Bless the Radiant Once, O my soul!
O Heart of my heart, You are so very great!
You are clothes with justice and mercy, arrayed in Light as your fine attire.
You stretch over the heavens like a tent, your Radiance covering the waters;
You shine through the clouds, and ride on the wings of the wind;
The wind, like the Breath of Life, carries your Voice,
Fire resins the dross of our souls.
You set the earth on its foundations, strong and secure.
You covered it with the deep like a garment,
with many waters that life might come forth.
At your Word, the waters divided, becoming rivers and lakes and mighty oceans;
storms came to ensure the balance and to renew the earth.
The mountains rose, the valleys became low in the places that You did appoint.
You brought harmony to all the earth, that life might spring forth in abundance.
You created springs to flow into the valleys; they flow between the hills,
Giving drink to every creature of the field, quenching their thirst as your
Living Water quenches ours.
With the air, You have given birds their habitation;
they sing among the branches.
The majesty of Creation is seen throughout the land,
the sounds of Creation mingle with the music of the spheres.
Through your Love, grass came forth for cattle, and pants for us to cultivate,
That we might have food from the earth, and wine, the fruit of the vine,
Oil and healing herbs of many varieties, and bread, our daily sustenance.
The trees are watered abundantly and with the sun, provide the air we breathe.
Every living creature has its home: the birds nest in trees,
the wild goats upon the mountain top; even the rocks provide protection.
You created the own to mark the tides and seasons,
the sun that rises and sets in beauty.
In the darkness, when night comes, the creatures of the forest roam the earth.
They eat their fill, each according to their need; You provide their food.
When the sun rises, they disappear from sight and lie down in their dens.
As your people go forth to their work, You are there to guide them.
O You, who know all hearts, how manifold are your works!
In wisdom You have created all them all; the earth is filled with your creatures.
We look to the seas, great and wide, which teem with life innumerable,
helping to maintain the balance.
O, that we might receive your gifts,
taking only what is needed with grateful hearts.
All of creation looks to You, to give them food in due season.
When we are in harmony with You, the earth provides;
yes, a bountiful harvest to be shared with all.
When we misuse what You have created for us,
we blame You for the famine and destruction that ensues,
and feel alienated from You.
Even so, You continue to send forth your Spirit,
and the earth, though not without turmoil, is renewed.
The glory of the Radiant Once endures forever, for the works of Love are sure.
You are ever-present to us, even as the earth trembles,
even as the mountains spew forth ashes and smoke!
I will abandon myself into your hands as long as I live;
I will sing praise to You while I have breath.
May my meditations be pleasing to You, for I rejoice and am glad in You.
May all who feel separated from You open their hearts to new Life!
Praise the Creator of the Universe!
Bless the Heart of my heart, O my Soul!
Amen.
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Praise God who has defeated chaos, fear, and anxiety.
Praise God who has provided ample food for us to share.
Praise God who has breathed life into all living beings.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Bless the Lord who made the heavens, earth, and sea. Lord, you made every creature from the cute to the terrifying and you delight in us all. Although, I know you Lord, don’t see any of us as terrifying, even the Leviathan bring you delight as they play in the chaotic sea. Remember, O my soul, that God has defeated chaos by bringing order to creation. If the monsters of the deep are in God’s hands so are the monsters in my head. God will surely calm the fears and anxiety in my mind too.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Bless the Lord who provides food abundantly for all to share. Lord, you have given us enough, more than enough and yet, we operate in scarcity. Ease our fears and free us from our anxiousness. In our fear, we tell each other scarcity lies that make us anti-neighbor. Help us to see your abundant creation and to live generously with our neighbors. When we share, we subvert the scarcity mindset that compels us to hoard our resources. We receive from you, bread, oil, and wine. Let us prepare a table where there is always room for one more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul. Bless the Lord who has breathed life into all living beings. Lord, you give us breath animating our life. We cannot hold it or create it on our own. We depend on each other and on plants to breathe clean air. We are all connected by the breath that we share. The righteous see this connection and honor it. The wicked refuse to adhere to community norms of taking care of one another. Let us rid ourselves of our wicked ways and live joyfully with one another. I will meditate on God’s ways and live accordingly.
