Living Psalm 1 – Pentecost 13C

Living Psalms Book

Psalms in the form of words and art, reborn in the specific contexts of our world, privileging the voices of historically marginalized communities and those acting in solidarity with them.

Blessed has become one of those words that has a hashtag.
It’s become kind of a joke and it doesn’t feel much better to say
that we are happy. It doesn’t feel like the same thing.

To be happy that our praise begins here.
Before we sing of any other joys or sorrows,
we find happiness and even blessing in
laboring toward love and justice.

It is not toil but delight to find ourselves in this way
refreshing ourselves with small sips of what we hope to be in this world.
It feels like everything starts here in this hope
and all our work flows from its source.

Or at least, we hope.
We try. We fail sometimes.

Even when we fail, our lives will be more than a hashtag.
We’ll come rejoicing bringing love and justice into all that we say and do.

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Living Psalm for Pentecost 13C – Psalm 1 was written by Elsa Cook.

Living Psalms Book is created by UCC Witness & Worship Artists’ Group, a Network of UCC connected artists, activists and ministers bridging the worship and liturgy of the local church with witness and action in the community. Maren Tirabassi, editor

Logo is detail from Living Psalm 80 by Sophia Beardemphl, Redwoods, CA. Recovering from significant bullying, Sophia, age nine, read Psalm 80 and thought of brokenness that needs mending. She drew this broken and mended bowl.