Epiphany 8
Preaching
Aids To The Psalms
Exploring The Message
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits --
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord works vindication and justice
for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
Alternate Image
The Singer is ecstatic and involves his total being in singing
God's praises. The Singer sees each part of his body as
a choir member bursting forth with musical jubilation. Heart,
kidneys, adrenal gland, stomach, intestines and blood, all
joining in full orchestration to sing God's praises. She, his
very soul, sings God's praise. The Singer is absolutely aghast at
God's ability to forgive and even forget his sins. God's memory
of his sins lasts no longer than the notes of his song on the
wind, blown to the corners of the earth. The Singer's whole being
resonates with God's forgiveness and graciousness giving
sweetness to his song and his life.
Reflection
Nephesh! Our Greek mind molders have taught us to separate
life into categories and even ourselves. They saw us as
dualities; a schizophrenic mix of body, perceived as evil and
soul, perceived as good. The Hebrew saw the soul as embracing all
that he was; or all that she was as the concept of soul, was
feminine -- nephesh. The nephesh, the soul, included one's basic
personality and his or her physical entity as well. Thus God's
forgiveness was to one's entire being, mental, physical and
spiritual. Our totality then is to give God praise. It is God's
intent that our entire being experience wholeness and health,
thus forgiveness extends throughout our being and our unhealthy
parts, our sins are removed entirely from us by God's love.
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name.
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
and do not forget all his benefits --
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the Pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good as long as you live
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The Lord works vindication and justice
for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always accuse,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as the heavens are high above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far he removes our transgressions from us.
As a father has compassion for his children,
so the Lord has compassion for those who fear him.
Alternate Image
The Singer is ecstatic and involves his total being in singing
God's praises. The Singer sees each part of his body as
a choir member bursting forth with musical jubilation. Heart,
kidneys, adrenal gland, stomach, intestines and blood, all
joining in full orchestration to sing God's praises. She, his
very soul, sings God's praise. The Singer is absolutely aghast at
God's ability to forgive and even forget his sins. God's memory
of his sins lasts no longer than the notes of his song on the
wind, blown to the corners of the earth. The Singer's whole being
resonates with God's forgiveness and graciousness giving
sweetness to his song and his life.
Reflection
Nephesh! Our Greek mind molders have taught us to separate
life into categories and even ourselves. They saw us as
dualities; a schizophrenic mix of body, perceived as evil and
soul, perceived as good. The Hebrew saw the soul as embracing all
that he was; or all that she was as the concept of soul, was
feminine -- nephesh. The nephesh, the soul, included one's basic
personality and his or her physical entity as well. Thus God's
forgiveness was to one's entire being, mental, physical and
spiritual. Our totality then is to give God praise. It is God's
intent that our entire being experience wholeness and health,
thus forgiveness extends throughout our being and our unhealthy
parts, our sins are removed entirely from us by God's love.
