Psalm 96:1 Sing to Adonai a new song!
Sing to Adonai, all the earth!
2 Sing to Adonai, bless his name!
Proclaim his victory day after day!
3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his wonders among all peoples!
4 For Adonai is great, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared more than all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but Adonai made the heavens.
6 In his presence are honor and majesty;
in his sanctuary, strength and splendor.
7 Give Adonai his due, you families from the peoples;
give Adonai his due of glory and strength;
8 give Adonai the glory due to his name;
bring an offering, and enter his courtyards.
9 Worship Adonai in holy splendor;
tremble before him, all the earth!
10 Say among the nations, “Adonai is king!”
The world is firmly established, immovable.
He will judge the peoples fairly.
11 Let the heavens rejoice; let the earth be glad;
let the sea roar, and everything in it;
12 let the fields exult and all that is in them.
Then all the trees in the forest will sing
13 before Adonai, because he has come,
he has come to judge the earth;
he will judge the world rightly
and the peoples with his faithfulness.(Complete Jewish Bible)
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On a recent trip to St. Louis with stops along the way at zoos in Milwaukee and Chicago, our 10 year old grandson surprised us with his knowledge of the animal kingdom, especially his favorite, the tiger. In a game of recall that I no longer am able to recall, I remember the fun we had over the armadillo. I devised a memory aid for myself by focusing on "dillo" as my aid for the letter A. I asked our grandson if he knew what happens when you give a gun to a "dillo." The answer: You "arm-a-dillo". With such banter we proceeded to tick off the miles driven, nearly 600 in all.
As three travelers with miles together, we created a variety of ways to pass the time. Time was ours. We needed an activity. Today's reading combines both time and activity. For the psalmist, time is the given. The question that begs an answer: what will we do with this gift of time? Over and over we are encouraged to offer songs of praise. Reading, sharing, yes, even singing psalms are a wonder-filled way of using the time that washes over us anew each day. Better than "arming a dillo" would be to "sing to the Lord a new song."
Lord God, author of time, help us actualize this gift in ways that bring glory and praise to your name. Amen.
Chris Quello, '66
Retired Pastor, Appleton, Wis.
Psalm 96:1 O sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day.
3 Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples.
4 For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; he is to be revered above all gods.
5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols, but the Lord made the heavens.
6 Honor and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts.
9 Worship the Lord in holy splendor; tremble before him, all the earth.
10 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."
11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice; let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
12 let the field exult, and everything in it. Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 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. (New Revised Standard Version)
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The Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, United States
Telephone: (651)641-3456-
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