Sunday Meditations: Psalms of Ascents

For this installment of the bi-weekly Sunday Meditations, I have a slightly different approach than normal. For the past few days, several passages from the “psalms of ascents” (Ps. 120-134) have been rolling around in my head and heart. Yesterday, I read them all the way through.

The “psalms of ascents”, as this set of 15 psalms is called, were traditionally sung by Jewish pilgrims as they walked the long ascent several times a year to the City of Jerusalem. They are songs to accompany “ascending the hill of the Lord.” I love these psalms because as I read them through, it’s as though I can feel my own soul being lifted up; taken together, they form an upward progression. (It is surmised that they were once one psalm, set in parts like Psalm 119 which comes immediately before them.)

So for today’s meditation, I invite you to read Psalms 120-134 for yourself. Read them thoughtfully, prayerfully, listening as you read. See if the voice of the Lord speaks something to your heart through them.