Proper 25B
Psalm 34.1-8
St. Stephen’s, Oak Harbor
October 27, 2024
Blessed be the Name of God
For the next little while, we will spend time with the portion of Psalm 34 that we have sung, and beautifully so. I have had a long and affectionate relationship with these verses from the Hebrew Scriptures and that association and that affection will be intimate to what I have for you this morning. So, please be at ease, take a satisfying breath and let me have your attention and your imagination. I will return them, your attention and your imagination, with no harm done.
The Psalms are a collection of 150 songs, written and compiled in the 5th century BCE, and usually catalogued in groups by association—psalms of praise or thanksgiving, like Psalm 34, psalms of lamentation, like Psalm 22, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken me,” and so forth.
Among the psalms of praise, there is none so rich in praise as this morning’s song. If we were to read the entire psalm, and if we were able to read it in the original Hebrew, we would discover that we are reading through an acrostic. That is, each of the verses in the psalm begins with the next letter in the Hebrew alphabet—aleph, bet, gimel, dalet and so on.
An insightful observer has said that whereas no psalm could contain all the words of praise that the languages of the world have to offer, by using an
acrostic, the writer of the psalm can use all the letters that would compose all those praising words—aleph, bet, gimel, dalet, all the way to tav. Our praise of God, our thankfulness to God, could not be more rich, more complete! “I will bless the LORD at all times, * [God’s] praise shall ever be in my mouth.” [Ps 34.1]
But, of course, we have only the first eight verses of the psalm, but they are surely enough.
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Once upon a time, at an Episcopal seminary of considerable reputation, the professor of liturgics taught a seminar on Eucharistic Prayer. There were only a handful of students in the class, but they were deeply interested in the subject matter and their interest and that of the teacher combined to create a very rewarding and, in fact, intimate learning environment. Common to each class was some measure of discussion, some measure of prayer study, and some measure of admiration for the prayer forms that the students produced, each imagined to serve the gathered community in prayer over bread and wine. This handful of people found the study of these prayers a very prayerful enterprise.
When the semester ended and concluded the seminar, the teacher wanted to express his gratitude to the students for their good work and for the learning and devotion they had all shared. To express that gratitude, the teacher adapted a portion of Psalm 34, forming it into a collect.
Underneath the prayer are these verses from Psalm 34:
1. I will bless the LORD at all times;*
praise of the LORD shall ever be in my mouth.
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3. Proclaim with me the greatness of the LORD;*
let us exalt the Name of the LORD together.
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5. Look upon the LORD and be radiant;*
and let not your faces be ashamed.
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8. Taste and see that the LORD is good;*
happy are they who trust in the LORD.
LEAVE-TAKING
Holy One,
You have been our helpmate all the daylong
And the desire of our hearts:
In taking now our leave
Abide with us,
And grant that we may bless you and enjoy you
At all times;
In due season, let us again exalt your name together,
For we have tasted and seen that you are good.
In your boundless benefaction, hold us ever near,
That at the last,
We may look upon you and be radiant,
And in that marvelous light,
Let not our faces be ashamed.
Receive our prayer, Most Gracious God, by the name of Jesus,
Mary’s child. Amen.
That was once upon a time.
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Once upon an earlier time, The Rev. Amy Donohue married one very lucky fellow. That was on June 3, 1995, at St. Francis’ Episcopal Church in suburban Houston TX, where she was serving as the Associate Rector for Pastoral Care. At her wedding, she and her intended chose Psalm 34.1-8 to be sung. It was quite a memorable affair! Though she was in her mid 40’s at the time, she found herself surrounded by volunteer “mothers of the bride.” Valiantly, she managed to survive their good intentions and make the occasion in question her own. In passing, it is worth noting that her intended was the above-mentioned seminar professor, whose choice of Psalm 34.1-8 for his collect writing was doubtless informed by the central place those verses played in his life from that wedding time onward.
That was once upon and earlier time.
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Once upon a time yet to come, the now long-retired seminary professor, the still-blushing spouse of the aforementioned Amy Donohue, this priest who is the eldest of those here at St. Stephen’s, has drafted and revised his plan for his own funeral. The details are enshrined in the office as they should be. [By the bye, he has sought to have you each and all follow his good example about funeral planning, but you know that.]
As you may have anticipated, he has chosen Psalm 34.1-8 to be said or sung at his funeral. Those verses will be among the sources of Scripture available to Tom Johnson for his preaching on that occasion. You and I both know, well in advance, that the Word offered on that day will be finely and faithfully spoken.
To help you find that upcoming psalm recitation all that it might be, in order for your praise of God through these verses to be as full as possible, I intend to lead you through them just now. We will go patiently, taking time, respecting the asterisks. My hope is that you will allow yourselves to reside in these words, to marinate, as it were, in the praise of God.
This is the bell we use for prayer at our table at home. When I strike it, we will speak together. We will stop at each asterisk, and we will stop at the end of each verse. We will start again at the bell.
1 I will bless the Lord at all times; * his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
2 I will glory in the Lord; * let the humble hear and rejoice.
3 Proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; * let us exalt his Name together.
4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me * and delivered me out of all my terror.
5 Look upon him and be radiant, * and let not your faces be ashamed.
6 I called in my affliction and the Lord heard me * and saved me from all my troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encompasses those who fear him, * and he will deliver them.
8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; * happy are they who trust in him.
You are surrounded by the love of God, encompassed by angels. If there is affliction or terror or troubles, allow yourself to be delivered from all that, just as I hope to be delivered. We who are humble, must hear and rejoice, blessing the LORD at all times.
In other words, Dear Ones, “taste and see…”
Blessed may you be!
Blessed be the Name of God
wsa