New Year's
Preaching
Aids To The Psalms
Exploring The Message
May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere him.
Alternate Image
The Singer enters the door of a church. Directly ahead of her
down the center aisle is the communion table and pulpit. The
chairs for the congregation are on either side of the aisle,
facing each other. The liturgist reads an Old Testament lesson
and sneezes; the congregation responds, "God bless you!" as germs
spew through the air. The liturgist then reads the Epistle lesson
and again sneezes; the congregation says, "God bless you!" as
more germs disseminate through the crowd. The liturgist reads the
Gospel lesson and once more sneezes at the conclusion of the
reading; the congregation replies, "God bless you!" as the germs
fly about their heads. The preacher then delivers her message.
She also sneezes at the end of each major
point she makes, and the congregation rejoins with "God bless
you!" as more germs mix in the air. The Passing of the Peace
turns into sneezes and "Gesundheits." At the end of the service
the members of the congregation leave to evangelically sneeze on
and share their germs with their neighbors.
"God has blessed us, let all the ends of the earth fear him!"
Reflection
This is an antiphonal psalm and an evangelical psalm. It is a
psalm of blessing. God's blessings are to be shared, shared so
that all may know God. God's blessings are a bit like germs.
God's blessings are contagious. Infected by God's grace we are
not called to isolate ourselves, but rather to be the means by
which God can infect others. Covenant people are meant to be
contagious, to spread our faith to others. God has planned a
faith epidemic since the foundations of the world, and we are
called to be the carriers of the marvelous infection.
and make his face to shine upon us, Selah
that your way may be known upon earth,
your saving power among all nations.
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
Let the nations be glad and sing for joy,
for you judge the peoples with equity
and guide the nations upon earth. Selah
Let the peoples praise you, O God;
let all the peoples praise you.
The earth has yielded its increase;
God, our God, has blessed us.
May God continue to bless us;
let all the ends of the earth revere him.
Alternate Image
The Singer enters the door of a church. Directly ahead of her
down the center aisle is the communion table and pulpit. The
chairs for the congregation are on either side of the aisle,
facing each other. The liturgist reads an Old Testament lesson
and sneezes; the congregation responds, "God bless you!" as germs
spew through the air. The liturgist then reads the Epistle lesson
and again sneezes; the congregation says, "God bless you!" as
more germs disseminate through the crowd. The liturgist reads the
Gospel lesson and once more sneezes at the conclusion of the
reading; the congregation replies, "God bless you!" as the germs
fly about their heads. The preacher then delivers her message.
She also sneezes at the end of each major
point she makes, and the congregation rejoins with "God bless
you!" as more germs mix in the air. The Passing of the Peace
turns into sneezes and "Gesundheits." At the end of the service
the members of the congregation leave to evangelically sneeze on
and share their germs with their neighbors.
"God has blessed us, let all the ends of the earth fear him!"
Reflection
This is an antiphonal psalm and an evangelical psalm. It is a
psalm of blessing. God's blessings are to be shared, shared so
that all may know God. God's blessings are a bit like germs.
God's blessings are contagious. Infected by God's grace we are
not called to isolate ourselves, but rather to be the means by
which God can infect others. Covenant people are meant to be
contagious, to spread our faith to others. God has planned a
faith epidemic since the foundations of the world, and we are
called to be the carriers of the marvelous infection.
