Epiphany 5
Worship
Aids To The Psalms
I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name
for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.
On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.
All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand
and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Alternate Image
The Singer after years of self-imposed exile returns to his homeland. The walls that separated him from others have been torn down, the people are dancing in the streets, and the Singer stands in the church of his childhood. His song of thanks echoes in the long emptied sanctuary. He thinks about the parade of tanks and missiles that the occupiers of his country worshiped, in which they placed their trust and faith. With a grin he recalls the day when in a parade of the mighty implements of unfaith, one ran out of gas, another overran it and toppled over, an inanimate metal idol whose track covered wheels spun uselessly in the air. The Singer's song praises the animate God who lives in the lives of his followers and who became one of them so they could feel God's love and passion for them. The Singer's song expresses the hope that all people should believe in his God rather than the cold gods of metal, weaponry and technology. The Singer then sings his own confession of belief that this will indeed happen as God's purpose will be fulfilled in his life and in the lives of others as they live their lives of faith.
Reflection
How many gods do we believe in? Gods of war, gods of romance, gods of science and technology, gods of detente, gods of stocks and bonds, gods of medicine, gods of every shape and variety. These are the gods of our own creation. Inanimate gods that easily topple on their precarious pinnings. How much better the world would be if we all truly believed in one God, our God of passion and love for all humanity. How much more harmony would there be in the world if only we would truly affirm with our hearts, minds, and intelligence the God of the psalmist rather than the gods of wheeling and dealing and bargain striking. Our joy is that God has made a covenant that can be trusted. This covenant tells us that God will use ordinary folk such as ourselves in God's great plan. Knowing that God's plan is unfolding enables us to assume our roles in that plan with joy and steadfastness.
before the gods I sing your praise;
I bow down toward your holy temple
and give thanks to your name
for your steadfast love and your faithfulness;
for you have exalted your name and your word
above everything.
On the day I called, you answered me,
you increased my strength of soul.
All the kings of the earth shall praise you, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth.
They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly;
but the haughty he perceives from far away.
Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you preserve me against the wrath of my enemies;
you stretch out your hand
and your right hand delivers me.
The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Alternate Image
The Singer after years of self-imposed exile returns to his homeland. The walls that separated him from others have been torn down, the people are dancing in the streets, and the Singer stands in the church of his childhood. His song of thanks echoes in the long emptied sanctuary. He thinks about the parade of tanks and missiles that the occupiers of his country worshiped, in which they placed their trust and faith. With a grin he recalls the day when in a parade of the mighty implements of unfaith, one ran out of gas, another overran it and toppled over, an inanimate metal idol whose track covered wheels spun uselessly in the air. The Singer's song praises the animate God who lives in the lives of his followers and who became one of them so they could feel God's love and passion for them. The Singer's song expresses the hope that all people should believe in his God rather than the cold gods of metal, weaponry and technology. The Singer then sings his own confession of belief that this will indeed happen as God's purpose will be fulfilled in his life and in the lives of others as they live their lives of faith.
Reflection
How many gods do we believe in? Gods of war, gods of romance, gods of science and technology, gods of detente, gods of stocks and bonds, gods of medicine, gods of every shape and variety. These are the gods of our own creation. Inanimate gods that easily topple on their precarious pinnings. How much better the world would be if we all truly believed in one God, our God of passion and love for all humanity. How much more harmony would there be in the world if only we would truly affirm with our hearts, minds, and intelligence the God of the psalmist rather than the gods of wheeling and dealing and bargain striking. Our joy is that God has made a covenant that can be trusted. This covenant tells us that God will use ordinary folk such as ourselves in God's great plan. Knowing that God's plan is unfolding enables us to assume our roles in that plan with joy and steadfastness.
