Sunday Stretch: Vol. 142

Start off your week with a grounded take on Bible, prayer, the world, and your life ...

Hi Readers,

And a grateful welcome to all new subscribers! This Sunday edition of the newsletter is the most “pastor-focused” of what I do here, while News with Nuance and other regular columns are more journalism-focused, so just a heads-up if you aren’t explicitly looking for faith-based content.

That being said, my hope is that these Sunday entries are an invitation to everyone, regardless of your faith background. Especially as we begin our journey through the weekly Psalms, I hope you find them an invitation to dwell in poetry, art, lament, hope, and truth.

Let’s get to the Psalm!

And a quick reminder:

We’ve now officially completed our weekly study of the three-year Revised Common Lectionary, a study of the three Bible readings (Hebrew Bible, a New Testament reading, and a Gospel reading) used across the world in many churches, including most Catholic, Episcopalian, Methodist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Orthodox, and so many more churches from Minnesota to Japan.

Each Sunday following now, we’ll begin a new study focusing in each week on the Lectionary’s scheduled psalm. In our increasingly violent and chaotic world, I think we desperately need the weighty words of psalms and poetry to focus our hearts on God’s word. So I’m looking forward to this.

Each Sunday including today, I will also share a link at the top of the message to our former Sunday Stretch reading for this Lectionary week, so that you can see the commentary and questions I’d previously written for these assigned readings. Hopefully that’s especially helpful to preachers and church leaders!

If you’re looking for the Hebrew Bible, New Testament, and Gospel readings from today’s Lectionary, click here:

Psalm 111

Psa. 111:1 Praise the LORD!

I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart,

in the company of the upright, in the congregation.

² Great are the works of the LORD,

studied by all who delight in them.

³ Full of honor and majesty is his work,

and his righteousness endures forever.

⁴ He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;

the LORD is gracious and merciful.

⁵ He provides food for those who fear him;

he is ever mindful of his covenant.

⁶ He has shown his people the power of his works,

in giving them the heritage of the nations.

⁷ The works of his hands are faithful and just;

all his precepts are trustworthy.

⁸ They are established forever and ever,

to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness.

⁹ He sent redemption to his people;

he has commanded his covenant forever.

Holy and awesome is his name.

¹⁰ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom;

all those who practice it^a have a good understanding.

His praise endures forever.

For our study of the Psalms, I’m going to make a suggestion. Psalms - like poetry - require deep contemplation and study. Each word is weighted and heavy. So even though my typical tendency is to read quickly, I’m going to force myself to slow down. To read each word again. Aloud.

OK, I just did that. How about you?

I’ll admit that it’s hard for me to slow down and really marinate in the text. I’m quick to jump on certain words or ideas, and I want to move into the part where I understand its meaning, and how I can apply it to my life. That’s why this practice of studying the Psalms, slowly, in depth, prayerfully - is so valuable. Because I’m forced to take time. Breathe. Listen.

As I write this I remember that the Greek word for Spirit and for breath is the same. Come, Holy Spirit, as we study this Psalm.

One of the first words that caused me to pause in my reading of this psalm is in verse 2. Studied.

I love that the Psalmist (and translator) used this word. In modern-day Christian culture, especially in America, we’re often taught to view the Bible as some kind of holy talisman, idol, or prop. It’s valuable as a whole - and we are supposed to sort of understand its messages by symbiosis, or maybe from powerful celebrity pastors and leaders. They’ll often act like the Bible’s meaning is “obvious” or “simple.” There’s a rampant anti-intellectualism, an idea that somehow if we parse apart the Bible’s words - that we are somehow disrespecting its holiness.

But the Psalmist here says that the followers of the LORD, those who are exalted in this Psalm, are those who “study” the works of the LORD. We don’t merely “see” them, or “experience” them, or even praise them. But we “study” them. We watch what God does, we read God’s words - and we take time to “study” them.

I think this word fits well into the Psalm’s general message, which is one that calls us to humility and honor and even “fear” of the LORD.

Again, this idea of “fear” contradicts a general western cultural idea that “fear” is a bad thing. That we should not be afraid. And I think that stems from an abuse of this idea of fear of the Lord, where people - and church leaders - and even abusive parents in some Christian families - who claimed to speak for God, put themselves in the place of the LORD. And then they demanded fear for themselves.

This is a sin of the highest measure, and the Psalm calls it out. Fear of the LORD is significant because if we fear God, if we recognize God’s superior wisdom, strength, love, judgment - then we cannot fear any man (as the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., says).

In fact - in honor of Dr. King, let’s close this with a video from the great Reverend the night before his death - how a true faith and honor of God leads us to confidence in our calling, even in the midst of great danger. I share this video in sorrow but also in defiance and in honor of the Theology of the Cross, which King raised up against the prevailing white American Theology of Glory.

Questions to Ponder