Psalm 96 : 1 -13 (NRSV)
O sing to the LORD a new song;
sing to the LORD, all the earth.
Sing to the LORD, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvellous works among all the peoples.
For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be revered above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.
Honour and majesty are before him;
strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts.
Worship the LORD in holy splendour;
tremble before him, all the earth.
Say among the nations, ‘The LORD is king!
The world is firmly established; it shall never be moved.
He will judge the peoples with equity.’
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it.
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the LORD; for he is coming,
for he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with his truth.
Daily Byte
The beauty and creativity of God are seen in all that God has made, and in this psalm the celebration is loud, vibrant and creative in return. Singing, rejoicing, bowing, bringing offerings - The Message translation even includes dancing - are all creative ways to express worship, and the context is “the beauty of holiness” or “God’s holy splendour” (vs 9). In worship we are invited to recognise the beauty of God that surrounds us - both in the physical world we inhabit, and in the spiritual reality that flows through and around the physical. Wherever God is, there is beauty, and wherever beauty is, there is worship. All we need to do is join the celebration, and allow the beauty of God’s holiness to draw us into deeper intimacy with God.
In what ways have you become more aware of God’s presence through the created world? How have you become more aware of God’s presence through “spiritual” activities like prayer, Scripture reading and worship? How have these activities helped you to be more aware of God’s presence everywhere and in every moment? When you become aware of God’s presence, how do you usually respond? Can you open yourself to worship and let it teach you to become a more celebratory person, joining the worship of creation whenever you can?
Pray As You Go
What an amazing thought!
What a glorious reality!
Celebration is going on all the time!
Animals and angels,
people and plants,
all caught up in a majestic symphony of praise!
And I’m no gatecrasher - I’m invited, the door is open;
all I need to do is join in,
to see the beauty all around me,
and give thanks
in whatever way I can.
Thank you, God, for your ever-present beauty,
and for the eternal celebration
that reminds me of your grace and love
in every moment.
Amen.
Today’s devotion is taken from Rev John van de Laar’s outstanding book ‘The Hour That Changes Everything: How worship forms us into the people God wants us to be.’ Used with permission
To order copies of this book and for other superb worship resources visit http://www.sacredise.com
No comments:
Post a Comment