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.

Living Psalm 148 for the Fifth Sunday of Easter C

Praise to the merciful, just, and joyful God! 
Let our lungs shout 
From the dawn to the dusk. 
In our lowest valley
to our most joyful mountaintop, praise! 
 
Praise the sacred allies of all the realms
The spirits
The angelic ones
The hidden saints 
The prophets 
Of the flesh 
And the spirit. 
 
The warmth of the sun shouts praise.
The rich blanket of the night whispers praise.
The twilight of possibility 
Is the praise 
Of our still speaking God. 
 
The Holy One created
And never stopped – 
 
Praise becoming 
Praise imagination 
Praise liberation 
Praise the future we are still sowing 
Praise another world 
Of heaven
That will come on earth. 
 
Praise the groan of an earth that is hurt and healing 
Praise the wisdom of elements and animal kin 
Praise the humans 
That seek a world to turn 
Towards what must be done 
For the good of all Creation. 
 
The sparrow and the mustard seed 
The bread and the rice 
The pomegranate and the mango trees
The oceans and the prairies 
Sing praise!  
 
The children and the elders 
The midlife and the young people 
The transgender and the queer 
The melanin that sings with the ancestors 
The mothertongues all the earth 
the ones who ask good questions 
the ones who seek wise answers --
 
let us praise all the names of the Creator 
whose image is endless 
whose glory touches everything!
Let every breath be a praise 
that brings us closer 
to the presence 
of God!  

Living Psalm 148, for the Fifth Sunday after Easter C, was written by Sonny Graves.

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.  

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.

© Copyright 2018 Sonny Graves.  Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved.