May God be merciful to us and bless us,
[PSALM 67:1-2]
show us the light of his countenance and come to us.
Let your ways be known upon earth,
your saving health among all nations.
| ADVENT DAILY OFFICE READINGS |
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| AM Psalm 66, 67; PM Psalm 116, 117 1 Samuel 2:1b-10; Titus 2:1-10; Luke 1:26-38 |
Those of you who are accustomed to praying the Suffrages A during Morning Prayer will immediately recognize the verse above, Psalm 67:2, as one of the petitions. (The Book of Common Prayer, pp. 97-98)
The similarity between Psalm 67 and the Suffrages is quite striking.
Our psalm expresses the hope that God’s ways, “beknown upon earth, your saving health among all nations.”
The psalm is universal and inclusive in its tone.
Twice in the psalm, the psalmist sings to God, “Let all the peoples praise you.”
And elsewhere, “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy.”
May God give us his blessing,
and may all the ends of the earth stand in awe of him.
I read the psalm as a challenge to broaden our perspective; especially in light of how our society is characterized by ongoing racial, ethnic, national, and religious bigotry and strife.
There’s also a hotly debated doctrine among theologians called the doctrine of Universalism.
Universalism is the theological principle that all people will eventually be saved. It also maintains that there is a universal truth that may be found in all faiths.
While I have some reservations about these beliefs, psalm 67 would appear to support the idea.
As I read the psalm I was reminded of a Vespers service I attended last week in which the program began with the hymn “Savior of the Nations Come.”
Savior of the nations, come.
Virgin’s son, make here your home.
Marvel now, O heaven and earth;
God has chosen such a birth.
This is one of the oldest Advent hymns.
To appreciate its message, as well as the message of Psalm 67, we need to go back in history to the time when Israel received God’s promise that He would be their God, and they shall be God’s people.
The Lord’s intention was to reach all people, but he chose to do so, through Israel, who would be an instrument for the proclamation of His love to others. God had always intended to use Israel to reach the whole world.
My most recent interim assignment involved an hour-long drive three days a week in the early morning. I developed the habit of praying in the car along with a podcast of Morning Prayer. So I often said these words aloud as I was driving instead of saying them softly in my recliner at home.
It’s interesting what impact words have on you when you repeat them at full voice.
I would pause and repeat those words again and again, slowly.
Let your ways be known upon earth,
your saving health among all nations.
This is what Christmas is all about.
Tomorrow, on Christmas Eve, we talk about the event: Mary gave birth to the Savior, a child named Jesus in Bethlehem.
On Christmas Day we talk about the miracle: God and man are one in the person of Jesus Christ.
On Epiphany—the day we remember the Magi’s visit to the boy Jesus—we talk about the extent of God’s Christmas gift. The visit of the Wise Men from the east says loud and clear that Jesus is not an exclusive Messiah, but an inclusive Savior who came to save and redeem the world from sin.
Jesus is not the Savior for one nation, but the Savior for all nations.
May our lives be living testimonies of His goodness, drawing all nations to the embrace of His mercy and love.
Let us pray:
Shepherd of Israel, may Jesus, who is Emmanuel and son of Mary, be more than just a dream in our hearts. With the apostles, prophets, and saints, save us, restore us, and lead us in the way of grace and peace, that we may bear your promise into the world. Amen.
(Daily Prayer for All Seasons, p. 9)
*The Psalter in the Book of Common Prayer breaks up the verses into shorter segments for music and chanting purposes.
Walking Together in Faith 