Psalm 103 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly with response: The love of God
Psalm 103 Commentary by Dr Noel Donnelly with response: Send forth your Spirit, Lord
1 the video:
Ps 103: words and music (c) Noel Donnelly
For a full audio recording of the sung psalm please see Ps 103 below: The love of God nd
Psalm 103 Commentary.
Psalm 103 is such a beautiful song! It is used at Pentecost in years A, B and C in the church’s Sunday liturgies and elsewhere of course, particularly in the Easter Vigil where it follows the first reading on the Genesis story on Creation.
It is a wonderful song of praise to God for the beauty of creation. “Sing praise to God, O my soul! Lord God how great is your love! Your riches fill the universe!”
The universe? We are familiar with the two Genesis stories, the Days of Creation story, and the Adam and Eve one. Our Psalm this weekend follows the first one in Genesis, the Days of Creation Narrative, and it copies the order of God’s work in that first account. Verse one like Genesis begins with the light from darkness: In our first stanza we sing, “God wraps himself in light as with a garment!” The complete psalm will continue to mirror the Genesis Creation story. God goes on to create the very heavens in Genesis, “He lays the beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind”. Our psalmist sings similarly, “You walk on the wings of the wind; you make the wind your messengers!” Wind and Spirit can be fused together in our understanding. In our psalm we ask this Spirit, that is blowing around us, to renew the face of our earth.
Our psalm reaches forward to the Gospel reading. We do have a choice this weekend between two Gospel scenes: the John 14 extract where, before his crucifixion, Jesus promises the coming of the Paraclete, or the John 20 where the Risen Lord breathes the Holy Spirit on the disciples in the Upper Room.
As we listen to God’s voice in either of the readings, may we join forces with God’s renewing Spirit? We are challenged to move from the fearful hesitancy of any secluded Upper Room to engage with the Spirit in the work of restoring the beauty of creation. Let’s make it the beautiful place God intended in the first Creation Narrative. We sing, “Send forth your Spirit O Lord! Renew the face of the earth”. Let’s positively respond to that challenge as best as we can, especially in our ongoing synod process where we’re invited to listen to what the Spirit is saying in one another and to then to discern the challenging way forward together with this empowering Spirit. What a lovely challenge Psalm 103 offers us!
2 Another setting of Ps 103 (c) Kevin Mayhew
Ps 103 Send forth Commentary – Small
To listen to the full recording of this setting of Ps 103 ‘Send forth your Spirit’ please click on the file below: (Ps 103 gf Send forth)
