Sunday, May 1, 2022https://kuc.org/wp-content/uploads/psalms-15.jpg

The Reverend Dr. Katie Snipes Lancaster

Psalm 115
Not for our sake, God, no, not for our sake,
but for your name’s sake, show your glory.
Do it on account of your merciful love,
do it on account of your faithful ways.
Do it so none of the nations can say,
“Where now, oh where is their God?”

Our God is in heaven
doing whatever God wants to do.
Their gods are metal and wood,
handmade in a basement shop:
Carved mouths that can’t talk,
painted eyes that can’t see,
Tin ears that can’t hear,
molded noses that can’t smell,
Hands that can’t grasp, feet that can’t walk or run,
throats that never utter a sound.
Those who make them have become just like them,
have become just like the gods they trust.

But you, Israel: put your trust in God!
—trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!
Clan of Aaron, trust in God!
—trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!
You who fear God, trust in God!
—trust your Helper! trust your Ruler!

O God, remember us and bless us,
bless the families of Israel and Aaron.
And let God bless all who fear God—
bless the small, bless the great.
Oh, let God enlarge your families—
giving growth to you, growth to your children.
May you be blessed by God,
by God, who made heaven and earth.
The heaven of heavens is for God,
but he put us in charge of the earth.

Dead people can’t praise God—
not a word to be heard from those buried in the ground.
But we bless God, oh yes—
we bless the Lord now, we bless the Lord always!
Hallelujah!

Praying the Psalms
Not the god-of-carved-mouth unable to talk,
not the god-of-melted-metal never uttering a sound,
but you, God. Our helper. Our ruler.
The one who remembers us.
Who sees us. Who knows us.
Make way for blessing.
Amen.