Showing posts with label Psalm 136. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Psalm 136. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Psalm Meditation 1276
¶Second Sunday of Advent
¶December 8, 2024
¶Psalm 136
https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+136&version=NRSVUE
(NRSVUE)
¶This psalm appears to be a litany, in which the leader reads a statement and the congregation responds with the same phrase after each statement as a way to participate in the act of worship without having to read anything. The psalmist retells the salvation history of Israel and the people respond with a reminder that the steadfast love of God lasts forever. When things are going well, it is good to know that God loves us forever. When things are going poorly, it is good to remember that the steadfast love of God holds us through every crisis.
¶When things are going well, it is tempting to take love for granted whether it be the love of God or of a friend or family member. It is a given, an ‘of course you do,’ understanding with each other that love is present in this moment. We are glad to know, however, it can does not need to be deep or intimate, it simply has to be there as a common acknowledgment. Good times do not test the depth, the height, the breadth of love.
¶The psalmist does not list many of the good times of salvation history, because as important as they are, they do not test the bonds and bounds of love. That God gave us the whole of Creation as an act of love is the beginning of our history with God, the rest is a reminder that God has been with us through all the worst parts of our lives, loving us as steadfastly and completely as we could ever hope to be loved. “O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.”
¶December 4, 2024
¶LCM
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Psalm Meditation 1046
Proper 9
July 5, 2020
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
A litany is a call and response liturgy in which the response is always the same. As a child in worship I thought they were boring because we had to say the same thing over and over. I also thought it unfair that the leader got all the variety while we were stuck with the same old same old. In seminary, the litany I had to write for a class had a different response every time. All these years later, I realize it was not a litany, and I have a deeper appreciation for what happens in the call and response of a litany.
The litany arose in a time before the majority of worshipers was literate so a repeated response allowed more people to participate in this act of worship. Whether worship was conducted in Latin or the local language there was the one phrase to learn in order to join in. In our more literate era the litany gives us the opportunity to have a concept reinforced by repetition. One of my mentors along the way told us that anything we hear at least ten times takes on a reality it did not have before. In this particular psalm, the consistent repetition of, “for his steadfast love endures forever.” serves as instruction and reminder that God loves us, forever.
I continue to think that litanies are boring, and I am not likely to use them as an act of worship. However, I am ever grateful for the reminder that God’s love is not something that comes and goes, it is not something that God offers and withholds depending on my behavior or some whim on the part of God. In the whole history of salvation, one of the constants, whether we have acknowledged it or not, has been God’s love, for his steadfast love endures forever.
June 30, 2020
LCM
Proper 9
July 5, 2020
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
A litany is a call and response liturgy in which the response is always the same. As a child in worship I thought they were boring because we had to say the same thing over and over. I also thought it unfair that the leader got all the variety while we were stuck with the same old same old. In seminary, the litany I had to write for a class had a different response every time. All these years later, I realize it was not a litany, and I have a deeper appreciation for what happens in the call and response of a litany.
The litany arose in a time before the majority of worshipers was literate so a repeated response allowed more people to participate in this act of worship. Whether worship was conducted in Latin or the local language there was the one phrase to learn in order to join in. In our more literate era the litany gives us the opportunity to have a concept reinforced by repetition. One of my mentors along the way told us that anything we hear at least ten times takes on a reality it did not have before. In this particular psalm, the consistent repetition of, “for his steadfast love endures forever.” serves as instruction and reminder that God loves us, forever.
I continue to think that litanies are boring, and I am not likely to use them as an act of worship. However, I am ever grateful for the reminder that God’s love is not something that comes and goes, it is not something that God offers and withholds depending on my behavior or some whim on the part of God. In the whole history of salvation, one of the constants, whether we have acknowledged it or not, has been God’s love, for his steadfast love endures forever.
June 30, 2020
LCM
Monday, June 4, 2018
Psalm Meditation 938
Proper 5
June 10, 2018
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
As a child I hated litanies in worship. I could see no point in the congregation saying the same thing over and over while the leader got to say something different every time. Even my first year in seminary, when given the task of writing a litany I gave the congregation a different response each time. The professor made comment about it, though I don’t remember having any points taken off. I know that there have been times that I have simply skipped over what I assume is the people’s response in this psalm, “for his steadfast love endures forever.”
These days I recognize the importance of a repeated response. A single response is easy to learn and easy to repeat at the appropriate time. It gives the congregation a way to participate without having to have a printed resource in front of them. A repeated response gives the participants an important nugget of truth to carry for as long as the response is remembered. Having read the psalm, we may not remember any of the first parts of the verses, however we may recognize, “for his steadfast love endures forever.”
Once we learn the response we can come up with our own reasons to remember and rejoice in the steadfast love of God. As we repeat the response each time we find a new reason to thank and praise God we can also be reminded that the steadfast love of God is with us in a real and permanent way. The more often we hear something the more likely we are to believe it. “for his steadfast love endures forever.”
June 4, 2018
LCM
Proper 5
June 10, 2018
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
As a child I hated litanies in worship. I could see no point in the congregation saying the same thing over and over while the leader got to say something different every time. Even my first year in seminary, when given the task of writing a litany I gave the congregation a different response each time. The professor made comment about it, though I don’t remember having any points taken off. I know that there have been times that I have simply skipped over what I assume is the people’s response in this psalm, “for his steadfast love endures forever.”
These days I recognize the importance of a repeated response. A single response is easy to learn and easy to repeat at the appropriate time. It gives the congregation a way to participate without having to have a printed resource in front of them. A repeated response gives the participants an important nugget of truth to carry for as long as the response is remembered. Having read the psalm, we may not remember any of the first parts of the verses, however we may recognize, “for his steadfast love endures forever.”
