Psalm 19:1-4;
antiphon, Psalm 19:4—In the Introit for Sunday, we pray, Let the
words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O
Lord, my rock and my redeemer .These words are commonly prayed by the
pastor before the sermon is delivered. The silent heavens speak, declaring the
glory of their Maker to all who are on the earth. The heavenly lights are not
divine nor do they control or disclose man’s destiny. Their glory testifies to
the righteousness and faithfulness of the Lord who created them. For further
reading and meditation, see Romans 1:19-20, Psalm 89:4-8, and Psalm 97:6.
Psalm 19 – The
Heavens, the Word, the Glory of God
The title tells us both the author and the audience of the psalm: To
the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Some believe that the Chief Musician
is the Lord GOD Himself, and others suppose him to be a leader of choirs or
musicians in David’s time, such as Heman the singer or Asaph (1 Chronicles
6:33, 16:5-7, and 25:6).
This Psalm reflects, more than any other, the beauty and splendor of
the Hebrew poetry found in the Psalter. C.S. Lewis wrote, ‘I take this to be
the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.’ [2]
Collect for Psalm 19: Heavenly Father, you have filled the world with
beauty. Open our eyes to see your
gracious hand in all your works, that rejoicing in your whole creation, we may
learn to serve you with gladness, for the sake of him through whom al things
were made, your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.[3]
Called
to Witness
The Epiphany season has three festivals: The Festival of the Epiphany (January 6), The Baptism of Our Lord (Epiphany 1), and The Transfiguration of Our Lord (Last Sunday after The Epiphany). Unlike other seasons, it opens and closes with a festival. The Sundays in between (Epiphany 2-8) are called “Ordinary” Sundays.
The Old Testament lessons harmonize with the Gospel Lesson. Four of the seven Lessons are taken from Isaiah. The Epistle Lessons are given in semi “in-course” fashion from 1 Corinthians 1:1—4:5. Consequently, the Epistle is not intended to harmonize with the theme of the Gospel and the Old Testament lesson. The Epistle lends itself to a series of sermons on the church. The Gospel lesson lays the groundwork of Jesus’ public ministry, a transition from the ministry of John to the ministry of Jesus. Beginning with Epiphany 4, we will have an in-course (verse after verse) series on the fifth chapter of Matthew, the first of three chapters constituting the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-48). Because Easter falls mid-April this year, the season of Epiphany will last eight weeks in 2023.
In the Gospel,
the story of God is manifested in Jesus as the Messiah. John the
Baptist refers to Jesus as the Lamb whom the Spirit baptizes and who baptizes
with the Spirit. In the Old Testament
Lesson, the Epiphany can be seen in God’s servant, Israel, who is to
bring the light of salvation to the nations. Epiphany deals with the light and
with the spreading of the light to the whole world. God is glorified in His
servant (verse 3) who witness. In the Epistle Lesson, the glory of Christ can be seen in the power of
the Gospel to make believers as in Corinth.
Collect for 09 January: God, light pf all nations; give us the joy of
lasting peace, and fill us with your radiance as you filled the hearts of our
fathers. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and
reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen [4]
[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-19/
[3] Collect for Psalm 19, For All the Saints, A Prayer Book For and By the Church, Vol. III © 1995 The American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY
[4] Ibid, Collect for 09 January
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