Psalm 15 (text here>) this week, probably used as an entrance liturgy or gradual, asks who may dwell in God's 'tent' or 'holy hill'. The remaining verses provide a checklist of rather challenging qualifiers, from the grand 'live blameless' to the nitty gritty of 'take no bribes'. The challenge is really encouraging the reader continually to seek to connect with sources … Continue reading Psalm 15, 30 August 2015
Month: August 2015
Psalm 84, 23 August 2015
After last week's furrowed brows about 'fear', this psalm rings with those warm, positive poetic images that stick in the memory: 1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! 2 My soul longs, indeed it faints for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living … Continue reading Psalm 84, 23 August 2015
Psalm 111, 16 August 2015
Psalm 111 this week is quite short but dense. It's full of big statements such as: Great are the deeds of God, studied by all who delight in them. Full of honour and majesty is the work of God, whose goodness endures forever (verses 2 and 3) A previous post on Psalm 111 focused on themes of wisdom and … Continue reading Psalm 111, 16 August 2015
Psalm 51; a tale
The recent recurrence on 2 August of Psalm 51, of which much has been written in this blog, reminds us of another popular story. In Latin, the psalm begins 'Miserere' meaning 'Have mercy' (for more, see for example the post for 15 March 2015>). A quite stunning and famous setting by Gregorio Allegri was written for two choirs in about … Continue reading Psalm 51; a tale
Psalms 130 and 23, 9 August 2015
Psalm 130 pops up again this Sunday, just 6 weeks after we listened to Sinead's Out of the depths. We are going to repeat that same song -- its beautiful simplicity sustains the message perfectly. The visit by The Gospel Folk brings not only their inspiring songs but also the excuse to focus the gathering on music. … Continue reading Psalms 130 and 23, 9 August 2015
Psalms in the South 