That people of faith may recognize that the God of the Psalms is for all humanity, not only for the like-minded; that we may grow in patience, endurance, faithfulness, and forgiveness.
From the deep places of my soul I praise you, O God:
I lift up my heart and glorify your holy name.
From the deep places of my soul I praise you, O God:
how can I forget all your goodness towards me?
Pause
You forgive all my sin, you heal all my weakness,
you rescue me from the brink of disaster,
you crown me with mercy and compassion.
You satisfy my being with good things,
so that my youth is renewed like an eagle’s.
There is no end to your mercy,
enduring and infinite is your love.
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You fulfil all that you promise,
justice for all the oppressed.
You made known your ways to Moses,
and all the people saw your deeds.
Pause
You are full of forgiveness and grace,
endlessly patient, faithful in love.
You do not haunt us with our sins,
nor nurse grievances against us.
You do not repay evil with evil,
for you are greater than our sins.
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As vast as the heavens are in comparison with the earth,
so great is your love to those who trust you.
As far as the east is from the west,
so far do you fling our sins from us.
There is no end to your mercy,
enduring and infinite is your love.
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Just as parents are merciful to their children,
so are you merciful and kind towards us.
For you know how fragile we are,
that we are made of the dust of the earth.
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Our days are like the grass,
they bloom like the flowers of the field:
the wind blows over them and they are gone,
and no-one can tell where they stood.
Pause
Only your merciful goodness endures;
age after age you act justly
towards all who hold on to your covenant,
who take your words to heart and fulfil them.
There is no end to your mercy,
enduring and infinite is your love.
Silence
For you have triumphed over the power of death,
and draw us to your presence with songs of joy.
We hear the echo of your angels praising you,
and the whole communion of your saints,
those who have walked in your narrow ways,
and heard the voice of your yearning,
whose food is to do your will,
and in whom you take great delight.
Pause
From the widest bounds of the universe
to the depths of my very being
the whispers and cries of joy
vibrate to a shining glory,
O God, our beginning and our end.
Silence
Creator God, as we contemplate the vast universe of which we are so small a part, swamping us with fear and despair and our insignificance, deepen our trust that the meaning of it all is Love, beyond whose reach it is impossible to fall.