Living Psalm 118:14-29

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.

A Modern Psalm 118:14-29: Breaking the Silence

Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Kehaunani Hill

14 You, O God, bearer of our souls, are our refuge and our voice.
15 You lift us up when fear silences our truth.
Songs of freedom echo in solidarity: “No more shall pain be hidden!”
16 Your hand, O God, breaks cycles of harm.
Your hand raises survivors up from the shadows. Your hand brings justice like morning light.
17 We will continue to speak out,
of the violence that scarred our dignity.
18 Though we were wounded, we were not broken.
You held us close to your bosom when the world looked away.
19 Open the gates of ignorance that we may enter. Prepare the table, that we may broke bread and speak our truth without shame.
20 This is where healing begins;
here, round the table, the unheard are welcomed, believed and embraced.
21 We thank You for hearing our cries, penetrating the darkness. For too long they were met in silence.
You have become our safety net, our dignity restored.
22 Our stories once dismissed –
those voices are now the cornerstone of a new promise rising.
23 This transformation is Your work, O God, a wonder to behold.
24 This is the day we break the silence.
We rejoice, for truth urges us to speak out!
25 Save us, O God, from complicity and denial. Let justice come swiftly!
26 Blessed are those who speak up in Your name,
who walk with the wounded and amplify their song.

27 You, O God, are our light –
Grant us courage to walk into places once cloaked in fear. Grant us fortitude to reveal our pain, to bind our wounds.
28 You, O God, are our everlasting strength, we will not turn away, we will persevere. We lift our voices in deﬁant praise.
29 Give thanks to the God who never turns away – whose love breaks every chain and endures forever.

Living-Psalm-11814-29_Rev.-Dr.-Gwendolyn-Kehaunani-Hill Download

Living Psalm 118:14-29 was written by Rev. Dr. Gwendolyn Kehaunani Hill.

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.