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Psalm 85:1-2, 8-13
Advent 2B
Psalm 85 is a fine choice for this second Sunday of Advent. Anticipating the Gospel reading from Mark 1 in which John the Baptist begins to announce that salvation is near, verse 9 declares, “Surely his salvation is near those who fear him.” In the same vein, verse 13 concludes the Psalm with words that…
Psalm 80:1-7, 17-19
Advent 1B
In all three years of the Lectionary cycle, Psalm 80 is seen as an Advent Psalm, probably because of the central prayer in verse 2; “come and save us.” In years A and C, it is the last Psalm of Advent. This year, it is the first Psalm of Advent. Its use here in the…
Psalm 100
Proper 29A
It is interesting that the Lectionary begins and ends Ordinary Time with Psalm 100. We looked at this beloved Psalm back on June 18, the second Sunday of Ordinary Time. Now we return to it on this last Sunday, when we celebrate the fact that Christ is King of all the earth. If you preached…
Psalm 123
Proper 28A
Psalm 123 is the fourth of the Songs of Ascent (Psalms 120-134) and the first that is a prayer. Most scholars think that Israelite pilgrims from all over the Promised Land (and perhaps beyond, if this is an early post-Exilic Psalm) sang these words as they journeyed up to Jerusalem and maybe even as they…
Psalm 70
Proper 27A
Psalm 70 is the alternate Lectionary reading from the Psalter for today. I’ve chosen it because I wrote on the regular reading, Psalm 78, barely a month ago. And it turns out that there’s a lot to ponder and perhaps preach in this apparently simple little Psalm. It is given scant attention in many commentaries…
Psalm 107:1-7, 33-37
Proper 26A
Though it is the first Psalm in Book V of the Psalter, Psalm 107 seems to be a continuation of the historical Psalms that ended Book IV, the end of a trilogy that includes Psalm 105 and 106. All these Psalms sing the praises of the God who acts in history for his people. Psalm…
Psalm 90:1-6, 13-17
Proper 25A
Psalm 90 is a classic text for funerals, for ecclesiastical observances of New Year’s Eve, and for any other time we mark the passing of time and lament our tenuous place in it. So it is a fitting choice for this last Sunday of October just a month away from the end of Ordinary Time….
Psalm 99
Proper 24A
Psalm 99 is the last of the Enthronement Psalms that proclaim that Yahweh reigns not only over little Israel, but also over the entire world. It is a particularly exquisite declaration of Yahweh’s reign because of its symbolic use of numbers, notably the numbers seven and three. The former is the number of perfection throughout…
Psalm 106:1-6, 9-13
Proper 23A
Back in the day, a radio commentator named Paul Harvey became famous for the way he reported the news. He would remind his listeners of a well-known news item and then he would tell “the rest of the story,” the other side of the story that everyone thought they knew. That’s exactly what we have…
Psalm 19
Proper 22A
One scholar of the Psalter calls Psalm 19 “the problem child Psalm.” He calls it that because it doesn’t fit any of the established genres of the Psalter. Only Psalms 1 and 119 are like Psalm 19. Further, some scholars are pretty sure that Psalm 19 was originally two Psalms, a nature hymn (verses 1-6)…
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