Congregation at Prayer

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 135: A Psalm of Praise for Our Creator and Redeemer—Psalm 135 calls us to praise the Lord, our Creator and Redeemer. All who stand in the house of the Lord are to praise the Lord and sing to His name, for it is pleasant. By the name of the Lord, we were baptized and made the children of God. By the name of the Lord, He continues to forgive our sins. And by the name of the Lord, we call upon Him in every trouble. Like the Old Testament Church which was established by the promise of salvation made to the Patriarchs, so the New Testament Church rests her hopes and confidence upon the promises of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus who is both our Creator and our Redeemer. “Our Lord is above all gods. Whatever the Lord pleases He does.” Not only is He the Lord of creation, ordering the cycle of rain, the lightening, and the wind, but He is also the God of salvation who delivered Israel from bondage in Egypt and conquered all her enemies. Psalm 135 leads us in a renunciation of all worthless idols who have no power to create or save. Israel, Aaron, and Levi represent the whole congregation of the Old Testament Church. We, like the Old Testament Church, are called to bless the Lord for there is life and salvation in no other.

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 134: A Prayer for Ministers to Be Faithful— “Bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord.” How do the servants of the Lord bless the Lord? They faithfully preach His Word. They faithfully call to repentance and proclaim forgiveness. They lift up their hands in the sanctuary, forgiving sin and giving the Lord’s benediction to the congregation of the faithful. Psalm 134 is the final Song of Ascents in the psalter. It was sung by the faithful as they awaited the benediction of the priest. It is as if they were praying for the priests to do their job, to stand by night in the house of the Lord and proclaim His Word. The Lord is “blessed” not by doing something for Him, but by faithfully doing what He has given His priests and pastors to do for the sake of the congregation. It is the same for us today in the New Testament Church. By faithfully preaching the Gospel and administering the sacraments, the servants of the Lord bless the Lord by giving to the congregation what they need to hear and receive. In the Old Testament Church, the congregation eagerly waited for the priest to emerge from the Temple, lift up his hands, and pronounce the benediction. In the same way, we pray for our pastors to lift up their hands and “bless the Lord” by faithfully administering His gifts to us.

Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 133: A Prayer for Fellowship Among the Faithful—It is the Lord alone who establishes fellowship among the baptized faithful. Sharing in common the gift of the Holy Spirit and true faith in Christ in the heart is something that only the Holy Spirit can create through the faithful preaching of God’s Word that is received and believed. Out of the reception of God’s Word, brothers and sisters confess a unity of faith and love which is a miracle of the Holy Spirit. It is this fellowship that Psalm 133 celebrates: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!” Unity and harmony in the faith cannot be established by any human agreement where people “agree to disagree”— such “unity” is a scam. The only unity worth having is the unity that God alone creates in the hearts of His people by the pure and unadulterated Word of God. This unity is compared to the precious oil that anoints the beard of Aaron the High Priest, or to the dew that refreshes Mount Hermon and the mountains of Zion. Out of this unity of the pure Gospel and faith in Christ “there the Lord commanded the blessing—Life forevermore.”

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Catechesis Notes for the Week — Psalm 132: A Prayer for the Lord to Dwell with His Church—Psalm 132 begins with recalling how David would not rest until he had provided for the tabernacle of the Lord and the Ark of the Covenant where the Old Testament believers would worship and receive the Lord’s saving gifts. For us in the New Testament Church, Christ is the Tabernacle of the Lord’s saving presence. He promises to be found where His Word is preached, and His sacraments are administered. He has made precious promises to His holy Christian Church and to each member of the communion of saints. As the Lord was faithful to David and His place of rest in Zion, so the Lord is faithful to us. The testimony of the Lord in the Gospel of Christ is certain. His priests are clothed with His righteousness. He grants rest and refreshment to His saints who shout for joy in His presence. Like the Old Testament saints who prayed this Psalm of Ascents as they approached the Lord’s tabernacle, we know that when we enter into the house of the Lord that Jesus Himself is present with His good gifts and Spirit.

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