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 8: Trinity Sunday A

Responsive Prayer of Invocation

If a congregation is gathering online, the people should respond out loud, but with microphones muted!  The leader should continue to read the peoples’ parts.

Leader:	O God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

People:	Your glory, coming to us in galaxies
		that have been sung to sleep 
		many light-years ago,
   		is the same as the waking cry of our infants, 
		or the “twinkle, twinkle” song of toddlers,
		
Leader:	You are a vaccine of the spirit against 
		those who live by violence,
		and you fit to us the mask of kindness,
		so we bless one another when we are near.
		
People		When we turn to Slooh or Hubble 
		to live-stream the nebulae of your fingers,
		or claim new dark-sky geography
		as a refuge for much-needed night --
		what are human beings that you are mindful of us,
   		your castaways on earth that you notice us?

Leader:	Yet you make us little lower than God,
  		lit with imagination, fragile against virus,
		but able to claim that it is no crown -- 
		for our crown is hope.

People:	You give us responsibility for the well-being
		of precious handfuls of your creation --
		ice caps, rainforests, barrier reefs, climate.

Leader:	And even through cyclone and wildfires,
		and in spite of endangered creatures
		and those who have been lost,
   		you put our feet on the path of care
		for domestic and wild animals,
   		birds of the air, fish of the sea,
   		and all sea creatures – coral and dolphin, 
		seal and eel, whale and oyster.

People:	We do not sing in these days 
		but we whisper with great joy --		
		O God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!

Living Psalm  8 for Trinity Sunday (A) was written by  Maren C. Tirabassi.

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.  Editor, Maren Tirabassi.

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 2020 Maren C. Tirabassi.  Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved.