Psalm 67 (2024-2025C)

The Beloved is gracious to us, a loving Presence within us;
The Radiant One shines in us.
O, that Love’s Way would be lived throughout the earth,
Love’s abiding power embraced by all nations.
May the people ever rejoice in You singing songs of appreciation
for all that You, O Beloved, freely give to us.
Let the nations listen and heed; we are called to live with integrity and justice.
For You, O Blessed Counselor, will guide every nation on earth
as leaders and people open their hearts and respond.
Abandoning ourselves into the Heart of Love,
we need not worry or fret; for Love’s grace abides wherever we are.
In Love let us make our home.
Nan. C. Merrill Psalms for Praying.

Psalm 67

Reflection:

The Divine Name illumines the whole world. That is the message I received while googling images for psalm 67. There is a Jewish tradition of writing this psalm in the shape of a Menorah so that the people viewing the art can meditate on the oneness of God, God’s blessing, and the divine name itself (the four largest letters near the top center) without speaking the name. Check out this worksheet on sefaria.org for a detailed explanation.

God’s face shines upon us and blesses us, all of us. This universal blessing reminds us that we are all connected to Love; all people, the earth and all beings who dwell on it, and the vastness of the cosmos. Maybe, someday, we will behave as if we are. 

Check out other psalm reflections in the links below or find more of my writing published in Presbyterian Outlook or listen to my experiments in podcasting on the Period Pastor Podcast.  Follow me @periodpastor

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. Many churches use the Revised Common Lectionary (RLC) that rotates scripture on a three-year cycle (A, B, and C).  Starting in Advent 2019, the 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.  When we returned to in person worship, we took the psalm reflections out of the order of worship.  I continued to write them for the blog.  Advent of 2022 year A.  I left church work in July of 2023 but continued the practice of writing psalm reflections.  Advent of 2023 year B.

I use the Vanderbilt Divinity Library’s resource for lectionary readings to make text selections.

1^st Sunday in Advent Psalm 25, 2^nd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Luke 1:68-79, 3^rd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Isaiah 12:2-6, 4^th Sunday in Advent Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1^st Sunday after Christmas, Psalm 148, New Year’s Day Psalm 8, 2^nd Sunday after Christmas Psalm 147, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1^st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2^nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 36, 3^rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 19, 4^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 71, 5^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 138, 6^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 1, 7^th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 37, Transfiguration Sunday (Sunday before Lent) Psalm 99

Lent: Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1^st Sunday in Lent Psalm 91, 2^nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 27, 3^rd Sunday in Lent Psalm 63, 4^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 32, 5^th Sunday in Lent Psalm 126, 6^th Sunday in Lent (Palm or Passion Sunday) Psalm 118 or 31

Easter: Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 114, 2^nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 150, 3^rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 30, 4^thSunday of Easter Psalm 23 or 114, 5^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 148, 6^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 67 or 109, Ascension Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7^th Sunday of Easter Psalm 97, Day of Pentecost Psalm 104

Season After Pentecost (Ordinary Time): 1^st Sunday after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday) Psalm 8, 2^nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 or Psalm 22, 3^rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 77 or Psalm 16, 4^th Sunday after Pentecost  Psalm 30 or Psalm 66, 5^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 82 or Psalm 25, 6^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 52 or Psalm 15, 7^thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 85 or Psalm 138, 8^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 107 or Psalm 49, 9^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 50 or Psalm 33, 10^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 80 or Psalm 82, 11^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 71or Psalm 103, 12^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 81 or Psalm 112, 13^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 1, 14^thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 14 or Psalm 51, 15^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 79 or Psalm 113, 16^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 91 or Psalm 146, 17^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 137 or Psalm 37, 18^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 66 or Psalm 111, 19^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 121, 20^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 65 or Psalm 84, 21^st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 32, 22^nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 145 or Psalm 98 or Psalm 17, 23^rdSunday after Pentecost Psalm 98, 24^th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 46.

Sources and notes:

A google search will indicate this is the Menorah psalm and show an icon used for meditation and prayer. This part of the Jewish tradition is not very familiar to me but this worksheet on sefaria.org explains how the psalm can be written out in the shape of a menorah. This image is linked in that worksheet and highlights again that the divine name is featured (this is the four Hebrew letters of God’s name or the tetragrammaton) so that we can focus on the divine oneness and the blessing without pronouncing the name. The divine name illumines the world.

Numbers 6:24-26 records the blessing to be used by Aaron and his sons, the priests, when they bless the congregation of Israel. The first verse of Psalm 67 is a creative reuse of the first two sentences of the priestly blessing: “The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you.” In the psalm, the priestly blessing is used to introduce a congregational prayer for a blessing that will make the LORD’s way known among all the peoples of the earth.” Mays p. 224

“The style of the psalm is predominantly that of a bidding prayer with an alternation between indirect and direct address. The form of the Hebrew verbs allows for a different decision about their function, whether they express statements or requests; NJPS, for instance, translates verses 3-5 as statements about the future.” Mays p. 224

“The repetition of “all” in vv. 2, 3, 5, and 7 and “earth” in vv. 2, 6, and 7; the movement from “us” to “all the earth” in vv. 1 and 7; and the use of “nations” and “peoples” eight times in vv. 2-5, all sere to convey the universalism an inclusive sweep of Psalm 67.” W p. 185

In The Monarch Butterfly and Universalism article referenced in the Wisdom Commentary, Beth Norcross notes that the Monarch Butterfly existence depends on the health of all the places in the migratory route. ”Migratory ecology affirms the universalistic message of Psalm 67. God’s blessings are not only expansive and universal but also intermingled and entangled. They cannot be separated out of distinguished. Accordingly, the fates of all the creatures, even the one created to mage the divine, rise and fall together within this big, beautiful web of creation we share.” W p. 187

We should imagine this psalm not as a blessing for a particular nation but as a universal blessing. ”If we were to do so, what would the world’s food distribution systems and farming practices look like today in light of Psalm 67? How might a universal reading of Psalm 67 contribute to the flourishing of undernourished children everywhere?” W p. 188

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, 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, 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, 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, James Luther. 1994. Psalms. Louisville, KY: John Knox Press.

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, 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, Matthew Richard. 2018. 70 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know. Nashville, TN: Abington Press.

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.