Most gracious Presence, let me not be arrogant, nor boast of my virtuous deeds;
Let me not seek fame or set my heart not the riches of the world.
Help me to calm and quite my soul, like a child quieted at its mother’s breast;
like a child that is quieted, be so my soul.
I shall be at peace in You, O Breath of my breath,
from this time forth and forevermore. Amen.
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
Our hope is in God. Living in hope means trusting on God to comfort and care for us. The psalmist describes a humble life. In a way it reminds me of what minimalism and mindfulness movements could be; a simpler way to live, to have our needs met and be content with what we have. May we let go of our striving for “more” and be content like this quiet soul. May we trust God’s loving-kindness as a child trusts her mother. Our hope is in God.
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 D Psalms that I haven’t come across in the other lectionary years, yet:
18, 144, 44, 110, 73, 75, 76, 28, 12, 61, 11, 88, 108, 64, 60, 10, 120
These are the psalms I haven’t found in any lectionary, yet:
Sources and notes:
“The confidence in the LORD of one pilgrim is offered to the community of pilgrims.” Mays p. 408
“The attitudes and ways rejected by the psalm are the sum of autonomous pride. The stance adopted is that of the calm and patient soul calm because ultimately it does not have to depend on itself and patient because it does not believe that the present time is a prison. The simile of the weaned child with its mother gives the stance human and emotional depth.” Mays p. 408
“At its end, the song bids Israel to hope in the LORD. Hope in the LORD is like a child with its mother. Living in hope is having One with you who takes the terror out of need and time. The simile may reflect the occasional use of parent and child as an image of the relation between God and people (Deut. 1:31; Isa. 46:3-4; How. 11:4 as usually emended).” Mays pp. 408-409
“It is one of three of the Songs of Ascents ascribed to David (Pss 122, 124, and 131), thus giving the psalm something of a “royal” starting point for interpretation, but its metaphoric imagery allows the reader or hearer to move past the psalm’s “royal” overtones and find a rich feminine picture of God.” W p. 217
“The word “heart” in Hebrew refers to the seat of human intellect and will and parallels the English concept of “mind”…” W p. 217
“However one understands the metaphor, it is a powerful image of one who finds calm and quiet in the embrace of a feminine God, as twice repeated in verse 2.” W p. 219
“The strong feminine imagery in Psalm 131 has led a number of scholars to suggest that it may have been composed by a woman. It certainly gives voice to the quiet repose of a mother and her satisfied, resting child. Assigning authorship to any psalm is problematic, however, and the metaphor of God as parent and Israel as child is found elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible.” W p. 219
“Regardless of the gender of the voice in Psalm 131, its words reflect a basic trust in God by pilgrims coming to Jerusalem for festivals and celebrations and singing the words of the Songs of Ascents.” W p. 219
“The message of Psalm 131 is simple. Pride, haughtiness, and seeking after great and wondrous things will not provide the calm and quiet that simple reliance on God brings.” W p. 220
“The piety reflected in this psalm is directly opposed to modernity with its drive toward independence, self-sufficiency, and autonomy. It is worth noting that the Psalms deny the Oedipal inclination that there can be freedom only if the controlling, authoritarian father-god be slain or denied. The myth of modernity believes the real maturity is to be free of every relationship of dependence. But when the metaphor is changed from a harsh controlling father to a gently feed mother, it is evident that the human goal need not be breaking away, but happy trust.” Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms p. 49
“If Psalm 131 were taken as the whole of our relationship with God, one might judge it to be naive and romantic. Without taking it for ht whole stamens, it does provide for us a remarkable metaphor for some dimensions of faithful living that are lost in many of our other images for our relationship with God.” Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms p. 49
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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