Due Season

Scripture:

I will exalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation commends your works to another; they tell of your mighty acts.

5 They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty- and I will meditate on your wonderful works.

6 They tell of the power of your awesome works- and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The LORD is good to all; he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All your works praise you, LORD; your faithful people extol you.

11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might,

12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures through all generations. The LORD is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does.

14 The LORD upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways and faithful in all he does.

18 The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The LORD watches over all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD. Let every creature praise his holy name for ever and ever.

Psalm 145

This past summer, we drove from Lincoln to Idaho Falls, to visit my parents in Idaho. We packed ourselves, me and my husband, our two small children, my in-laws, and our dog, into our Ford Explorer and drove for two days. It was a long trip! So we brought with us pens and paper, coloring, stickers, movies and music. We played the license plate game, and the alphabet game. Or, rather, many different forms of the alphabet game. One of our favorites, predictably, is, "I'm going to the zoo and I see an Ape, Bear, Crocodile, etc...each person taking their turn with the next letter to name an animal. Another favorite version, "I'm going to the store to get an, Apple, Banana, Cookie, Donut..." As the trip progressed, more "points" were given for originality. Once something had been named, the trick became to name something else.

It's not a game I knew, or one of my devising. It comes from my mother-in-law, a former elementary school teacher, who also happened to be one of the first Reading Recovery teachers in Northern Ireland. Obviously, we weren't just playing a game. Anyone related to an educator knows that games aren't just for fun. They are helpful learning tools.

In some senses, this Psalm is just a really, really old version of the alphabet game. But its not only teaching us the Hebrew alephbet. It is also a catechism, or a learning tool to teach us about God. More specifically, it is teaching us how to pray to God.

ALEPH

I will extol you, my God and King,

and bless your name forever and ever.

BET

Every day I will bless you,

and praise your name forever and ever.

GIMEL

Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;

his greatness is unsearchable.

...all the way to tav, the last letter. Symbolically, this is a hymn of praise, then that encompasses all of life, and all possibilities of life, not limited by the words, but unlimited in expression.

This Psalm is one of the central prayers of the people of God, repeated in some families and traditions three times a day. It reminds us of God's greatness and God's goodness, as well as our reliance on God. It takes us back to the days of manna and quail in the wilderness, that foundational experience that tells us God will not let us starve. God does provide. God will take care of our daily needs.

One of the other interesting things I learned about this Psalm in preparing to preach it is that it is often used before meals, three times a day, in many Jewish homes. In some senses, it is a prototype to the Lord's Prayer, a "pray in the way King David taught us...." In fact, some scholars have noted the similarities between Psalm 145 and the Lord's Prayer, suggesting that Jesus was once again using a well known prayer to teach a new way to pray.

Prayer: Lord of all Creation, teach us to pray in new and familiar way to you, O God. As we enter this season of considering our blessings, remind us that all our blessings are gifts from you. Amen.

Melodie Jones-Pointon

Sunday, October 23