Praise the Lord! Focus on Psalm 111. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION. WHAT is important to know? WHERE is God in these words?

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1 January 28, 2018 Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany Deut. 18:15 20 Ps Cor. 8:1 13 Mark 1:21 28 Praise the Lord! Goal for the Session Adults will consider the ways recounting God s faithfulness to the covenant calls forth praise and strengthens faith. n PREPARING FOR THE SESSION Focus on Psalm 111 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, Christine Roy Yoder The psalm is an alphabetic acrostic: each line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This literary framework signals that the psalm is a comprehensive, or A-to-Z, celebration of God s works. Indeed, following the invitation (v. 1) and reasons for praise (vv. 2 3), the psalmist recalls God s work on behalf of Israel, from exodus and entry into the land to Sinai and the giving of the law. This prompts some interpreters to regard Psalm 111 as a condensed version of God s salvation history. The rich range of the acrostic form therefore helps the psalmist affirm the rich variety of ways in which God relates to humankind and humankind to God. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, Thomas D. Parker Those who revere ( fear ) God live in a larger world, because they allow themselves to be open to something greater, something better, that lies deeply within even the most ordinary experiences. It is all too easy to be overfocused and miss the full range of reality in what we live through. It is so easy to let our lives be defined by the little world we have created through habits of mind and body that do not allow anything that may lie beyond to be registered in our awareness. It really is all about cultivating a sense of the presence of God. To live as if there were no God is to live in a space too small for our souls to grow and flourish. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Anne H. K. Apple Perhaps, a prophetic word from this psalm will come in the form of a question. How are we trampling through the past, treading in the present, and looking for the future coming of our Lord? Are we gathering together and listening and discerning God at work through us? In the world, are we crafting and singing awe-filled hallelujah songs? As we receive God s call to serve, we practice praise and live into God s promise. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Elizabeth C. Knowlton The experience of a God who is both immanent and transcendent evokes a deep sense of a dynamic and multifaceted relationship. Reflect on the nature of the faith community that is created by such a God. This community is inwardly focused to be sustainable, but it also goes beyond its wall to evidence signs of God s character in the world. Psalm 111 provides a good lens through which to look in a new way for manifestations of God s living presence both in the world and in individuals and communities. 1

2 Praise the Lord! FOCUS SCRIPTURE Psalm 111 Focus on Your Teaching The book of Psalms is a rich treasure trove of resources for nurturing and giving voice to faith, one that is perhaps underappreciated and underused in many churches today. Today s session on Psalm 111 provides opportunity to consider the benefits of praise and wonder in our lives of faith. Recalling the faithful works of God opens us up to God s presence and strengthens us to live in the confidence of God s unfailing love, whatever challenges adults may face today. O Lord, open my lips to declare your praise and bear witness to your faithfulness in the midst of your people. Amen. YOU WILL NEED Bibles paper and pens board or newsprint markers copies of Resource Sheets 1, 2 copies of Resource Sheet 1 for February 4, 2018, unless it will be ed to participants For Responding option 1: paper and pens option 2: paper and pens option 3: drawing paper, colored pencils or crayons; OR poster board, scissors, glue, and magazines n LEADING THE SESSION GATHERING Before the session, write the following quote on the board or newsprint: We human creatures seem to be born to wonder, to love, and to praise. Excerpted from Thomas Parker, Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 1 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008), 296. Ask learners to respond to this statement. P Does it ring true? P If so, how have you experienced this instinct for wonder, love, and praise? P If it does not ring true, why not? P What experiences seem to contradict this statement? Ask the group to call out quotes that come to mind from the book of Psalms. Ask what human experience or emotion is represented by each quote. Tell the group that the psalms express a whole range of human emotions, and that today you will focus on Psalm 111, a psalm of praise and thanks to God. Pray the following or a prayer of your choosing: Great are your works, O Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Fill us with the wonder and awe of the psalmist as we open your Word and meditate on your faithfulness. Amen. EXPLORING Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 2 (Lectio Divina: Psalm 111). Explain that the group will read and engage the focus scripture using the process of lectio divina outlined on the resource sheet. Clarify questions that individuals may have about the process. Allow about ten minutes for this exercise. 2