Bless the Lord, O my soul.
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.
1st Sunday in Advent Psalm 25, 2nd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Luke 1:68-79, 3rd Sunday in Advent instead of a Psalm the lectionary gives Isaiah 12:2-6, 4th Sunday in Advent Luke 1:46b-55 or Psalm 80, Christmas Eve or Christmas Day Psalm 96, Psalm 97, Psalm 98, 1st Sunday after Christmas, Psalm 148, New Year’s Day Psalm 8, 2nd Sunday after Christmas Psalm 147, Epiphany Psalm 72, 1st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 36, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 19, 4th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 71, 5th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 138, 6th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 1, 7th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 37, Transfiguration Sunday (Sunday before Lent) Psalm 99
Lent: Ash Wednesday Psalm 51, 1st Sunday in Lent Psalm 91, 2nd Sunday in Lent Psalm 27, 3rd Sunday in Lent Psalm 63, 4th Sunday in Lent Psalm 32, 5th Sunday in Lent Psalm 126, 6th Sunday in Lent (Palm or Passion Sunday) Psalm 118 or 31
Easter: Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 114, 2nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 150, 3rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 30, 4thSunday of Easter Psalm 23 or 114, 5th Sunday of Easter Psalm 148, 6th Sunday of Easter Psalm 67 or 109, Ascension Psalm 47 or Psalm 93, 7th Sunday of Easter Psalm 97 or Psalm 2, Day of Pentecost Psalm 104
Season After Pentecost (Ordinary Time): 1st Sunday after Pentecost (Trinity Sunday) Psalm 8, 2nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 42 and Psalm 43 or Psalm 22, 3rd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 77 or Psalm 16, 4th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 30 or Psalm 66, 5th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 82 or Psalm 25, 6th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 52 or Psalm 15, 7thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 85 or Psalm 138, 8th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 107 or Psalm 49, 9th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 50 or Psalm 33, 10th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 80 or Psalm 82, 11th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 71or Psalm 103, 12th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 81 or Psalm 112, 13th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 1, 14thSunday after Pentecost Psalm 14 or Psalm 51, 15th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 79 or Psalm 113, 16th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 91 or Psalm 146, 17th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 137 or Psalm 37, 18th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 66 or Psalm 111, 19th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 121, 20th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 65 or Psalm 84, 21st Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 119 or Psalm 32, 22nd Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 145 or Psalm 98 or Psalm 17, 23rdSunday after Pentecost Psalm 98, 24th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 46.
Sources and notes:
“Psalm 104 begins and ends just as does Psalm 103, with a call to the “soul” to bless YHWH; these are the only places in the Psalter where such a call occurs.” W p. 59
“…a magnificent poetic account of God’s sovereignty over all creation…” W p. 59
“Finally, in verses 27-35 the singer sums up the message of the psalm, which is that all of God’s creation depends on God, and God alone, for sustenance and for life itself, and that the only proper response by creation is song, praise, meditation, and rejoicing (vv. 33-34).” W p. 59
“Psalm 104 has many parallels with Psalm 103… …. Read together, then, the two psalms remind readers or hearers that the two fundamental characteristics of YHWH are those of creator and sustainer.” W p. 60
“Psalm 104 begins and ends with the same self-exhortation that opens and closes Psalm 103: “Bless the LORD, O my soul.” The sentence appears only in these two psalms; its repetition holds them together as a pair. The first speaks of the abounding steadfast love of the LORD; the second, of the innumberable creatures made and sustained by the wisdom of the LORD. Together the pair praise the LORD as the savior who forgives and the creator who provides. Both see their themes as expressions of the LORD’s kingship (103:19-21 and 104:1-4).” Mays p. 331
“Even the Leviathan, the chaos monster of the mythic tradition, becomes a tamed creature of the LORD!” Mays p. 333
“Faith in the creator teaches that with respect to existence in the world and dependence on it for life, we are one among many. “The LORD God made them all.”” Mays p. 334
“The LORD even formed that mysterious mighty denizen of three deep called Leviathan (see Job 3:8; 41:25; Isa. 27:1). The poet means to bring every living thing, no matter how strange or terrible some of them appeared to the mind of his day, within the defining compass of one category–the “works of the LORD”.” Mays pp. 334-335
…”the breath of God is sent by God to create living creatures and to renew the earth with life. When new creation occurs and life appears, the ruach of the LORD is at work.” Mays p. 335
“The wish that the wicked vanish from the earth (v.35) seems to conclude the lovely hymn with a jarring discord. But the wish is utterly consistent with the psalm’s vision of the world because the wicked do not fit into that vision. Yet they are there in the world. They live in the LORD’s world and benefit from his providence as do all other creatures. God sends his rain on the just and on the unjust (Matt. 5:45). But in their lives the wicked defy the sovereignty of God, deny their dependence on him, and offend and afflict those who praise the LORD. So the psalm wishes they were not there so that the response of the creature to their creator would be unbroken.” Mays pp. 335-336