Once we learn the response we can come up with our own reasons to remember and rejoice in the steadfast love of God. As we repeat the response each time we find a new reason to thank and praise God we can also be reminded that the steadfast love of God is with us in a real and permanent way. The more often we hear something the more likely we are to believe it. “for his steadfast love endures forever.”
June 4, 2018
LCM
Monday, March 23, 2015
Psalm Meditation 771
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 29, 2015
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
God created the universe and led the people out of exile because we deserved it, because we paid our own way out, because we were so faithful we earned God’s help. If you read the first half of each verse, it might be possible to see things this way. When no reason is given for something there is a part of us that wants to decide it is due to our own agency in the matter. Yes, we are willing to say that God did all this for us, and we are just as willing to declare that it is because we deserve it.
When we read the second half of the verse, God’s reasoning becomes more clear. It is not out of our deserving, it is out of God’s steadfast love for us. We tend to become desensitized to things we experience often. As we moved into a new town, I asked a lifelong resident how often the trains came through. He said he didn’t even notice anymore. Within a few months I too no longer noticed. It is possible to inoculate ourselves against what we regularly experience. “For his steadfast love endures forever” is as easy to skip over as it is to read and comprehend.
On the other hand, a psychology professor told us that we believe anything we have heard ten times or more. We have the choice; do we tune out the response that God loves us forever or do we hear it, claim it and let it change our lives? As tempting as it may be to skip over the second part of each of these verses, once we realize it is repetitive, it will serve us well to read that part aloud. It can’t hurt to know, “his steadfast love endures forever.”
March 23, 2015
LCM
Palm/Passion Sunday
March 29, 2015
Psalm 136
1 O give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 who struck down great kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed famous kings, for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan, for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage, for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to his servant Israel, for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
God created the universe and led the people out of exile because we deserved it, because we paid our own way out, because we were so faithful we earned God’s help. If you read the first half of each verse, it might be possible to see things this way. When no reason is given for something there is a part of us that wants to decide it is due to our own agency in the matter. Yes, we are willing to say that God did all this for us, and we are just as willing to declare that it is because we deserve it.
When we read the second half of the verse, God’s reasoning becomes more clear. It is not out of our deserving, it is out of God’s steadfast love for us. We tend to become desensitized to things we experience often. As we moved into a new town, I asked a lifelong resident how often the trains came through. He said he didn’t even notice anymore. Within a few months I too no longer noticed. It is possible to inoculate ourselves against what we regularly experience. “For his steadfast love endures forever” is as easy to skip over as it is to read and comprehend.
On the other hand, a psychology professor told us that we believe anything we have heard ten times or more. We have the choice; do we tune out the response that God loves us forever or do we hear it, claim it and let it change our lives? As tempting as it may be to skip over the second part of each of these verses, once we realize it is repetitive, it will serve us well to read that part aloud. It can’t hurt to know, “his steadfast love endures forever.”
March 23, 2015
LCM
Monday, February 27, 2012
Psalm Meditation 611
Second Sunday in Lent
March 4, 2012
Psalm 136:1-16,24-26
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
One of my pastoral counselor friends tells me that a person begins to believe anything that is heard at least ten times. If that is the case then each of us who reads this psalm will begin to believe that the steadfast love of God endures forever. That is a pretty important thing to know and believe. It is a constant assurance throughout Scripture, that the love of God lasts longer than any trial we may go through, that it lasts longer than any wandering from God might last. The steadfast love of God endures forever.
The next part is to believe that the steadfast love of God includes each one of us, that God loves me. (whichever ‘me’ might be reading this.) It is easy to say and believe that the steadfast love of God endures forever, it can be harder to know that the steadfast love of God includes me and countless others who have heard and accepted that the love of God is not an abstraction, it makes a difference in my life. To go from the general statement that the steadfast love of God endures forever to God loves me here and now is quite a leap of faith. It is a leap of faith that makes a difference.
Litanies have a single response so that those who do not read can participate in worship by reciting the peoples’ response at the appropriate time and so those who can read can hear the first part because they already know what they are going to say in response. It turns out that the single response also allows us to have a constant reminder through the litany of some aspect of God, in this case, the steadfast love of God endures forever.
© February 27, 2012
Second Sunday in Lent
March 4, 2012
Psalm 136:1-16,24-26
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 O give thanks to the God of gods, for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders, for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 who by understanding made the heavens, for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 who spread out the earth on the waters, for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 who made the great lights, for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day, for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night, for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn, for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and brought Israel out from among them, for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 who divided the Red Sea in two, for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it, for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 who led his people through the wilderness, for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and rescued us from our foes, for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 who gives food to all flesh, for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven, for his steadfast love endures forever.
(NRSV)
One of my pastoral counselor friends tells me that a person begins to believe anything that is heard at least ten times. If that is the case then each of us who reads this psalm will begin to believe that the steadfast love of God endures forever. That is a pretty important thing to know and believe. It is a constant assurance throughout Scripture, that the love of God lasts longer than any trial we may go through, that it lasts longer than any wandering from God might last. The steadfast love of God endures forever.
The next part is to believe that the steadfast love of God includes each one of us, that God loves me. (whichever ‘me’ might be reading this.) It is easy to say and believe that the steadfast love of God endures forever, it can be harder to know that the steadfast love of God includes me and countless others who have heard and accepted that the love of God is not an abstraction, it makes a difference in my life. To go from the general statement that the steadfast love of God endures forever to God loves me here and now is quite a leap of faith. It is a leap of faith that makes a difference.
Litanies have a single response so that those who do not read can participate in worship by reciting the peoples’ response at the appropriate time and so those who can read can hear the first part because they already know what they are going to say in response. It turns out that the single response also allows us to have a constant reminder through the litany of some aspect of God, in this case, the steadfast love of God endures forever.
© February 27, 2012
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