Show Notes
In this episode of Formed for Faithfulness, we reflect on Psalm 145 and the call for generations to share God’s works with one another. Through Scripture, reflection, and prayer, we’re reminded that God speaks through voices both young and old, inviting us to listen, learn, and grow together in faith. With readings from Psalms 145 and 98 and 2 Thessalonians 2, we celebrate the beauty of a Church made stronger through unity across generations.
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Episode Transcript
Welcome to Formed for Faithfulness in this 22nd week of Ordinary Time. May God encourage and equip us for our callings as we pause to consider His ways.
And now, a reading from the Book of Psalms, chapter 145, verses 1 through 5, then verses 18 to 21:
1
I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.
2
Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.
3
Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.
4
One generation commends your works to another;
they tell of your mighty acts.
5
They speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty—
and I will meditate on your wonderful works.
18
The Lord is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.
19
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.
20
The Lord watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21
My mouth will speak in praise of the Lord.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.
A pastor recently spoke about his life with a degenerative condition that had progressed to the point where he now needed to use a wheelchair pretty much full-time. His example of faith and hope in the light of ongoing difficulty was inspiring. But what especially stood out was when he spoke about the helpful counsel and comfort he received from someone who had reached the same point he had and shared their experience with him. This encouragement came from a much younger laywoman whose insight might easily have been dismissed by someone with more years and learning—but he recognized the wisdom that came from God.
This story brings us right to the heart of Psalm 145. When David writes about one generation praising God’s works to another, we typically think in terms of those with gray hairs—or no hair at all—passing on what they have learned and experienced to those who are younger.
But remember how, after His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus quoted another psalm—Psalm 8—when He asked His critics, have you never read out of the mouth of infants and nursing babies, you have prepared praise? For many of us, it’s easier to hear God speaking through the very young, because we can do so with benevolent, maybe even paternalistic appreciation.
It can be harder to hear when He speaks through those who are older than children but younger than us. May we have hearts and ears to listen for what we can learn of God’s works through those coming up behind us, with ways and words that may challenge and discomfort us.
The old guard and the vanguard in the church need one another.
And now let us turn to the 98th Psalm:
Sing to the Lord a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
The Lord has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
make music to the Lord with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the Lord, the King.
Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
Would you join me in praying?
Lord God, in a world of ever-increasing divisions, may the unity You desire for Your Church be increasingly manifest as a sign and an invitation to the reconciliation that comes through Jesus.
Please help us to bridge the gaps that may exist between generations. Soften our hearts to listen to one another—to both appreciate the experiences and perspectives of those who came before us, and to be open to hearing from those who follow. May we learn from one another, celebrate our differences, and work together to build a stronger, more unified Church as we declare Your marvelous works to one another and the watching world. May our interactions be filled with understanding, respect, and a willingness to support one another. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
And finally, 2 Thessalonians, chapter 2, verses 1 through 5, followed by 13 to 17:
2 Concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered to him, we ask you, brothers and sisters, 2 not to become easily unsettled or alarmed by the teaching allegedly from us—whether by a prophecy or by word of mouth or by letter—asserting that the day of the Lord has already come. 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.
5 Don’t you remember that when I was with you I used to tell you these things?
13 But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters loved by the Lord, because God chose you as firstfruits to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth. 14 He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
15 So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the teachings we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter.
16 May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17 encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.
