Advent Reading No. 1: Psalm 80:1-7; 17-19 (Heb. 80:2-8; 18-20) A Misty Advent Morning: Contemplation Amidst Chaos I awoke to a misty, foggy first day of Advent this morning and turned on my Christmas tree lights. This is my favorite season for early rising. I am alone in a quiet house, enjoying my morning espresso…

Advent Psalm reading for December 4, 5, & 6: Psalm 79 An Asaph Psalm of Lament In this psalm from the Asaph collection, we hear the despair of the psalmist as he laments over the destruction in his city. The Asaph Psalter is a collection of twelve psalms within the Hebrew Bible Psalter which are…

Advent Psalm reading for December 4, 5, & 6: Psalm 79 Reflecting Back on Psalm 79: A Journey from Vengeance to Compassion In my last post (Part I), I reflected on the structure of Psalm 79 as a lament over the destruction of Jerusalem. Examining the psalm led me on a reflective journey to think…

Advent Psalm reading for December 4, 5, & 6: Psalm 79 Reflecting on Psalm 79: A Journey Through Lament In Part 1 of this series, I looked at the context of the Psalm 79 lament over the destruction of Jerusalem. In Part 2, I read Psalm 79 alongside Micah 4 and 5 to find a path…

Advent Psalm reading for December 7, 8, 9, & 10: Psalm 85 Advent Reflection on Psalm 85 Overview For the rest of this week, Psalm 85 is the psalm reflection. In this first post, I will outline the psalm’s context and comment on its place in the liturgy. In subsequent posts, I will consider the…

Advent Psalm reading for December 7, 8, 9, & 10: Psalm 85 Introduction to Psalm 85 and Hosea 6:1-6 In the previous post, I examined Psalm 85 as a Korahite psalm emphasizing abundance in the wake of God’s justice. One of the accompanying liturgical readings is Hosea 6:1-6 which picks up in the middle of…

Advent Psalm reading for December 7, 8, 9, & 10: Psalm 85 So far, I have looked at Psalm 85 as a Korahite psalm with roots in the Northern part of Israel. The Psalm begins in lament and then moves toward repentance and recognizing God’s compassionate justice. Then, I read Psalm 85 alongside Hosea 6 and…

Advent Psalm reading for December 7, 8, 9, & 10: Psalm 85 Reflecting on Psalm 85 During Advent This is the second Sunday of Advent, when the second candle is lit to represent peace—”Jesus Christ is our hope for peace.” The advent psalm liturgy I have been reflecting on is Psalm 85, a Korahite psalm that…

Advent Psalm reading for December 11, 12, & 13: Psalm 27. Psalm 27 is one of the many psalms attributed to David, King of Israel. The psalm emphasizes God as an anchoring presence, an inspiration for courage, and a personal guide. God is referred to called, strength, shelterer, and protector. Up to this point during…