Psalm 148
I usually don't preach about the Psalms, but this was such an invitation. Maybe it's the rejoicing in it. Maybe it's because it's spring and growth is blooming everywhere. Or maybe it's just nice to hear, see, experience joy.
Praise God, praise God in the highest, praise God for the rain, praise God for the sunshine. It makes me think of so many different experiences in my life. The ones which take me closest to being full of joy, resounding inner joy. When I was a teen I read the Psalms for comfort. They bring us all of human emotion in them. Read one day and your praising, read another and you are in the deepest pit or sadness. Or it makes me think of the first time I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe how just reading Aslan's name could make a feeling of deep joy and wonder spring up.
Today I think about the Celts. About how they had a prayer for every single thing. You milk the cow, there is a prayer. You get out of bed, there is a prayer. Prayer and praise inspires wonder filled life. Isn't this what Easter is all about. So I think it is very appropriate to look at this Psalm today.
Praise the Lord from the heavens, and it is not hard to think of the birds of the air. The cry of the loon on the lake, the cry of a hawk or bird of prey, long and lusty. Breaking forth over you. The hoot of the owl at night, far off and high.
The starry hosts at night, the wonder of a star falling, the beauty of the milky way stretched out in its best form above Africa. Wonder and beauty caught in the air and put there. So we praise the creator of it. The sunset and sunrise with its colors spread before us as a mantle, waiting for us to wrap into it.
The best and the worst, yes even the worst wind, fire, hail, snow, fog all are a praise. It is hard to find praise, but yet there is wonder and awe in the wind as it blows so. The power of it and how we are powerless against it. Nature shows us how small we are at times and how powerful is the One who created us.
It is the first thing we surrender too in a twelve step program. A higher power than ourselves, because alone we are not able to conquer anything. Praise and prayer help us, remind us of whose and who we are. They expose our inability to control anything and to surrender to the One who controls it all.
From the smallest, to the wild wonder of the largest we are God's. And the great wonder of Easter comes on still. The wonder of love come down to us. The wonder of the risen Christ bothering with his disciples, even Mary. The wonder of the world at being recreated in spring. The wonder of a song which grips your very heart. This is the wonder of praise. It is tied up in love's song. And sometimes we just need to let it spring forth.
Praise the Lord, Praise to God for all the gifts of creation. Praise for our making, for our children, for our loved ones. Praise to the wonder of life, and lets live it well. For it is a gift from God.
I usually don't preach about the Psalms, but this was such an invitation. Maybe it's the rejoicing in it. Maybe it's because it's spring and growth is blooming everywhere. Or maybe it's just nice to hear, see, experience joy.
Praise God, praise God in the highest, praise God for the rain, praise God for the sunshine. It makes me think of so many different experiences in my life. The ones which take me closest to being full of joy, resounding inner joy. When I was a teen I read the Psalms for comfort. They bring us all of human emotion in them. Read one day and your praising, read another and you are in the deepest pit or sadness. Or it makes me think of the first time I read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe how just reading Aslan's name could make a feeling of deep joy and wonder spring up.
Today I think about the Celts. About how they had a prayer for every single thing. You milk the cow, there is a prayer. You get out of bed, there is a prayer. Prayer and praise inspires wonder filled life. Isn't this what Easter is all about. So I think it is very appropriate to look at this Psalm today.
Praise the Lord from the heavens, and it is not hard to think of the birds of the air. The cry of the loon on the lake, the cry of a hawk or bird of prey, long and lusty. Breaking forth over you. The hoot of the owl at night, far off and high.
The starry hosts at night, the wonder of a star falling, the beauty of the milky way stretched out in its best form above Africa. Wonder and beauty caught in the air and put there. So we praise the creator of it. The sunset and sunrise with its colors spread before us as a mantle, waiting for us to wrap into it.
The best and the worst, yes even the worst wind, fire, hail, snow, fog all are a praise. It is hard to find praise, but yet there is wonder and awe in the wind as it blows so. The power of it and how we are powerless against it. Nature shows us how small we are at times and how powerful is the One who created us.
It is the first thing we surrender too in a twelve step program. A higher power than ourselves, because alone we are not able to conquer anything. Praise and prayer help us, remind us of whose and who we are. They expose our inability to control anything and to surrender to the One who controls it all.
From the smallest, to the wild wonder of the largest we are God's. And the great wonder of Easter comes on still. The wonder of love come down to us. The wonder of the risen Christ bothering with his disciples, even Mary. The wonder of the world at being recreated in spring. The wonder of a song which grips your very heart. This is the wonder of praise. It is tied up in love's song. And sometimes we just need to let it spring forth.
Praise the Lord, Praise to God for all the gifts of creation. Praise for our making, for our children, for our loved ones. Praise to the wonder of life, and lets live it well. For it is a gift from God.
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