Psalm 150 – Praise the Lord  We are not surprised that Jesus’ Prayer Book should end with resounding praise. It is always the time and the place to praise the Lord.

Psalm 149 – The Saints Victorious  Psalm 149 picks up where Psalm 148 left off in praise to the Lord who “has raised up for his people a horn” (Ps 148:14). The psalmist develops the arc of salvation from creation to judgment. Psalm 149 celebrates the triumph of all those who have put their trust in God’s redemptive love.

Psalm 148 – All Creation Praise  The psalmist’s invitation to praise the Lord encompasses the heights and depths of all creation, every square inch, every microbe and galaxy. Everything and everyone is summoned to participate in a great concert of endless praise.

Psalm 146 – Hope in God  For New Testament believers this concluding set of psalms challenges the life we live between the Hallelujahs. Do we share the psalmist’s life-long passion for public praise? Is our holistic trust in God alone or are we trying to manage divided loyalties? Does the Lord’s commitment to the oppressed, the hungry, the prisoner, the blind, the bowed down, the foreigner, the orphan, and the widow reflect the mission of the gospel in our lives? Life in the middle, between the Hallelujahs, focuses our attention on the God of Jacob, who continues to transform self-centered strivers into “salf and light” disciples.

Psalm 118 – Hallelujah! Hosanna!  Psalm 118 concludes the Hallel Psalms with a communal song of joyful thanksgiving. It celebrates the steadfast love of the Lord and leads the company of the redeemed in a festal procession up to the altar. The psalmist drew on Moses, echoes the prophets, and inspired Jesus and the apostles.