Psalm 066

Psalm 66
6th Sunday of Easter Year A

14th Sunday Year C
Office of Readings Sunday Week 4
This is a hymn of thanksgiving. The psalmist invites the assembly to join him in thank-
ing God who has heard his plea and brought him safely through a period of trial. The
assembly calls on the whole world to join in thanking the God of the universe, who
redeemed his people and who answers prayer. The title reads: ‘To the leader. A Song. A
Psalm*.’
The call to worship reminds us of Paul’s hymn: 1

Acclaim God, all the earth,
At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, in play and sing the glory* of
heaven and on earth and under the earth, his name, give him glory* and
and every tongue should confess that Jesus praise.
Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 2
Say to God, ‘How awesome are
– Philippians 2:10-11 your deeds!
3
Because of your great power,
your enemies cringe before
you.
4
All the earth worships you,
singing praise to you, singing
praise in your honour.
The psalmist recounts the reasons that inspire 5
Come and see what God has
him to call for worship and praise. God’s won- done: he is awesome in his
derful deeds are evident all over the inhabited deeds among us.
world. See Exodus 14-15 for songs of thanks- 6
He turned the sea into dry
giving at the crossing of the Red Sea. land; they passed through the
river on foot – that was where
we celebrated him!
7
By his might he rules for ever.
God is continually scrutinising human be- His eyes keep watch on the
haviour. The pharaoh claimed ‘I do not know nations, so that the rebellious
YHWH’(Exodus 5:2), and he was humiliated! might not exalt themselves.
Once again we are invited to praise God, the 8
Bless* our God, O peoples,
Lord of life. let the sound of his praise be
For to this end Christ died and lived again, heard.
so that he might be Lord of both the dead and
9
He has kept us among the liv-
the living. ing. He has not let our feet slip.
– Romans 14:9
Even when we were dead through our trespass-
es, God made us alive together with Christ – by
grace you have been saved.
– Ephesians 2:5
229
A thanksgiving sacrifice
10
You test us, O God, you try us The psalmist turns to address God and gives a
as silver is tried. further motive for praise. Though God tests us,
11
You place us in a prison; he brings us through the test and frees us.
you lay burdens on our backs; I was angry with my people, I profaned my herit-
12
you let people ride over our age; I gave them into your hand, you showed
heads. them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke
exceedingly heavy.
– Isaiah 47:6
Your tormentors said to you: ‘Bow down, that
we may walk on you’; and you have made your
back like the ground and like the street for them
to walk on.
– Isaiah 51:23
We pass through fire and When you pass through the waters, I will be
through water; yet you bring with you; and through the rivers, they shall not
us out to an open, spacious overwhelm you; when you walk through fire
place. you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not
consume you.
– Isaiah 43:2
They strengthened the souls of the disciples and
encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying,
‘It is through many persecutions that we must
enter the kingdom of God.’
– Acts 14:22
13
I will come into your house The ‘burnt offering’(‘holocaust’, Hebrew ‘l,
with burnt offerings to carry h∂løo) is distinctive in that the whole of animal
out my vows to you, was consumed by fire. Nothing was left for the
14
vows pronounced by my lips, person offering the sacrifice or for the sacrificing
promises made when I was in priest. The practice and the word seem to have
trouble. been borrowed from the Canaanites. The sym-
15
I will offer to you burnt of- bolism is clear: the offerer was giving himself
ferings of fatlings, with the entirely over to God, keeping nothing back.
smoke of the sacrifice of rams,
I will make an offering of
bulls and goats.
230
Psalm 66
Once more the people are invited to hear of Come and hear, all you who
16
God’s wonderful deeds. fear* God, and I will proclaim

what he has done for me.
This falls short of the understanding of God giv- 17

I cried aloud to him, and ex-
en by Jesus. God, the Lord [’adnay [y∂nødßa], has tolled him with my tongue.
heard his cry and the psalmist concludes from
18
If I had cherished evil in my
this that his heart must be without evil. Jesus heart*, the Lord would not
showed us that God hears the cry of sinners. God have listened.
listens to us sinners and offers us forgiveness.
19
But truly God has listened;
To receive what God offers requires a change on he has given heed to the words
our part. God’s grace is always given in love. It of my prayer.
is never forced upon us. Though unconditionally
offered, it is conditionally received – conditional
upon our welcoming of grace, on our repentance.
Saint Augustine comments: Blessed* be God who has not
20
If that for which you make supplication is not rejected my prayer, or re-
removed from you, remain secure in your trust, moved from me his kindness*.
for his mercy will not be removed.
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Psalm 66

6th Sunday of Easter Year A

The call to worship reminds us of Paul’s hymn: 1

God’s wonderful deeds. fear* God, and I will proclaim

This falls short of the understanding of God giv- 17

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