We give thanks to You, who are the Source of Love;
whose Light shines forth throughout the universe!
Come, awaken our hearts that we might go you Work;
For, without You, we can do nothing; ’tis your Love that loves through us.
Gather us in from all the lands,
from the east and the west, from the south and the north.
Let all who are hungry and thirsty, whose souls are faint within them,
Cry out to the Most Merciful to give them succor, to nourish them with healing love;
For fear cannot live where love, grace, and gentleness abide.
Enter into the Great Silence, where you may hear the voice of the Beloved,
Who satisfies the hungry soul, and quenches the thirsty with streams of Living Water.
Yes, attune yourselves to the small still Voice within, stay true to your heart’s Center.
For through your inner being Truth and Wisdom are heard;
the resources to break all bonds is found there, too.
Has no one ever told you that truth is written on the scrolls of your heart,
that the Beloved dwells therein?
O peoples of the Light, Awaken to the knowledge that lives within you!
Come out of the darkness and gloom; break through the fears that hold you prisoner.
Do you not know your destiny is to be alight unto the world,
a bearer of peace and harmony?
O let your light shine as a very ray of the Radiant One’s own Light!
And know yourself! Let your aim be to recognize who you are.
Aspire to live as sons and daughters of the Divine Love,
to enshrine the earth with divinity,
To honor all relationships as sacred, and to live in peace and in balance
with all living things.
Acknowledge the sacredness of every path, albeit different from your own;
In this way you honor the Great Mystery and the wonder of all life!
Remember always to offer grateful hearts in thanksgiving to the One
who lives among us!
O, that you might learn to see with your heart, to hear and think with your heart, as well!
Many there are who boast of their own deeds, who are proud of their power over others.
Where will they be when the storms arise,
when earthquakes shatter the rocks of their hearts?
Only the humble will call to the Spirit to help them in times of distress;
The wise wait not for trouble, but communicate with the Counselor in all things.
Enter the Holy Temple of your heart, and learn to still the tumult of the mind;
For, to be serene even in the midst of chaos, is to know the efficacy of calmness.
Peace dwells in the heart of silence, compassion and mercy bind there, as well.
Come, let us give thanks to the Heart of all hearts, giving praise for the unlimited gifts of Love!
Let us pray for the well-being of all life, and learn to dance in harmony with the cosmos!
Who will offer the dance of their own life, as a creation of devotion and beauty?
Only those who have come through the darkness and walk now in the Light
Can offer their lives in Service to build the new world, where justice and freedom
will truly flourish.
Awaken, all you who are yet asleep, let us plant seeds for the commingling
of heaven and earth;
For the Energy of Love radiates in everything, and receptive hearts are purified by its Fire.
Blessed are the children of Light, for they know their home in the Universal Heart.
Let your heart be clear and simple, and you should filled with Light;
Enter the place of gentleness, the heart-space of the Beloved, the embodiment of Love!
For we are invited to radiate the Divine Presence, to be blessing to one another;
Thus do we become the very image that we reflect.
Whoever is wise, let them ponder these things, let all people reflect on the gifts of the Beloved.
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
(Psalm 107:1 NRSVUE)
After this opening line, the psalmist calls all of those who have been rescued from their troubles to come together and praise God. The psalm lists the situation from which people have suffered, felt God’s presence even in their deepest despair, and ultimately were redeemed by God and their life is filled with gratitude for all that God has done. These are not trivial situations these worshipers experienced either: lost in the desert slowly dehydrating; so hungry and thirsty that the soul faints; in a dark prison, shackled, and doing hard labor; injured and sick, so sick that they couldn’t eat and were near death; and in a stormy sea as the ship goes down in panic and pain. And yet, there are survivors to gather from east, west, south, and north, to praise God who turned their tragedies around and set their lives on a different course; satiated, safe, free, healthy, without pain or fear.
Why did God save them? Not because they were special, or righteous, or attended the only true church, or prayed a particular prayer. Their previous good deeds are not recounted nor do they promise anything to God in return for their deliverance. It seems that God helped because they needed help. When it seemed they couldn’t get out of the situation on their own and knew that no other person could help them, they cried out to God in desperation and God delivered them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
and he delivered them from their distress
(Psalm 107:6 NRSVUE) Also see vv. 13, 19, and 28
These “miracles” are not rational. And as Walter Brueggemann puts it, gratitude is not rational either, he writes, “… a life lived in safe, explanatory categories can never arrive at gratitude because in the safe, explained world there is never anything new beyond our control about which to wonder or to acknowledge.” (From Whom No Secrets are Hid p. 144) If we delude ourselves into thinking we are in control and can neatly explain every moment of our lives, we have no room for awe-filled wonder or deep gratitude.
My brain can’t figure out all of the why’s and how’s but my heart somehow finds comfort in the not-knowning-ness too. I don’t know why some of us experience miracles, others get enough of God’s presence to sustain themselves, and why others seem to languish in despair. Some things that I can’t explain are wonderful, and some things that I can explain are terrible. When miracles can’t be explained, our response is gratitude. When tragedies can’t be explained, our response is love. And in these awful situations, love is as simple as being present and letting not knowing be enough for a while.
I don’t know how or why God works. But I know who God is and what God does; Love. And I think that is my role, as Pastor, or as believer, or as friend and neighbor, to remember who God is; Love. And to do what God does; Love.
Let those who are wise pay attention to these things
and consider the steadfast love of the Lord.
(Psalm 107: 43 NRSVUE)
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, 4th Sunday 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, 7th Sunday 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, 14th Sunday 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 107, a community hymn of praise, opens book 5 of the Psalter. Its opening words, in verses 1-3, voiced in answer to the plea of Psalm 106:47 to “save us and gather us,” suggest that the two psalms, though in different books of the Psalter, were purposely juxtaposed. In addition, Psalm 107 continues the theme of “land” addressed in Psalms 105 and 106. Book 5 moves readers or hearers from the exilic to the post exilic period of ancient Israel’s life, but the clear ties between Psalms 105 and 106 and Psalm 107 evince a continuity in the life of Israel from the exile in Babylon to the return to the land.” W p. 83
“Psalm 107 is a song that praises the loyal love (hesed) of the LORD shown in marvelous works of deliverance performed in answer to the cry o those in distress.” Mays p. 344
“Each stand is shaped in a similar way: an account of their adversity, their cry to the LORD, and his deliverance; then a summons to praise the LORD for his hesed.” Mays p. 344
Two patterns unite the psalm. The first is that of the imperative hymn in verse 1 with its summons to thankful praise supported by a statement of the basis and content of the praise (God’s goodness, loyal love). …. The imperative is both a call to praise and a way to praise. All the redeemed are to hear the call and join in the song to exalt the redeemer whose loyal love has saved them. The second pattern is that of the narrative of deliverance from the prayer of thanksgiving. Its report of past trouble, of the cry to the LORD and of the LORD’s deliverance, is used to identify each of the four groups of the redeemed. …. This second pattern maintains the focus on what kind of praise is intended–not just the exaltation of what God is like and typically does–but thanksgiving for what he has specifically done for those who are gathered.” Mays p. 345
“Hesed is the goodness of the LORD as redeemer. It is at once an everlasting attribute of the character of God and occasional in its manifestation in saving actions.” Mays p. 346
“Individual salvation and corporate salvation are held together as the wonderful work of the LORD’s hesed.” Mays p. 347
“In Psalm 107 the hesed of the LORD is a matter of his relation to those who cry out to him. No other basis is mentioned than the goodness of he LORD and the cry of those in trouble.” Mays p. 348
“Four groups of people appear in the first thirty-two verses of Psalm 107, representing , perhaps, the “redeemed of the LORD” from the four points of the compass named in verse 3.” W p. 83
“The psalm celebrates the deliverance of God both in the lives of individuals and in the life of the religious community. It celebrates, too, divine forgiveness which brings liberation and renewal of life to sinful men. As it praises, it intends also to teach concerning the way of folly and the way of wisdom. Divine providence concerning both the overthrown of tyrants and the blessing of the faithful is that God rules in the lives of men and works wonders of love and power.” WBC
“we are taught to be self-made persons–no need to cry to God for help, and consequently no need to thank God for anything. Seldom, if ever, does it occur to us that human life depends on God. Thus the message of Psalm 107 is simple but radical: There is ultimately no such thing as self-sufficiency, for human life depends on God.” NIB p. 610
“In Psalm 107, we read that the LORD makes it possible for the hungry to dwell safely in the land and establish a city; to sow fields, plant vineyards, and gather a harvest; and to have children and increase their cattle (vv. 36-38). In addition, the Lord pours contempt on rulers who oppress the people (vv. 39-40). The actions associated with YHWH in these verses are the actions of the “ideal sovereign” in ancient Israel.”
