to his sinful people. God answers when he hears the cry that they lift up on behalf of sinners (v. 44). The psalm itself in its closing petition is such a cry of an intercessor on behalf of his congregation and people.” May p. 343
“Psalm 106 is the last psalm in book 4, which according to its story line reflects on the time of the Israelites’ exile in Babylon. It is categorized as a historical psalm, along with Psalm 78, 136, and its “twin” Psalm 105. Both Psalms 105 and 106 open with the worlds “give thanks”; each recounts the history of YHWH’s relationship with the people of Israel from the time of the ancestors to the time of the settlements in the land of praise; and while Psalm 105 closes with the word “praise the LORD,” Psalm 106 opens and closes with the word. They are, together, a fitting conclusion tote exilic peoples’ musing over their lives in Babylon.” W p. 75
“… we may connect [God’s] “compassion” in Psalm 106:45 with a change of hear, a decision to do something different from what would be expected in the given circumstances. The story of Psalm 106 is that of the Israelites’ constant rebellion in the face of God’s good provisions for them during the wilderness wanderings.” W p. 80
“Psalm 105 testifies to the good provisions of god for the people, while Psalm 106 recounts the rejection by the people of many of God’s provisions. The human community so often tries to set its own course, ignoring or rejection the good that comes to it from God. When we grumble as we undertake and arduous journey (Exod 15:24; 16:2); when we receive the manna and the quail rather then the “fish…the cucumbers, the melons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic” that we ate in Egypt (Num 11:5); when the fear of change overtakes us (Exod 16:2-4); when we listen to the naysayers and ignore those who speak words of hope (Num 14:1-4), we forget to step back and look at the “big picture.” Accepting the good provisions of YHWH, often when they do not make sense to us, is humanity’s path to restoration and wholeness.” W p. 80
“The hope of prayer is that YHWH will intervene in effective ways yet one more time exactly as the psalm says that YHWH has regular intervened in the past when Israel has engaged in massive self-destructiveness. The parallel verb “gather” in verse 47 suggest that this is the prayer of the “scattered,” the ones in exile. Exile indicates that the long history of disobedience recited in the psalm has led to ultimate displacement and defeat. Israel has done nothing in its long history to sustain its life with YHWH. And yet, for that very reason, finally and yet again, Israel must entrust itself to YHWH’s long-suffering generosity. That, the psalm affirms, is the only fallback that Israel has in exile: that YHWH should reach into exile and restore Israel when Israel can do nothing for itself and when it has no longer any real claim on YHWH. The long story of Israel, as remembered in Psalm 106, is a drama of refusal and dependance. In the end, the future depends entirely on God’s rescue.” Breuggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 137
“Psalms 105 and 106share a common recital. But their endings are in sharp contrast as expressions of the two different extremities of Israel’s faith. Psalm 105:45 envisions obedience, while Psalm 106:47 ends in needy petition. In both cases, memory moves to a contemporary urgency in faith–to obey or to cast self on God’s goodness. Both postures are congruent with the ways in which Israel knows its life with YHWH.” Breuggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 137
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Miller Miller, Patrick D. 1986. Interpreting the Psalms. Philadelphia, PA: Fortress Press.
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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.
Period Pastor Pad 