Pastoral Pondering

Written by Rev. Martha Langford, Senior Pastor at Second/First Church of Rockford, IL
27 May 2025

One of the “lections” (scripture readings) assigned for Sunday, May 26 is Psalm 67. This week’s pondering is drawn from this Psalm.

Key Verse: “Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth.” Psalm 67:4

Reflection:

This worship Psalm gives praise to God for God’s blessing, and yet the Psalmist understands that the blessing of God is not for the people of Israel alone. My favorite translation of verse 4 comes from the New Living Translation Bible:

Let the whole world sing for joy,
because you govern the nations with justice
and guide the people of the whole world.

God’s love, God’s justice, God’s blessing, God’s grace has always been intended for the redemption of the entire earth. We hear this in the charge God gives Abraham and Sarah when God promises, “I will make of you’re a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing… and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” Genesis 12:2-3

We hear it in John’s gospel in those famous words, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life. Indeed, God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world but in order that the world might be saved (redeemed) through him” John 3:16-17.

God’s love, God’s justice, God’s blessing, and God’s grace is for everyone and everything.

Scripture bears witness to God’s steadfast loving kindness. As we practice love and justice, as we extend blessing and grace, we experience God’s love from the inside out.

With gratitude to God, let us end as this Psalm begins—with the blessing of Aaron as found in Numbers 6:24-26:

The Lord bless you and keep you;
the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. Amen.