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Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24
Proper 11A
Psalm 139 is a doctrinal and devotional classic. It bristles with theologically rich ideas and it hums a lullaby of divine care. Oh yes, it also shocks with its infamous ending; “if only you would slay the wicked, O God!” But for all its familiarity, Psalm 139 is hard to describe. Is it a hymn…
Psalm 65:(1-8), 9-13
Proper 10A
In my last church, we used Psalm 65:9-13 as the Old Testament reading for every Thanksgiving Day worship service. Its description of harvest bounty fit the time of year so well, and its ascription of praise to God for that bounty fit the theme of our national Day of Thanksgiving. But this harvest Psalm is…
Psalm 145:8-14
Proper 9A
Psalm 145 is an exuberant, but hardly extemporaneous Psalm. Indeed, it is a carefully crafted Psalm of praise. The superscription explicitly identifies it as that, using a word for praise found only here in the entire Psalter. We might call it the quintessential Psalm of Praise, for it uses all the traditional language of praise…
Psalm 89:1-4, 15-18
Proper 8A
Psalm 89 is one of the darkest of all the Psalms, the better looking twin of the exceedingly dark Psalm 88, which ends with “the darkness is my closest friend.” Psalm 89 rallies from that kind of despair with bright opening words. In our reading for this Fourth Sunday of Ordinary Time, it’s a new…
Psalm 69:7-10, (11-15), 16-18
Proper 7A
Psalm 69 is the cry of a person in extremis. He uses the conventional language of drowning to describe his distress. The Jews were a non-nautical people, so the thought of falling into deep water where there is no firm bottom provoked the deepest terror. We can almost see the Psalmist flailing about as he…
Psalm 100
Proper 6A
It is not hard to figure out what Psalm 100 is. The superscription says simply, “For Giving Thanks.” Thus, it was probably used as liturgical accompaniment when a thank offering was given in the Temple. Perhaps it called on those who offered such a sacrifice to have the proper attitude of worship, rather than just…
Psalm 8
Trinity Sunday A
On this Trinity Sunday, the other three Lectionary readings can legitimately be used for sermons on that great Mystery. Both Matthew 28 and II Corinthians 13 explicitly mention Father (God), Son, and Holy Spirit. Genesis 1 is a bit more difficult. Although many scholars express reservations about such exegetical movements, an enterprising preacher can work…
Psalm 104:24-34, 35b
Pentecost A
Many scholars suggest that we could use Psalm 104 to put environmentalist spin on Pentecost, because of verse 30. “When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.” Imagine a Pentecost version of the secular Christmas carol. “Have yourself a merry little environmental Pentecost!” I agree with that…
Psalm 68:1-10, 32-35
Easter 7A
Psalm 68 is known as the most difficult Psalm, but it is a fine choice for this Seventh Sunday of Easter, also known as Ascension Sunday. The connection to Christ’s Ascension is rooted in the way the early church read it, as evidenced most clearly in Paul’s use of verse 18 in Ephesians 4:8-13. Within…
Psalm 66:8-20
Easter 6A
On this Sixth Sunday of the Easter season, Easter is frankly fading from our minds. The trumpets are stored away, the lilies have long been consigned to the trash, and we’re moving on to Ascension Day and Pentecost. So it’s a good thing to preach on Psalm 66 today, because it reminds us that every…
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