“The psalm, read on Pentecost, places God’s gift of our physical life alongside the gift of our spiritual life. Both are the work of the Spirit of God.” Mays p. 337
“Psalm 104 is likely the longest text we have on creation and arguably the most lyrical. This wondrous doxology poetry offer accents and faith claims for our continued critical reflection on creation.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 56
“The inventory of verses 2-23 moves from the largest elements of creation to the most concrete and particular. It begins with the three-storied world that is conventionally assumed in ancient texts, the heavens (vv. 2-4), the earth (vv. 5-9), and the waters beneath the earth (vv. 10-13). Each of these receives due doxological attention signaled by the “you” of the creator as generous agent: You stretched out the heavens (v.2); You set the earth on its foundations (v.5); You make springs gush forth in the valley (v.10). ” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 56
“This concluding doxology in verse 24 bursts with awed enthusiasm concerning, “your works, you have made them, your creatures.” It is all “you, you, you,” to whom the creation is referred. It is clear that the thick repeated use of you gladly affirms that the world is not autonomous in either self-sufficiency of deficit. It is galdly referred back to YHWH on whom the singing community is focused. Both the withholding of the divine name and the utterance of the divine name thus reflect artistic intentionality and communicate theologically.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid pp. 57-58
“That notion of “great and small” is bounded in these verses by bigger forces. At the outset is “the sea, great and wide.” Israel acknowledges the sea but knows not to go there It is better kept at a distance. The sea is beyond the edge of safe place, beyond the land of promise. But while Israel knows it as threat, in doxology Israel can say that this unnamed force is also a creature of YHWH. Thus the exodus tradition discerns that YHWH will use the mighty waters as a vehicle for emancipation, as a way to override the forces of bondage.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 58
“Leviathan is but a toy for YHWH, “formed [for] sport,” or more precisely, designed to make YHWH laugh in delight.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 61
“The reference to Leviathan, is Israel’s poetic imagination, bespeaks an active force of chaos that is not only disordered but an age that intends to cause disorder in God’s creation.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 61
“We must be honest, however, and admit that the negating force of chaos continues to be with us. We know in elemental ways that our life is under threat. …we are bound to say that in the middle of the night, it is raw unadorned chaos- the surging sea, the incomprehensible dragon, the devouring monster- that haunts us, wakes us, or terrifies us.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 62
“…Israel acknowledges the monster but promptly and firmly demotes it from world-devouring threat to just (!) a majestic creature who in fact is no threat at all- just one of God’s many works, ultimately God’s play thing. The world will hold, then, not because of the world but because of the creator who has the whole world in hand.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 62
“The creator “gives, gives, opens,”; the creatures “gather, receive, eat,” and “are filled.” This transaction between the giver and the recipients is endless, reliable, and necessary. The creatures are always on the receiving end of the generous giving of the creator.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 63
“The world is designed for well-being, so that the banquet becomes a metaphor for the goodness of god and the joy of creation.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 64
“They treated the abundance of the creation as though it was the scarcity of Pharaoh.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 65
“Creation becomes an antidote to anxiety, which is the status quo under Pharaonic scarcity. The truth of creation is that we are on the receiving end. Our part in creation then is gratitude, most regularly and reliably done in table prayers, a pause to acknowledge that the meal is a gift from a giver who keeps giving to the just and the unjust.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 66
“Scarcity, rooted in anxiety, is the great alternative to creation. Anxious scarcity evokes no gratitude, but only exploitation and violence. The doxological conviction of Israel is that anxious anti-neighborly action (as in the case of Pharaoh) generates scarcity. Conversely, generous neighborly action evokes generosity in the fruitfulness of creation.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 67
Here Brueggemann is referring to eucharist (gratitude in greek), but I think this could refer to any shared meal or shared resource. “It is, every time, a defiant act of abundance that subverts the world’s will to scarcity.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 67 When we share, we are saying there is enough, more than enough, for everyone in God’s abundance. This subverts the scarcity mindset that compels us to hoard our resources. I think this is a meaningful sentiment whether or not someone celebrates eucharist as part of their worship.
