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 29—Baptism of Christ Sunday Year C
Covid Days

Praise God, Angels and Winds, Clouds, and the Light-year Kiss
of stars faraway, praise God who dims the glory of the powerful 
and is incarnate in weakness, not strength.

Praise God who lays aside glory to be named God-with-us, 
Emmanuel, whose splendor is the brevity of rainbow
and not the market-value of jewels.

God’s Word is wet with the dripping of pandemic days.
Emmanuel sobs and we hear thunder, 
Emmanuel brightens the world by mighty tears.

God’s Word whispers to the powerless; 
God’s Word is full of empathy.

God’s Word is the heartbreak of cedars, 
God hears the broken promises,
the broken promises of humans to care for creation.

God skips like a child who needs a future
and hears the adolescent who shouts out for hope.

God’s Word makes snow to fall on wildfires.
God’s Word goes into wilderness and shakes the power-tempters.

God’s Word whirls like the ballet of oaks, 
and applauds the burlesque of bare and beautiful nature, 
which dances for itself,
while God’s people of goodwill pray, “Encore.”

Emmanuel sinks deep into the water,
and emerges with a Baptism for everyone.

May God give strengthless trust to the people! 
May God wash the people with peace!

Living Psalm 29—Baptism of Christ C: Covid Days  was written  by Maren 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.  

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 2022 Maren Tirabassi.  Permission granted to reproduce or adapt this material for use in services of worship or church education.  All publishing rights reserved.