Bring justice to the peoples, O Beloved, and your mercy to all generations!
May the people be known for mercy, rendering justice to the poor!
Let their spirits soar as the eagle, let joy abide in every heart!
May we heed the cry of the poor–the young and the old,
helping to free all those in need, awakening the souls of oppressors!
May we know oneness with You as long as the sun endures,
as long as the stars shine throughout all generations!
May we acknowledge You in the rain falling on the fields,
like showers that water the earth!
In our day may justice flourish, and peace abound, throughout all the nations!
May every heart open to your Love from sea to sea,
from the River of Life out to the universe!
May fears that paralyze the people rise up from the depths into Your Light!
May the leaders of nations from all the earth, listen to Love’s Voice;
May they spend time in Silence before they council!
May the leaders surrender to your Love, and the nations serve the Most High!
For You heed the needy when they call, the poor and those who have no friend.
You have compassion on the weak, the downtrodden,
giving the strength and hope.
From injustice and oppression, You redeem their life;
and precise are they in your Heart.
Long may You live in our hearts, may praises be sung to You!
May our prayers rise up before You and blessing of love be freely rendered!
May we be ever grateful for the grain of the fields,
for the fruits of the vine to be shared with all;
And may the people blossom forth in the cities,
diverse like flowers in the meadow!
May your Name live on forever, your Love endure as long as the sun!
May the people bless themselves in knowing You,
and all nations call You blessed!
Blessed be the Beloved,
the One who dwells in open hearts, who guides us along the way.
Blessed be You,
who come in the Name of Love; may your flory fill the earth!
Amen and Amen!
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
In Psalm 72 kings are called to protect the vulnerable, break the cycles of oppression, end violence and work for the healing of all creation.
Psalm 72 might have been used as part of the coronation ceremonies for ancient Israel. It is a psalm that sets the tone for leadership and its mission by naming the attributes of God that leaders emulate: Honesty, Fairness, Justice, Peace, and Defender of the poor and vulnerable.
Reading this psalm in the Christian season of advent I hear Mary’s song (Luke 1: 46-55). Mary’s song is similar to Hannah’s song (1 Samuel 2:1-10). These songs along with Psalm 72 sing of hope for the future where leaders will follow in the way of God. In advent, Christians are preparing for the birth of Christ (in our liturgy, reminding us to make room for the holy child) and the second coming of Christ (in some ways, we join our Jewish neighbors in waiting for the Messiah). We don’t know exactly what the coming or second coming of the Messiah will look like, but we do know that it will mean the transformation of the world, oppression will cease, all of creation will be healed (land, water, air, creatures, etc.), and there will be an end of violence.
All of us, the weary ones, watch and wait for the Messiah. We slowly become aware of God’s presence with us once again. God, incarnate, Immanuel, is always with us. Advent reminds us that God is working in the world and we are invited to rest, to be renewed, and to participate in the reign of God once again.
Christians are reminded in advent that Christ is born again in our hearts if we only welcome in his transforming love. Like the king (and all of his subjects) listening to Psalm 72, we are called to be co-creators in world transformation in all the ways that we interact with our neighbors.
Past reflection links:
2nd Sunday in Advent Psalm 72, 2022
Epiphany Psalm 72, 2022
Epiphany Psalm 72, 2021
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. Advent of 2024 year C. I finished year C early, so I posted Psalm 119 and began work on missed psalms from Year D and others not in the lectionary. Advent of 2025 year A.
I use the Vanderbilt Divinity Library’s resource for lectionary readings and the PCUSA planning calendar 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:
“Since the king overhears this prayer offered to God about the king he is also addressed and pressured rhetorically to fulfill what is expected of him. The psalm becomes a warning for the king in its function as a “mirror” that allows him to evaluate his reign. …. Also overhearing the psalm are the king’s subjects both peasants and the elite.” W p. 221 Also overhearing this prayer is Solomon’s mother. “Queen Mother Bathsheba would probably have noticed the idealistic hyperbole in the prayer at her son’s coronation, which contradicted her own earlier experience of monarchy.” W p. 225 If I were preaching this text, wondering about how Bathsheba reacted to it would be part of it. When women’s voices are silence we forget that they were part of the event. Bathsheba certainly would have been at the coronation for her son and her emotions/thoughts/prayers were likely complicated. Maybe she hopes that Psalm 72 is true even after her very different experience of what kings are like.
“Psalm 72 is a particularly clear example of Israel’s appropriation of this view. Repeatedly the poem connects what God is asked to do for the king with the hoped-for acts of the king for the people (v. 1 and vv. 2-4, v. 5 and vv. 6-7, v. 8-11 and 12-14, v. 15 and v. 16). Mays p. 236
“Saving justice for the helpless is the definitive mark of the reign of God, the sign of the one who represents the lord of all the world.” Mays p. 237
“The correlation in this psalm between the place and way of God and that of human kingship is unmistakable. The king himself is to be the source of righteousness, well-being (shalom), fertility, and victory, the one who saves the helpless when they call, the one served by nations, and the one whose name endures forever. All these things are said first of all of God in the psalms. Though prayers were to be made of the king continually (v. 15), he clearly has a vocation that is an extension of the character of Israel’s God.” Mays p. 237
“In the attribution to Solomon the psalm is read as Scripture in the context of other Scriptures, a record of the past for instruction of the present. The account of Solomon in I Kings comes closer to fulfilling the model of the true king sketched in this psalm than that of any other king of Judah. But the Scripts also records his failure and judges him a flawed example of the model.” Mays p. 238
“The doxology in verses 18-19 is the liturgical marker of the conclusion of book II of the Psalms. As the conclusion of Psalm 72 it turns attention to the One who also does marvelous things. It reminds the reader that it is the God of Israel who alone will be forever praised and whose glory will fill the whole earth. The sovereignty belongs to the LORD, and all that is wished and claimed for the king is but a reflection of the heavenly reign (cf. vv. 18-19 and vv. 17 and 8). According to verse 20, Psalm 72 is the last of David’s prayers. The verse is an endnote to a collection of David psalms that constituted the basic material of the Psalter and now in a revised form makes up the first two books of the Psalms.” Mays pp. 238-239
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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