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Psalm 20
Proper 6B
In these politically charged times, it is interesting (or ironic, or fortuitous, or providential) that the Lectionary would give us two Royal Psalms in a row. Last week in Psalm 138 we had a Psalm that spoke truth to power. This week in Psalm 20 we have a Psalm that prays for the one in…
Psalm 138
Proper 5B
While some scholars call this an individual Psalm of thanksgiving, I think there is enough evidence to label it a royal Psalm of praise. For one thing, it is “of David,” the first of 8 Psalms attributed to David. While that doesn’t definitively prove that David wrote it, the central section (verses 4-5) is addressed…
Psalm 81:1-10
Proper 4B
I’ve chosen to write on the alternative Psalm reading for today, since I have written on Psalm 139 twice in the last year (see January 14, 2018 and July 23, 2017 in the Sermon Commentary Archives on this website). Rather than repeating what I’ve said before, I want to suggest that you take a different…
Psalm 29
Trinity Sunday B
Psalm 29 is the Lectionary’s choice for “Baptism of our Lord Sunday” in all three years of the cycle, and with good reason. The theme of God’s voice echoing over the waters is common to Psalm 29 and the synoptic Gospel stories of Christ’s baptism. The creation emphasis of Psalm 29 moves naturally into the…
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Pentecost B
Psalm 104 is the perennial choice for Pentecost Sunday in the Lectionary, because of verse 30, which mentions “your Spirit.” Though there is much plausible controversy about whether that should be translated with a capital “S” as a reference to the third Person of the Trinity, the church has taken it that way for centuries…
Psalm 47
Easter 7B
This is the last Sunday of the Easter season, but I want to focus on Christ’s Ascension, which some parts of the church celebrated last Thursday. If your church did that, you can skip what follows. But if your church is among the many churches that had no special service in celebration of that Ascension,…
Psalm 98
Easter 6B
The church has long loved Psalm 98. It is the Psalm for Christmas Day in all three years of the lectionary cycle; indeed, it is the Old Testament text for Isaac Watts’ beloved carol, “Joy to the World.” It is also the perfect Psalm for the end of the Easter Season, as it looks back…
Psalm 22:25-31
Easter 5B
The Lectionary can be a hard taskmaster, especially when it assigns the same reading twice in two months during entirely different seasons of the liturgical year. That is the case with this reading from the last verses of Psalm 22. It was our assignment two months ago during Lent and is now our reading for…
Psalm 23
Easter 4B
Even though the RCL uses Psalm 23 on the Fourth Sunday of the Easter season in all three years, and even adds it to the Lenten readings in one year, the enterprising preacher should not despair when assigned this lovely piece of poetry yet again. It is so rich that there is no end of…
Psalm 4
Easter 3B
The superscription of Psalm 4 tells us that this individual prayer was always intended to be used with musical accompaniment in a service of public worship. That’s how the church has used it for centuries now. Long ago, the monastic movements noticed the references to sleep in both Psalm 3 and 4 and have bracketed…
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