Bless the Lord, O My Soul

This meditation is based on a passage for March 6, 2011 in the Daily Lectionary Year 1 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).

Text: Psalm 103

Reflection and Question: This lovely poetry begins very personally with a person who encourages his or her own soul to acknowledge God’s goodness. The psalmist then expands the vision to include the oppressed, the people of Israel and all people, and the heavenly hosts of angels. The repeated message is that God’s loving kindness, mercy and compassion embraces all these groups, and, in fact, all creation, all God’s works. God’s love can take many forms: Healing, justice and forgiveness are mentioned. Our response is to bless God, a startling reversal as mostly we think of God blessing us. How does your soul bless God?