3 Praise the Lord! Invite learners to offer insights about the text gained through the lectio divina activity. Allow each person the opportunity to name words or phrases that stood out in particular for him or her, and a brief explanation of why that might have been. Lift up words and phrases that occur repeatedly among the participants. Wonder together about what it might mean that many were drawn to these particular words and phrases. Draw attention to Psalm 111:1, in which the psalmist declares an intention to give thanks to the Lord with his or her whole heart. Explain that the term heart in Hebrew refers to the inner self the source of thoughts, feelings, reason, understanding, imagination, and conscience. Discuss: P How is the Hebrew understanding of heart different from our contemporary understanding of the word in the English language? P What difference does this make for your understanding of Psalm 111? Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 (Focus on Psalm 111). Ask a volunteer to read aloud the What? excerpt on Resource Sheet 1. Draw attention to the author s statement that Psalm 111 presents a condensed history of God s saving works on behalf of Israel. Ask learners to discern what events from Israel s history are referred to in each of verses 4 10 of Psalm 111 using the corresponding Scripture references as needed: Answers are given for the leader s benefit, but give learners the opportunity to discover these on their own. Verse 4: Exodus from Egypt Exodus 3:20; 34:10 Verse 5: _Provision of manna and quail in the wilderness_ Exodus 16; Numbers 11 Verse 6: _Giving of Canaan as Israel s inheritance Deuteronomy 15:4; 20:16; 26:1 Verses 7 9: _Giving of the Law at Sinai Exodus 19:1 9; 20:1 21 Ask participants why they think the psalmist includes this recitation of Israel s history? Invite all to read silently the Where? excerpt on Resource Sheet 1. Ask the group to discuss the following: P What does the psalmist mean by fear of the LORD? P In what ways do you sometimes find yourself living in a little world, as if there were no God? P What practices help you cultivate a sense of God s presence, to live in a larger world? P How do the psalms help cultivate this sense of God s presence? EASY PREP RESPONDING Choose one or more of these activities, depending on the length of your session: 1. Recalling God s Faithfulness Distribute paper and pens. Invite learners to write about times, events, and ways in which they have experienced God s faithfulness, individually as well as communally (e.g., as a family, congregation, or community). Invite learners to form pairs and tell each other about one of the experiences about which they have written. Then invite a few volunteers to tell their stories to the whole group. 3

4 Praise the Lord! Encourage everyone to keep what they have written and continue to add to it. Tell them that this can serve as a resource for prayer and as a source of strength in times of distress. Remembering God s past faithfulness builds confidence that God never forsakes us. 2. Writing an Acrostic Psalm Explain that Psalm 111 is an acrostic psalm, which means that each line begins with successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. Distribute paper and pens, and invite learners to write their own acrostic psalm of praise, each line beginning with a successive letter of the English alphabet. For instance: P All your ways are trustworthy, O God, P Bountiful is your goodness. P Creation sings your praises; P Dominion belongs to you alone. This exercise could be done individually or in pairs. Encourage participants to write at least ten lines if possible. Those who particularly enjoy this challenge may want to finish the psalm later on their own (going all the way to Z). Invite those who are willing to read what they have written to the whole group. As an alternative for option 3, have available scissors, glue, poster board, and a variety of magazines. Ask learners to work in pairs to create collages representing life with and without praise. 3. Why Praise? Ask a volunteer to read the quote from Thomas Parker on the bottom of Resource Sheet 2. Ask the group to discuss: P What difference does praising God make in your life? Distribute two sheets of drawing paper to each person, along with colored pencils or crayons. On one sheet of paper, ask each person to draw a picture of what life would be like without praise, and on the other sheet, to depict what life is like with praise. Invite those who are willing to show and interpret their pictures for the group. CLOSING Distribute paper and pens. Invite participants to spend a few moments thinking of something for which they want to praise God and to write a petition of praise and thanks to be included in the closing prayer. Write your own petition as well. As a closing prayer, ask participants to offer petitions of praise and thanks, and invite the group to respond with this refrain: Great are your works, O Lord. Begin with your own petition. After all have offered their petitions, close with the following: Great are your works, O Lord, studied by all who delight in them. Keep us delighting in your works, and keep our hearts full of praise. In your holy name, we pray. Amen. Distribute copies of Resource Sheet 1 for February 4, 2018, or it to learners during the week. Encourage them to read the focus scripture and the resource sheet before the next session. 4

