During the joyful celebration of the Festival of Shelters, the whole Hallel is said. This is a block of six psalms (113 118), 85 verses in total, about eight minutes of reading aloud (or longer, with multiple readers)! Don t be put off by the length of the reading. If you are eager, others will catch your enthusiasm. For this activity, the Hallel has been divided into sections. Distribute these around the congregation. During the service or afterwards, or at a traditional Harvest supper, coordinate the readings in the correct order and, together, offer these words to God. If people are willing and able to prepare beforehand, give a reading to each family, each organisation, club or society in the church, or to individuals. Ask them to practise their section and come to the Harvest service, ready to take their turn to deliver their piece. As well as reading the words, they could present their section in other creative ways: for example, a family could learn their words by heart and speak them all together; flags could be used to suggest the river flowing; or a flower arrangement could be on the theme of celebration. Alternatively, as groups, individuals or families arrive, give each one a numbered reading and ask them to practise it while they wait for the service to begin.
Reading 1: Psalm 113:1 CEV Shout praises to the LORD! Everyone who serves him, come and praise his name. Reading 2: Psalm 113:2 4 CEV Let the name of the LORD be praised now and for ever. From dawn until sunset the name of the LORD deserves to be praised. The LORD is far above all of the nations; he is more glorious than the heavens.
Reading 3: Psalm 113:5 9 CEV No one can compare with the LORD our God. His throne is high above, and he looks down to see the heavens and the earth. God lifts the poor and needy from dust and ashes, and he lets them take part in ruling his people. When a wife has no children, he blesses her with some, and she is happy. Shout praises to the LORD! Reading 4: Psalm 114:1 4 CEV God brought his people out of Egypt, that land with a strange language. He made Judah his holy place and ruled over Israel. When the sea looked at God, it ran away, and the Jordan River flowed upstream. The mountains and the hills skipped around like goats.
Reading 5: Psalm 114:5 6 CEV Ask the sea why it ran away or ask the Jordan why it flowed upstream. Ask the mountains and the hills why they skipped like goats! Reading 6: Psalm 114:7,8 CEV Earth, you will tremble, when the Lord God of Jacob comes near, because he turns solid rock into flowing streams and pools of water.
Reading 7: Psalm 115:1,2 CEV We don t deserve praise! The LORD alone deserves all of the praise, because of his love and faithfulness. Why should the nations ask, Where is your God? Reading 8: Psalm 115:3 8 CEV Our God is in the heavens, doing as he chooses. The idols of the nations are made of silver and gold. They have a mouth and eyes, but they can t speak or see. Their ears can t hear, and their noses can t smell. Their hands have no feeling, their legs don t move, and they can t make a sound. Everyone who made the idols and all who trust them are just as helpless as those useless gods. A
Reading 9: Psalm 115:9 11 CEV People of Israel, you must trust the LORD to help and protect you. Family of Aaron the priest, you must trust the LORD to help and protect you. All of you worship the LORD, so you must trust him to help and protect you. Reading 10: Psalm 115:12,13 CEV The LORD will not forget to give us his blessing; he will bless all of Israel and the family of Aaron. All who worship the LORD, no matter who they are, will receive his blessing.
Reading 11: Psalm 115:14,15 CEV I pray that the LORD will let your family and your descendants always grow strong. May the LORD who created the heavens and the earth give you his blessing. Reading 12: Psalm 115:16 18 CEV The LORD has kept the heavens for himself, but he has given the earth to us humans. The dead are silent and cannot praise the LORD, but we will praise him now and for evermore. Shout praises to the LORD!
Reading 13: Psalm 116:1 4 CEV I love you, LORD! You answered my prayers. You paid attention to me, and so I will pray to you as long as I live. Death attacked from all sides, and I was captured by its painful chains. But when I was really hurting, I prayed and said, LORD, please don t let me die! Reading 14:Psalm 116:5 7 CEV You are kind, LORD, so good and merciful. You protect ordinary people, and when I was helpless, you saved me and treated me so kindly that I don t need to worry any more.
Reading 15: Psalm 116:8 11 CEV You, LORD, have saved my life from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling. Now I will walk at your side in this land of the living. I was faithful to you when I was suffering, though in my confusion I said, I can t trust anyone! Reading 16: Psalm 116:12 15 CEV What must I give you, LORD, for being so good to me? I will pour out an offering of wine to you, and I will pray in your name because you have saved me. I will keep my promise to you when your people meet. You are deeply concerned when one of your loyal people faces death.
Reading 17: Psalm 116:16 18 CEV I worship you, LORD, just as my mother did, and you have rescued me from the chains of death. I will offer you a sacrifice to show how grateful I am, and I will pray. I will keep my promise to you when your people gather at your temple in Jerusalem. Shout praises to the LORD! Reading 18: Psalm 117:1,2 CEV All of you nations, come, praise the LORD! Let everyone praise him. His love for us is wonderful; his faithfulness never ends. Shout praises to the LORD!
Reading 19: Psalm 118:1 CEV Tell the LORD how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful. Reading 20: Psalm 118:2 4 CEV Let Israel shout, God is always merciful! Let the family of Aaron the priest shout, God is always merciful! Let every true worshipper of the LORD shout, God is always merciful!
Reading 21: Psalm 118:5 9 CEV When I was really hurting, I prayed to the LORD. He answered my prayer, and took my worries away. The LORD is on my side, and I am not afraid of what others can do to me. With the LORD on my side, I will defeat all of my hateful enemies. It is better to trust the LORD for protection than to trust anyone else, including strong leaders. Reading 22: Psalm 118:10 14 CEV Nations surrounded me, but I got rid of them by the power of the LORD. They attacked from all sides, but I got rid of them by the power of the LORD. They swarmed around like bees, but by the power of the LORD, I got rid of them and their fiery sting. Their attacks were so fierce that I nearly fell, but the LORD helped me. My power and my strength come from the LORD, and he has saved me.
Reading 23: Psalm 118:15,16 CEV From the tents of God s people come shouts of victory: The LORD is powerful! With his mighty arm the LORD wins victories! The LORD is powerful! Reading 24: Psalm 118:17,18 CEV And so my life is safe, and I will live to tell what the LORD has done. He punished me terribly, but he did not let death lay its hands on me.
Reading 25: Psalm 118:19 CEV Open the gates of justice! I will enter and tell the LORD how thankful I am. Reading 26: Psalm 118:20 CEV Here is the gate of the LORD! Everyone who does right may enter this gate.
Reading 27: Psalm 118:21,22 CEV I praise the LORD for answering my prayers and saving me. The stone that the builders tossed aside has now become the most important stone. Reading 28: Psalm 118:23 25 CEV The LORD has done this, and it is amazing to us. This day belongs to the LORD! Let s celebrate and be glad today. We ll ask the LORD to save us! We ll sincerely ask the LORD to let us win.
Reading 29: Psalm 118:26 CEV God bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD! We praise you from here in the house of the LORD. Reading 30: Psalm 118:27,28 CEV The LORD is our God, and he has given us light! Start the celebration! March with palm branches all the way to the altar. The LORD is my God! I will praise him and tell him how thankful I am.
: Reading 31: Psalm 118:29 CEV Tell the LORD how thankful you are, because he is kind and always merciful.