Psalm 80:1 (0) For the leader. Set to “Lilies.” A testimony. A psalm of Asaf:
2 (1) Shepherd of Isra’el, listen!
You who lead Yosef like a flock,
you whose throne is on the k’ruvim,
shine out!
3 (2) Before Efrayim, Binyamin and M’nasheh,
rouse your power; and come to save us.
4 (3) God, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.
5 (4) Adonai, God of armies, how long
will you be angry with your people’s prayers?
6 (5) You have fed them tears as their bread
and made them drink tears in abundance.
7 (6) You make our neighbors fight over us,
and our enemies mock us.
8 (7) God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved., 17 (16) It is burned by fire, it is cut down;
they perish at your frown of rebuke.
18 (17) Help the man at your right hand,
the son of man you made strong for yourself.
19 (18) Then we won’t turn away from you —
if you revive us, we will call on your name.
20 (19) Adonai, God of armies, restore us!
Make your face shine, and we will be saved.(Complete Jewish Bible)
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We have a Sunday School Advent Program in our congregation, which ends with the the Christmas story on Christmas Eve. One year the program featured the Prayers of the Day for each of the Sundays of Advent. They all begin with the words, "Stir up," from verse 2b of Psalm 80: "Stir up your might, and come to save us."
As the program began I noticed Angie, age seven, sitting at the end of a pew with a big serving spoon in her hands. I caught her eye. She giggled. It turned out that there were four children with big spoons scattered through the crowd to announce each section of the program by standing on the pew, brandishing the spoon over their heads and shouting the first line of one of the prayers: "Stir up your power...Stir up our hearts...Stir up the wills...Stir up your power."
The honesty of the first week of Advent continues. We cannot save ourselves. God's power saves. "Stir up your might, and come to save us."
Stir up our hearts, gracious God, that we may be signs of your love in this weary world. Amen.
Rachel Mithelman, '83
St Johns Lutheran Church,Des Moines, Iowa
Psalm 80:1 Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, you who lead Joseph like a flock! You who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth
2 before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh. Stir up your might, and come to save us!
3 Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
4 O Lord God of hosts, how long will you be angry with your people's prayers?
5 You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in full measure.
6 You make us the scorn of our neighbors; our enemies laugh among themselves.
7 Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved...
17 But let your hand be upon the one at your right hand, the one whom you made strong for yourself.
18 Then we will never turn back from you; give us life, and we will call on your name.
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.(The Revised Standard Version)
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The Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55108 United States
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