Notes on Psalms
Table of Contents
The super-short list
19; 8; 121; 32; 126; 23 (the one everybody quotes)
(Dark mode: 22, 51, 55, 88)
I've been in a confirmation class the last few weeks as a mentor for a confirmand, and the challenge this week () was to "read some psalms". I thought I'd make a greatest-hits list for my confirmand and it's been a lot of fun, both reading psalms and trying to figure out a super-short list. These are the notes I took (using Orgzly), with some fleshing-out (e.g., this section).
Greatest hits
…by my memory, which is gloriously imperfect.
Not many of these seem very happy. I'm not sure if that's because these are the ones I remember, or if Psalms is generally not so happy. I think it's just my memory.
23
"The Lord is my shepherd"
51
best sacrifice is a broken and contrite heart, supposedly by David after his first child died
22
Jesus said the first line of this on the cross
19
greatness of God; "words of my mouth, meditations of my heart"
55
betrayal by a friend
139
God knows us all. Might seem a little smothering, but sometimes people find it comforting.
137
Lament in Babylon, with a horrible ending that never gets read in church (trigger warning: violence against children).
121
protection from God
I lift up my eyes to the hills….
88
the bleakest, saddest Psalm of all, imo
"Psalms Greatest Hits" sermon series at San Ramon Valley UMC
https://srvumc.org/sermon/sermon-archives/
Church is about 20 miles east of Oakland. Some overlap with my "from-memory" list above.
22
Absence.
121
Trust.
40 (new)
Presence. New orientation. (U2 set this Psalm to music in "40".)
51
Confession.
32 (new)
Grace.
126 (new)
Joy.
May those who sow in tears reap with shouts of joy. Those who go out weeping, bearing the seed for sowing, shall come home with shouts of joy, carrying their sheaves.
8 (new)
Wonder.
what are human beings that you are mindful of them, mortals that you care for them?
19:1-6
Wonder.
Others at random
1
24
Seems a little more upbeat.
25
Moar Random (using https://www.google.com/search?q=random+number)
130
48
54
79
80
109
28
92
86
150
praise
57
111
lectionary, congregational praise
4
149
87
Lyrical praise of Jerusalem
75
59
31
Mental health?