I give thanks, O Blessed One, with my whole heart;
before all the people I sing your praise;
I was humbled when I came to see that You dwell in me,
in the chapel of all souls; my gratitude knows no bounds!
For You are the Holy One, the Life of our life.
On the day that I called, You answered me;
the strength of my soul You increased.
All the leaders of the earth shall one day praise You,
When your Spirit Awakens in every heart;
And they shall proclaim the new dawn of Light and Love.
Great will be the radiation of your Glory!
For even as You are the Most High,
You are Friend to the lowly;
the arrogant close their hearts to your love and guidance.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You preserve my life;
You are a very Presence as I face my fears and doubts;
Your strength upholds me.
You guide me as I pray to fulfill my purpose on earth;
You do not forsake those who call upon You.
Your steadfast Love and Truth endures forever.
Nan C. Merrill Psalms for Praying
Reflection:
Loving God with whole-hearts means being open to and willing participating in God’s transformative work in the world. The mighty will be brought down, the oppressed will be lifted up. The values of the world will be turned upside-down. Miriam, Deborah, Hannah and Mary sang songs/psalms that reflected the work God was doing in their community and in their own lives.
The song continues through generations of believers: God cares about the lowly, the poor, the oppressed. God cares about those who would usually be trampled under the feet of progress or profit. I believe that God is working in small subversive loving ways in my life and in the world. Having witnessed God’s work, I know I can do small things for others that will make all the difference to them. And maybe, that’s how love works.
Let us all sing God’s praises and live according to God’s love.
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
Past reflection links:
Psalm 138 Year B (2023-2024)
Psalm 138 Year C (2021-2022)
Psalm 138 Year B (2020-2021)
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 began work on psalms I missed: Psalm 119, Year D and others not in the lectionary. By the end of 2025, I have written a reflection for each psalm.
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, 2nd Sunday after Christmas Psalm 147, 1st Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 29, 2nd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 40, 3rd Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 27, 4th Sunday after Epiphany Psalm 15, 5th1st 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, 2nd Sunday after Christmas Psalm 147, 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, Transfiguration Sunday Psalm 2 or Psalm 99.
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.
Easter Psalm 118 or Psalm 114, 2nd Sunday of Easter Psalm 16 or Psalm 111, 3rd Sunday of Easter Psalm 116 or Psalm 34, 4th Sunday of Easter Psalm 23 or Psalm 100, 5th Sunday of Easter Psalm 31 or Psalm 119: 9-32, 6th Sunday of Easter Psalm 66 or Psalm 115, 7th Sunday of Easter Psalm 68 or Psalm 21, 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: 105-112 or Psalm 65, 8th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 139 or Psalm 86, 9th Sunday after Pentecost Psalm 105 or Psalm 128 or Psalm 119: 129-136, 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, 15th Sunday 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:
“The opening psalm of the final David collection in the Psalter celebrates God’s answering the cry for help from the psalm singer and emboldening her to declare God’s word to “all the kings of the earth.” In the aftermath of the Babylonian exile the Israelites questioned their very identity and future as the people of God. With the full knowledge of the “steadfast love” and “faithfulness” of YHWH, though, the post exilic Israelite community could find a way to “sing” God’s praise in the aftermath of an exile in which they could not “sing” the songs their captors requested (Ps. 137:4).” W p. 258
“Verse 6 is a particular reminder that to acknowledge God’s reign and to live in dependence upon God means a transformation of what and whom the world generally values. Hannah’s song (1 Sam 2:1-10), which v. 6 recalls, is taken up by Mary in anticipation of the birth of Jesus (see Luke 1:46-55, esp. vv. 51-53). Jesus embodied God’s strange sovereignty and world-transforming values, distancing himself from the proud and powerful in favor of the lowly, Jesus showed us what it means to live in fundamental dependence upon God, to offer one’s “whole heart” gratefully to God.” NIB pp. 693-694
“The profession that God rules the world is clearly appropriate for the season of Epiphany, with which Psalm 138 is associated. Like all proclamations of God’s rule, Psalm 138 calls us to decision. It invites us to join the psalmist and the kings of the earth in praising God and offering ourselves to God with our “whole heart”.” NIB p. 694
“The psalm is, then, a guide to the main and practice of thanksgiving by the redeemed. It reminds us that salvation comes to us as individuals in community and creates a community that can speak as one in unity. It teaches that our salvation sis not first of all and only for our sake but is also and foremost the revelation of the coming kingdom of God. of that we are to be witnesses to the “gods” and rulers of the world. the outcome of salvation is a life of trust an prayer. Life with all its uncertainties and dangers goes on for the redeemed; God’s salvation gives them reason to hope that what God has begun with the he will surely bring to completion.” Mays p. 425
“As in other songs of thanksgiving, this prayer remembers a time of need that has now been resolved in deliverance. What is special here is that the circle of praise is expanded, both in heaven and in earth.” Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms p. 131
“What all that general matter of faithfulness means is that God is faithful to me in this particular situation. This prayer is bold to imagine that the main issues facing God are to be resolved with particular reference to me.” Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms p. 132
“He is high, but attends to the lowly (cf. Isa. 57:15). That is, unlike the other gods in verse 1 and unlike the conventional kings in verse 4. Characteristically kings and gods are high, but do not notice the lowly. The whole history of Israel is evidence to the contrary, and that is why Israel is a scandal among the nations, and why Yahweh is an embarrassement among the gods. This verse, the ground of the entire thanksgiving, is revolutionary in its disclosure. Mention of the high, the lowly, the haughty introduces political reality an political awareness into the prayer . The seeds of social transformation and historical inversion are present when this agenda is articulated.” Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms p. 132
“Heaven and earth are now on notice because of quite concrete experience. A new regime is underway that no longer permits lowly people to be trampled. Because Yahweh makes the move, everything else will have to change. In the last line, the “work of your hands” is none other than the lowly who owe their whole life to and depend completely on this one who intervenes in unheard of and unexpected ways.” Brueggemann, The Message of the Psalms p. 132
“All kings of the earth…/… have heard the words of Your mouth. The background of this line is to self-evident. the idea that the rulers of all the nations will acclaim the God of Israel is in keeping with a reiterated theme in Deutero-Isaiah, as many scholars have noted. But, at least on the face of it, the saving act of YHWH in this psalm is in the life of one individual, so the kings of the earth would scarcely be aware of it. Perhaps hearing God’s words–realizing the truths he has revealed to humankind–is an action entirely independent of the plight from which the thankful speaker of the poem has been rescued. God has shown His kindness to the speaker, and this same attribute, for different reasons, is recognized across the earth.” Alter p. 477
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 and Wilkes 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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