“The ancients were empirical and pragmatic about breath and life. they could see that if one breathed, there was life, and they could see that when one no longer breathed, there was death. they could observe that from birth on, one must inhale before one can exhale, one must receive before one can emit. They could conclude that breath comes to us as a gift and is not possessed by us as a property. They could, as children still do, test their breath, seeing how long one could “hold it,” and conclude that one cannot not do so very long. And so they judged the tone could not own, possess, or control the breath that is a (pre)condition of life. One is dependent a vulnerable and might even be grateful for the gift that one cannot conjure for one’s self. They were able to extend that insight from human persons to all other animals, and thus they readily imagined that all creatures-plants, fish, and birds-also depended on the gift of breath that is God’s to give and to withdraw.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 69
“… everything depends on YHWH who is the great, reliable, steadfast, iron lung…” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 70
“All creatures, all created reality, wait to inhale in order to have a form of life. Here there is no self-starting for the creatures, no self-sufficiency, and no independent possibility.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 71
“”Sinners and the wicked” are this who violate and harm the community by their refusal to adhere to covenantal norms…” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 75
“Righteousness, in sum, is glad acceptance of the good ordering of reality given and guaranteed by the creator, an ordering that culminates in confident Sabbath from all our destructive drives for self-worth.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 76
“Wickedness, in sum, is the refusal of God the creator and the idolization of self as the center of reality.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 76
“Psalm 104:35 is a sober note, but it is a brief one. It is surrounded by doxology. After the three themes I have considered concerning the defeat of chaos (vv. 25-26), the supply of ample food (vv. 27-28), and the gift of ruach (vv. 29-30), verses 31-34 voice a grad doxology interrupted for a brief moment by the worrisome but important fourth theme of verse 35a. Finally, comes verse 35b, the very end of the Psalm, which returns to verse 1, “Bless the Lord, O my nephesh,” the very nephesh formed by ruach in Genesis 2:7. Note too, that in the end, in verses 31-34, the Psalm twice uses the term “rejoice”: May YHWH rejoice. (v.31) I will rejoice. (v. 34).” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 77
“All this praise is directed toward God. For heuristic purposes, we can line that our as follows:
- It is praise to the might father who had defeated chaos.
- It is praise to the generous son who has provided the heavenly banquet of the Eucharist.
- It is praise to the enlivening Spirit who gives ruach to all creatures.
Or Alternatively, it is
- praise to Jesus who has defeated the powers of chaos (Mark 4:35-41);
- praise to Jesus how has provided ample food (Mark 8:1-10);
- praise to Jesus who has breathed on us in an Easter way (John 20:22).”
Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 78
Brueggemann is a Christian interpreter of the Psalms. I am too. I would like to recognize that the psalms have value, meaning, purpose, outside of Christian interpretation, because they were written before Christ. Here is how I would rework his lists:
- praise to God who has defeated chaos, fear, and anxiety
- praise to God who has provided ample food for us to share
- praise to God who has breathed life into all living beings
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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.
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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.
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McCann, J. C. (1993). A theological introduction to the book of Psalms: The Psalms as Torah. Nashville, TN: Abingdon Press.
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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.
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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.
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