5 January 28, 2018 Praise the Lord! Adult Resource Sheet 1 Focus on Psalm 111 WHAT is important to know? From Exegetical Perspective, Christine Roy Yoder The psalm is an alphabetic acrostic: each line begins with the next letter of the Hebrew alphabet. This literary framework signals that the psalm is a comprehensive, or A-to-Z, celebration of God s works. Indeed, following the invitation (v. 1) and reasons for praise (vv. 2 3), the psalmist recalls God s work on behalf of Israel, from exodus and entry into the land to Sinai and the giving of the law. This prompts some interpreters to regard Psalm 111 as a condensed version of God s salvation history. The rich range of the acrostic form therefore helps the psalmist affirm the rich variety of ways in which God relates to humankind and humankind to God. WHERE is God in these words? From Theological Perspective, Thomas D. Parker Those who revere ( fear ) God live in a larger world, because they allow themselves to be open to something greater, something better, that lies deeply within even the most ordinary experiences. It is all too easy to be overfocused and miss the full range of reality in what we live through. It is so easy to let our lives be defined by the little world we have created through habits of mind and body that do not allow anything that may lie beyond to be registered in our awareness. It really is all about cultivating a sense of the presence of God. To live as if there were no God is to live in a space too small for our souls to grow and flourish. SO WHAT does this mean for our lives? From Pastoral Perspective, Anne H. K. Apple Perhaps, a prophetic word from this psalm will come in the form of a question. How are we trampling through the past, treading in the present, and looking for the future coming of our Lord? Are we gathering together and listening and discerning God at work through us? In the world, are we crafting and singing awe-filled hallelujah songs? As we receive God s call to serve, we practice praise and live into God s promise. NOW WHAT is God s word calling us to do? From Homiletical Perspective, Elizabeth C. Knowlton The experience of a God who is both immanent and transcendent evokes a deep sense of a dynamic and multifaceted relationship. Reflect on the nature of the faith community that is created by such a God. This community is inwardly focused to be sustainable, but it also goes beyond its wall to evidence signs of God s character in the world. Psalm 111 provides a good lens through which to look in a new way for manifestations of God s living presence both in the world and in individuals and communities Westminster John Knox Press

6 January 28, 2018 Praise the Lord! Adult Resource Sheet 2 Lectio Divina: Psalm 111 Lectio divina ( divine reading or holy reading ) is a process of prayerfully reading Scripture that includes four basic steps: (1) lectio, the reading of the text; (2) meditatio, meditating and focusing on words and/or phrases within the text; (3) oratio, engaging in prayer that grows out of the reading and meditation; and (4) contemplatio, contemplating on the immediacy of God s presence in this moment in light of this text. Lectio Read Psalm 111 slowly three times, with a different person reading each time. Make note of two or three words or phrases that stand out for you. Meditatio Spend time now with those individual words or phrases you have identified. What made them stand out for you? How do they speak to your understanding of God? How do they speak to your understanding of the life of faith? Oratio Enter into conversation with God through prayer. Let the prayer begin out of the thoughts, questions, and emotions evoked by the reading of Psalm 111 and the time of meditation (meditatio). Allow the prayer to move into places that had not come to mind before but do now. Contemplatio Consider the sacredness of this moment. This time of encountering the text, this gathering for study with others: all take place in the presence of God. Rest now, knowing yourself and this community to be in the loving presence of God. If we ask, Why should we praise God? the answer is surely because it is the door to a life of spiritual wisdom. The eternal God, the Source of all, does not need our praise, as some divine figures need to be fed human goods or flattery. To gain a healthy spiritual self-understanding, we need to remember that our lives are set in the midst of an unimaginable greatness and goodness. What then shall we render to the Lord, if not to receive the things of our lives thankfully, to receive the divine blessings gladly and unselfishly, and to live loyally before God? Excerpted from Thomas Parker, Feasting on the Word, Year B, Volume 1 (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2008), Westminster John Knox Press