As we hear the readings in worship, I wonder if you're ever curious about the selections that are omitted from the reading. For example, the appointed psalm for last Sunday was Psalm 139:1-6, 13-18. Reading the entire psalm would bring you through verse 24, meaning that two sections (7-12 and 19-24) were omitted by the group who determined the readings for the Revised Common Lectionary (RCL).
It's not surprising that verses 19-24 were omitted; though the sentiments are relatable (and perhaps our own prayer, at times), there's just something challenging about reading "O that you would kill the wicked, O God," as part of worship. In fact, the LBW (green hymnal) does not include all 150 psalms, omitting ones that have particularly graphic or violent language and which are not included in the three-year lectionary cycle.
I'm more curious about why verses 7-12 were omitted, particularly because of how well they illustrate the overall theme of the psalm, titled "The Inescapable God." In these verses, the psalmist reflects that there is nowhere we can go that is too far from God. Even in the depths of Sheol, God continues to accompany us.
I love this as an example of how the Good News doesn't always sound like good news, depending on our circumstances. If someone was feeling guilty about something, and wanted to be able to hide from God, we might imagine verse 7 read with an exasperated voice: "Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?" (No, really - where?! I'm trying to get away!)
On the other hand, for those who feel left behind, forgotten, and alone, the reminders of God's unceasing presence may be heard as a comforting balm from the outset. No matter how disconnected we feel; no matter how far away from God we seem to be, we have the assurance that God is with us. The God who has searched and known us continues to hold us fast, even at the farthest limits of the sea. Our deepest desires, fears, griefs, and joys are not hidden from the God who created us and called us good.
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| Photo by Marian Kroell on Unsplash |
It's not surprising that verses 19-24 were omitted; though the sentiments are relatable (and perhaps our own prayer, at times), there's just something challenging about reading "O that you would kill the wicked, O God," as part of worship. In fact, the LBW (green hymnal) does not include all 150 psalms, omitting ones that have particularly graphic or violent language and which are not included in the three-year lectionary cycle.
I'm more curious about why verses 7-12 were omitted, particularly because of how well they illustrate the overall theme of the psalm, titled "The Inescapable God." In these verses, the psalmist reflects that there is nowhere we can go that is too far from God. Even in the depths of Sheol, God continues to accompany us.
I love this as an example of how the Good News doesn't always sound like good news, depending on our circumstances. If someone was feeling guilty about something, and wanted to be able to hide from God, we might imagine verse 7 read with an exasperated voice: "Where can I go from your spirit? Or where can I flee from your presence?" (No, really - where?! I'm trying to get away!)
On the other hand, for those who feel left behind, forgotten, and alone, the reminders of God's unceasing presence may be heard as a comforting balm from the outset. No matter how disconnected we feel; no matter how far away from God we seem to be, we have the assurance that God is with us. The God who has searched and known us continues to hold us fast, even at the farthest limits of the sea. Our deepest desires, fears, griefs, and joys are not hidden from the God who created us and called us good.
Bonus resources:
- Answers to questions you didn't even know you had about the RCL.
- A scholarly look at the psalms omitted from the LBW, "A Lack of Laments in the Church's Use of the Psalter".
- A musical version of Psalm 139, from Richard Bruxvoort Colligan.
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