THE CALL | Daniel 3:17b–18 [ESV]
“Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up.”
[Image: Psalm 124 | Mitch Collier, “Snare Broken”]
CONFESSION
Father, we long to have the courage to worship you in the face of danger, neglect, or public shame, but we confess that we often fall short. Our small daily compromises corrode the foundation of our faith and when trials come, we crumble. Teach us to trust you even when we do not face the fire furnace, and in doing so, lead us to greater trust and confidence in you. Teach us to recognize your presence with us in any circumstance.
ASSURANCE | Isaiah 41:10 [ESV]
fear not, for I am with you;
be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you,
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
SING | Doxology [sheet music]
Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
Amen
WORD
Read Psalm 39
2nd Reading: I Peter 1:22-25
“O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; and let me know how fleeting I am!” (Ps 39:4)
In Psalm 39, David prays for a strange thing. At least it must seem strange to our modern ears. David prays that God would show him the depth of his own weak position. In particular, we wants to be reminded that he is a finite human that will eventually die. This doesn’t seem normal to modern people because we are used to trying to build ourselves with promises about how our achievements will change the world and last forever. But David prays this way because he knows that having the right perspective makes all of the difference in the world. When we see our smallness next to God’s infinite greatness… we start to have the right perspective.
In particular, David seems to be thinking about some wrong thing that he did. He asks to be delivered from his transgressions (v.8) and God’s discipline (v.11.) That is why David wants God to “look away from him, that I may smile again.” He seems to be saying that God is looking at him in anger.
In the New Testament, the Apostle Peter compares the fleeting experience of human life with the abiding word of God. When we embrace the reality of our own limitations – whether sin or death – we are prepared to receive eternal blessing from God. “You have been born again… through the living and abiding word of God; for all flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.”
ABIDING
SING
- Psalm 124 | He’s On Our Side [recording] [sheet music]
Optional Meditation: Psalm 124 | Responsorial Chant [demo recording] [chant setting pdf]
If we could tour history and listen to how God’s people have sung the Psalms throughout the centuries, it would probably sound like chant to our ears. Common meter and western melodic structures did not exist for most of human history. While our hearts engage more naturally with western sounds, chanting the Psalms can still be an excellent way to let God’s Word minister to you. There are many modern forms of chant, but here is an example of Responsorial Chant, where the cantor (chanter) uses a tone to sing through the bulk of the text. The refrain is sung by the congregation as a way of reflecting and responding to the Psalm text. The red dots signify to the cantor where to go to the next tone phrase. There are many chant resources if you want to investigate more, or you can create your own chant tone as well!
MONDAY
LECTIO DIVINA | Psalm 124
We memorize things we value. The brain has an incredible ability to remove information that we don’t need. As we make an effort to memorize the Psalms, the beginning of each week seeks to establish the value of God’s Word in our hearts before we view it as information to be remembered. Read more about the Lectio Divina HERE.
- Receive God’s Word from Psalm 124 as a gift as you read or listen.
- Re-read and meditate on the meaning of the Psalm. If you are in a group, briefly share an idea that applies to your life.
- Re-read and pick an attribute of the Psalm and pray from it in your own words.
- Re-read and silently contemplate how God has spoken to you through his Word.
TUESDAY
READ | Psalm 124
Spend time understanding and memorizing the outline of the Psalm, taking special note of the flow or transition points. If you are in a group, discuss the main themes and emphasis together.
WEDNESDAY
CONTEXTUALIZE | Psalm 124
Consider ways that you can let the Psalm form your imagination, that you might share it with others. Perhaps you can journal about it, write poetry or prose, learn a song, create visual art, or reexpress it in ways that speak to your context. If you are planning to fellowship with other people this weekend, consider how you might share these imaginations with your community.
THURSDAY
MEMORIZE | Psalm 124
– Spend time memorizing the words of the Psalm as best you can –
FRIDAY
MEMORIZE | Psalm 124
– Spend time memorizing the words of the Psalm as best you can –
SATURDAY
(see Saturday liturgy)
SENDING
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever,
Amen.
Isaiah 40:31 [ESV]
but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint