The Living Psalms project of United Church of Christ Worshipways takes the weekly Revised Common Lectionary psalm and makes it contemporary. I make sure that these are all posted in a timely fashion and occasionally write one myself which I also share here in order to get more people hunting them up. Some are in words, some are art, dance videoed, installation. Have a look for your worship settings.
This one is responsive or for two voices — though that is not necessary.
O God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Your glory, coming to us in galaxies
that have been sung to sleep
many light-years ago,
is the same as the waking cry of our infants,
or the “twinkle, twinkle” song of toddlers,
You are a vaccine of the spirit against
those who live by violence,
and you fit to us the mask of kindness,
so we bless one another when we are near.
When we turn to Slooh or Hubble
to live-stream the nebulae of your fingers,
or claim new dark-sky geography
as a refuge for much-needed night —
what are human beings that you are mindful of us,
your castaways on earth that you notice us?
Yet you make us little lower than God,
lit with imagination, fragile against virus,
but able to claim that it is no crown —
for our crown is hope.
You give us responsibility for the well-being
of precious handfuls of your creation —
ice caps, rainforests, barrier reefs, climate.
And even through cyclone and wildfires,
and, in spite of endangered creatures
and those who have been lost,
you put our feet on the path of care
for domestic and wild animals,
birds of the air, fish of the sea,
and all sea creatures – coral and dolphin,
seal and eel, whale and oyster.
We do not sing in these days
but we whisper with great joy —
O God, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Gifts in Open Hands 
Inspirational Maren. At a time when things are so dark in the land you love you are able to lift readers from darkness to the realms of glory and feel the hope that shines all over the world.
Know that today hundreds of people in NZ’s major cities stood in the rain to testify that a racists murder of one person is deeply offensive to people of all races.
It is so very very heartening to know that. Thank you.
It was thousands of people, not hundreds! Although seen as primarily an act of support for American human rights, many speeches drew attention to the racism that exists in NZ. Our police seldom kill but it is undeniable brown-skinned people are more likely to be challenged by police than white, and the proportion of brown-skinned people in our jails is disgracefully out of balance with population statistics.
Jacynthia shared those figures with me. As a nation you do so very much more.
Hopeful and so necessary for these days, Maren. Thank you.
You are welcome Jessica. Truly I believe that we are a good creation!
I, of course, am following what is taking place, and encouraged that so many are standing up, speaking out. But going back to your stated purpose of the Living Psalms, I love your taking ‘old words’ and making them relevant to the lives we are living, in real time. The resetting benefits both sides.
Thank you and yes these are “to our times” but not “to this week” though individual churches may want to change it up.
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Do whatever you like with these and if you use any of my Communion with that!