May 2, Fifth of Easter - Psalm 148
It is early morning, Lord, and one cannot escape the psalmist's call to praise. All you have called to be is called in turn to priase you: angels, son and moon, shining stars, highest heavens, even waters above the heavens. Why? Because you commanded and they were created, you established them forever, and you fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.
The list goes on. Also called to praise is everything on earth: sea monsters, fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy winds fulfilling your command. Humanity, too: kings and all peoples, princes and all rulers, young men and women alike, old and young together.
What surprises me is also what is said of you at the end: "He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful." Ought that not be our greatest reason to praise you, that you actually praise us. Thank you, God, for your sovereign power. And thank you even more for your boundless mercy and grace, Amen.
May 9, Sixth of Easter - Psalm 67
Few moments pass in our lives without prayers for your blessing, Lord: "be gracious to us and bless us and make [your] face to shine upon us." Surely our needs are great and you have invited us to come before you night and day to make them known.
Too often, however, we confess to forgetting why you bless us, "that your way may be known upon earth, your saving power among the nations."
Forgive us our penchant for hoarding your many blessings, spending them on ourselves without passing our witness to them on to others. Give us more gladness of heart. Help our songs to be so full of joy that we manifest our praise to you and thus multiply it in others.
You are forever yeilding our increase as your people. May you continue to do so. And may we going forward share our gratitude for the whole world to see and take note of you! Amen.
May 16, Seventh of Easter (Ascension) - Psalm 97
Surely the psalmist understood your majesty, Lord, and lauds it again in our hearing. In this season of Easter and not least as we celebrate again Christ's ascension into heaven have we not even more evidence of your sovereignty over all of creation?
Bathe us again in the splender of both your coming to us in him, and his leaving from us to return to your right hand--not as if to abandon us to ourselves but to send then your Spirit to dwell among us forever. Restore to us, Lord, both the glory and the grace of salvation in your name, that we may indeed be your righteous servants and joyful children.
Save us from all selfishness of spirit that diminishes our praise of you, and so come within us as to exalt your name with power. Amen.
May 23, Pentecost - Psalm 104:24-35
Thank you, Lord, for all the reminders in this psalm of creation's dependence on you: "the sea, great and wide, creeping...and living things both small and great," even ships at sea. "These all look to you to give them theiir food in due season; when you give it to them they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things. When you hide your face, they are dismayed; when you take away their breath, they die and return to the dust. When you send forth your spirit, they are created; and you renew the face of the ground."
All glory belongs to you. We spend our years as a tale that is told...and it is soon over and we fly away (Psalm 90). But you are forever, and we are totally dependent through all our days on you and your Spirit--both for the gift of life and for its sustaining.
Today we plead for eyes to see and ears to hear again your coming among us. Save us from evil days and the fate of the wicked who scorn your ways. Make us of one mind and heart in the body of Christ into which you have raised us by your grace. And fill us continually with your Spirit that we may manifest in daily living the fruit that comes of depending on you. Amen.
May 30, First after Pentecost (Trinity) - Psalm 8
What is man, indeed Lord, that you should be mindful of him? O blessed Trinity, in whom we live and move and have our being, deliver us from the awful pride inherent in shutting ourselves off from you. Help us to remain open to the heavens that declare your glory and become again like little babes and sucklings in whom you have founded a bulwark for our faith.
You have given us domion over the earth, and are waiting always to crown us with glory and honor. "How majestic is your name in all the earth!"
Help us, Lord, to be all that you created us to be. Teach us your ways and empower us to walk in them. Build into our minds the breadth of your mind, and into our wills the disiplines of your Spirit. Then, as on the first Pentecost, we will teach transgressors your ways and sinners will be converted to you. Amen.
