Converting Psalm 136 to Speak of Your Family
Many churches practice responsive readings of Psalm 136, where the pastor or worship leader reads the first line, and the group responds with His love endures forever. Here’s how Psalm 136 starts:
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
(After a few more lines urging thanksgiving to God, the theme swings into a line-by-line description of what God did for Israel:)
to Him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
to Him who struck down the firstborn of Egypt
His love endures forever.
to Him who led his people through the wilderness;
His love endures forever.
to Him who struck down great kings,
His love endures forever.
and gave their land as an inheritance to His people Israel
His love endures forever.
This type of responsive reading was practiced in songs and chants for several thousand years by Jews and later by Christians as well.
After studying all 26 verses of Psalm 136, I thought of making up a responsive reading about the “great wonders” God did in our own family. Here it is. We plan to use it the next time some of our family members come together.
As you read of God’s Wonders in the Popjes Family History, I hope you will be inspired to make up something like this for your own family.
Responsive Reading of the Popjes Family History
Give thanks to the Lord for He is good.
His love endures forever.
To Him who preserved the Popjes Family during the 2nd World War
His love endures forever.
And brought out the family to emigrate to Canada
His love endures forever.
To Him who revealed Jesus to Jack as Saviour and Friend
His love endures forever.
And led the family through three cities to settle in Red Deer
His love endures forever.
To Him who called a girl to be Jack’s friend,
His love endures forever.
And take Jack to an evangelical church
His love endures forever.
And led Jack to attend a Bible College in Calgary
His love endures forever.
To Him who brought Jack and Jo together and blessed their marriage.
His love endures forever.
To Him who called Jack and Jo to become Bible translators
His love endures forever.
And led them to live and work among Brazil’s Canela people
His love endures forever.
To Him who helped Jack and Jo to translate His Word into Canela,
His love endures forever.
To Him who made many Canela people from all the villages His children.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven,
His love endures forever.