Living Psalm 99

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.

Who is trembling? Well, the earth trembles.
With fires, floods, and earthquakes,
Tornados, snow storms, and mudslides,
The earth trembles.

Who is trembling? Well, the birds of the air,
The fish in the sea, and the animals on the land,
Searching for their space in an over developed planet,
Struggling to sustain themselves on ravaged land ,
In clogged oceans and congested air,
They all tremble.

Who is trembling? Well, the human ones tremble.
Do they tremble before the Holy One,
Who is sovereign and mighty,
Present and loving, just and righteous?
Or do they tremble before themselves,
Allowing the whims and ways of a few
Bully the many into an uneasy compliance and complacency?
Do they tremble at the vastness of the Creator’s good work
Or do they tremble at an imagined and manipulated scarcity?

Let us tremble before an Awesome God
Who reigns over all the earth
On the holy mountain, the life-sustaining clouds,
And the deep and mysterious depths of the seas.
Let us worship God in all the holy places
For the Holy One has done great things,
Loves justice and established diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Let us exalt the name of God together.
For the Embodied One feels the tremors
Of God’s beloved creation,
For the Near One hears the tremors
Of shaky voices crying out for justice and jubilee
For the Just One knows the tremors
Of the vulnerable and oppressed
For the Compassionate One calms the tremors
With an unquenchable love that has no end.
Exalt the Holy One!

Living-Psalm-99_Lindsay Download

Living Psalm 99 was written by Rev. Cheryl Lindsay.

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.