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Psalm 104, a hymn of praise to God as creator, is remarkably comprehensive in its survey of earth and space, flora and fauna, topography and geology. The psalm’s list of these diverse aspects of creation extols God’s greatness, with particular attention to God’s control of and power over that creation. Like any good poet, the … Continue reading “Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Commentary by Cameron B.R. Howard”

In Psalm 104, the world that God creates and recreates is not just ordered, but rhythmic, each created thing a note that contributes to the Spirit’s song. The whole of creation is like a song of joy sung by the Spirit of the Lord. Looking at the whole of Psalm 104 helps us to see … Continue reading “Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Commentary by Elizabeth Webb”

Ecological activist and author Bill McKibben suggests that “environmental devastation stands as the single great crisis of our time, surpassing and encompassing all others.”1 If he is correct or even close to being correct, then Psalm 104 may be more important now than it ever has been in its centuries of existence. In a word, … Continue reading “Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Commentary by J. Clinton McCann”

Psalm 104 presents a glorious picture of God as creator and a sweeping view of the world God made.1 The main subject of the psalm is the order of the world and the sovereignty of the God who created and maintains it. This subject in turn instills confidence that God can and will order the … Continue reading “Psalm 104:24-34, 35b Commentary by Jerome Creach”

All Those Bagpipes Of the texts that the lectionary pitches for this Sunday (Luke 13, Hebrews 12, Isaiah 58, Psalm 103), I suggest letting the first three go by and taking a cut at the fourth. For the preacher or teacher, Psalm 103 (considered as a whole) is the equivalent of a fat pitch, right … Continue reading “Psalm 103:1-8 Commentary by James Limburg”

Psalm 103 is classified as an Individual Hymn of Thanksgiving, a psalm in which a single voice praises God for goodness to or on behalf of that individual, usually for deliverance from some trying situation. Hermann Gunkel, one of the great fathers of psalm studies, describes hymns of thanksgiving in this way: “A person is … Continue reading “Psalm 103:1-8 Commentary by Nancy deClaissé-Walford”

Psalm 103 begins as a shout. “Bless the Lord, O my soul.” It is an outburst of praise and awe from the center of the Psalmist. It is a cry of joy from the nephesh, the deepest well of the Psalmist’s being. This shout then turns quickly to catalogue of blessings that God has wrought. … Continue reading “Psalm 103:1-8 Commentary by Adam Hearlson”

In my preaching classes at Trinity Lutheran Seminary we talk often about “ignore-at-your-peril” preaching situations. In many worshiping communities in the United States, the tenth anniversary of 9/11 — falling on a Sunday — will qualify as one; I’ll come back to that in a few hundred words. As a response to the first lesson … Continue reading “Psalm 103:[1-7] 8-13 Commentary by Henry Langknecht”

Psalm 103, a masterful and well-loved composition, is classified as an Individual Hymn of Thanksgiving, a psalm in which a single voice praises God for God’s goodness to or on behalf of that individual, usually for deliverance from some trying situation. Hermann Gunkel, one of the great fathers of psalm studies, describes hymns of thanksgiving … Continue reading “Psalm 103:[1-7] 8-13 Commentary by Nancy deClaissé-Walford”

I write these lines just after hanging up the telephone. I admit to a frustrating situation. For more than two weeks now, I have been trying to get in contact with a minor local luminary to invite him to speak to a group of which I am a member. His dutiful secretary protects him: “He’s … Continue reading “Psalm 99 Commentary by James Limburg”