Psalm 48

I've begun a project to write the Psalms in my own words. It's a daunting endeavor, so I decided to follow the Lectionary. For those of you unfamiliar with it, the Lectionary is a series of Bible readings used by many denominations for Sunday worship. It is designed to take us through much of the Bible in a three year cycle.

Lectionary Psalm for July 9, 2006
Year B 5th Sunday after Pentecost

Psalm 48

Great is our God who created the universe
and the natural world of our planet.
Such a designer is worthy of our praise
our wonder our awe and marvel.
Let us bow our hearts and heads
in the places of human design
that beckon us to remember
God’s mighty hand in all that we do and are.
Fortresses and castles, kingdoms and ruins
the terror of the armies as God was invoked
to the battlefield to destroy or defend
each one in their belief.
The joy of the victors, the dismay
of those conquered, the grief of all
mourning their dead.
God bore witness to it all
and God exists, the foundation of all
we construct––Temples, museums, marketplaces,
trade towers, galleries, churches, mosques.
If you walk all about them, attentive
to detail you will find sacred in the space.
Take the next generation by the hand
guide them to the signs you have seen
both subtle and shouting
and say with all confidence,
“God dwells here!”
God dwells in our structures, our scriptures,
our hearts, our minds, our memories.
This great God of history is also the God
of your story. Forever and ever.


©Cathy Warner 2006