This modern psalm offers ‘balanced’ gender language, not inclusive, but the powerful juxtaposition between the masculine language of NIV and the feminine language of Edgerton’s version is effective, so I’ve included it. — Ana Gobledale, Editor
With Apologies to the Psalmist
‘Lift up your heads, you gates; lift them up, you ancient doors, that the King of glory may come in. Who is he, this King of glory? The LORD Almighty – he is the King of glory.’ – Psalm 24:9-10 (NIV)
Lift up your heads, church doors,
Lift them up, you faithful hearts,
That the Queen of Grace may come in.
Who is She, this Queen of Grace?
God Almighty—
She is the Queen of Grace!
You who have waited lonely months,
Walk through the doors!
You who have been locked down,
The bolts are thrown open!
You who will remain at home to worship,
For whom health or distance make your home the fittest sanctuary
You will not be shut out again.
Having opened a new door through camera’s lens,
The warm embrace of community has found its focus.
Having found that our reach is as wide as the globe,
Loving hearts now know how wide their reach can be.
To the one clamouring for more and sooner,
To the one pleading for less and later,
To the one who feels that all is now well,
To the one whose guard is still up,
To the one who feels this has all been overblown
To the one who mourns the death of their loved ones,
Six hundred thousand times over:
Lift up your heads, church doors,
Lift them up, you faithful hearts,
That the Queen of Grace may come in.
Who is She, this Queen of Grace?
God Almighty—
She is the Queen of Grace!
Prayer
Help us to know how to gather again, in love, in peace, in faith, in justice.
Graduate of The Divinity School of The University of Chicago, John Edgerton is Lead Pastor (ordained Minister) at First United Church of Oak Park, Illinois.
This modern psalm was originally published online as part of the United Church of Christ Daily Devotionals. Thanks to John and the UCC for permission to share this resource.
‘The United Church of Christ Daily Devotional is a spiritually deep and refreshing well, to which thousands of readers are drawn each day. The overall vision and voice of the Daily Devotional is tended by the Stillspeaking Writers’ Group and supported by the staff of The Pilgrim Press.’