“In the ancient Near East one’s ability to live in security and provide for self and family required community. A strong leader who could crush the oppressor, ensure abundance of grain, defend the poor and needy, and such was essential to community life. In their post exilic situation the people of Israel were allowed to return to Jerusalem, to rebuild the temple, and to resume their worship practices, but they were vassals to the Persian government and could not have their own sovereign. Psalm 107 assures them that YHWH can and will be their source of security and provision in the post exilic period.” W p. 87
“The importance of land, a place to call one’s owns paramount in the words of Psalm 105, 106, and 107; it is a major concern of much of the Hebrew Bible text, and it is a significant issue in the twenty-first-century world. Every person needs a sense of belonging, of roundedness, of knowing where “home” is. For refugees, immigrants, those subject to forced migration, and those abandoned by their families that sense and knowledge of home is shattered. Such people will need a new sense of belonging, of knowing “home,” and those who know where “home” is are called on to embrace those who do not and help them find a sense of belonging, thereby allowing the to develop a story, their new “enduring literature”.” W p. 88
“The poem begins with a summons to give thanks. the speaker assumes that the “redeemed” and the “gathered” share his gratitude to God and will want to join in expression of it (vv. 1-3). The body of the psalm consist of four case studies in rescue that invite and evoke gratitude:
- those lost in the desert (vv. 4-9);
- those in prison (vv. 10-16);
- those sick (vv. 17-22);
- those at sea in a storm (vv. 23-32)
The pattern of the narrative is highly stylized. In each case, the context of trouble is described in hyperbolic language. The purpose of this kind of rhetoric is to make clear that the subjects expressing this trouble were complete helpless o their own. In each case, however, the extreme circumstances did not lead to despair. They led, rather, to prayers of petition addressed to YHWH as “cry”. The “cry” is not elaborated on, but it clearly consisted of a complaint and a petition whereby God was moved to act. And in each case, we are told, God delivered! That divine response, according to the psalmist’s rhetoric, is immediate and complete. Without delay, God acted decisively to extricate the petitioners from desperate circumstance.
In each case, the deliverance wrought by YHWH evoked thanks. This thanks was in response to God’s covenantal reliability (steadfast love) that had been exhibited. In each instance, it is affirmed to Israel that God is reliable, responsive, and capable of restorative transformation. The theological claims make here for YHWH are very broad, but the evidence is specific and remarkable:
- rescue from desert abandonment;
- emancipation from prison, even if there for rebelling;
- healing of immobilizing illness;
- stilling of a storm
In three of the four cases, there is an invitation to thank God for the prompt and effective rescue (vv. 8, 15, 31).” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets Are Hid p. 142
In the third case (vv. 21-22) there is a variation that includes a thanksgiving sacrifice. (I’m paraphrasing Brueggemann). He discusses animal sacrifice for a bit and brings in Micah 6:8 stating that “the proper offering is convenantal responsiveness expressed as neighbor love.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets Are Hid p. 143
“Micah 6:8 moves past material offerings to relational realities that are even more demanding. But the point is the same: Gratitude entails serious, responsive engagement that disrupts “business as usual”.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets Are Hid p. 143
“There is nothing “matter of fact” about these wondrous experience that evoke gratitude. What evokes gratitude is an act outside all normal categories of cause and effect. Because that decisive turn of circumstance defines all reasonableness, gratitude, too, in similar manner, is beyond reasonableness. There is no quid pro quo in gratitude. It is evoked by wonder and expressed in generosity to the point of extravagance. Israel cannot thank YHWH enough! Or do enough in thanks for what YHWH has done!” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets Are Hid pp. 143-144
“This outrageously simple speech thanking God for “miracles” violated our rationality: we do not want to think about an “interventionist” God who acts directly and decisively, if only because such a claim violates our sense of a scientifically reasonable and “explainable” world. This kind of psalmic rhetoric that defines “reason” is at best and embarrassment. It is an embarrassment whenever something happens in our experience that pushes us beyond our explanatory control. When explanatory categories are seen to be inadequate, Israel bursts out in gratitude, no anger embarrassed, with rhetoric that marches and is appropriate to the “wonder” that has been given.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets Are Hid p. 144
“The final declaration of Psalm 107 once again witnesses to God’s steadfast love and invites “the wise” to ponder it (v. 43). ”The wise” are those who know that more is going on in our lives than can be contained within our explanatory categories. It is the foolish, wise in their own eyes and by their own eyes and by their own lights, who think everything can be “explained.” But, as it happens, such explanatory “wisdom” is ultimately foolish, making the rhetoric of gratitude indispensable for the truth of our lives. We read to observe carefully that a life lived in safe, explanatory categories can never arrive at gratitude because in the safe, explained world there is ever anything new beyond our control about which to wonder or to acknowledge.” Brueggemann From Whom No Secrets Are Hid p. 144
“23. Those who go down to the sea in ships. These famous lines (Melville recalls them in Moby-Dick) about the dangers besetting mariners are only loosely connected with the imagery of captives in foreign lands that has been the center of the poem till this point. Perhaps the sailors belong here as a different but related category of people who have been at death’s door but are saved by God. It should be noted that in the Hebrew text, verses 21-26 are marked in the right margin with an inverted letter nun, a device that seems to have been used by the ancient scribes to indicate some questioning of the text or even a virtual erasure of it. Although the unit about sea travel continues through verse 30, this scribal indication makes one wonder whether the whole section might have been regarded as a different poem that was somehow inserted into our psalm.” Alter p. 386
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.
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