The God Pause from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Tuesday, 12 June 2018 - Psalm 92:1-5,12-16
Psalm 92:1 (0) A psalm. A song for Shabbat:
2 (1) It is good to give thanks to Adonai
and sing praises to your name, ‘Elyon,
3 (2) to tell in the morning about your grace
and at night about your faithfulness,
4 (3) to the music of a ten-stringed [harp] and a lute,
with the melody sounding on a lyre.
5 (4) For, Adonai, what you do makes me happy;
I take joy in what your hands have made.
12 (11) My eyes have gazed with pleasure on my enemies’ ruin,
my ears have delighted in the fall of my foes.
13 (12) The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar in the L’vanon.
14 (13) Planted in the house of Adonai,
they will flourish in the courtyards of our God.
15 (14) Even in old age they will be vigorous,
still full of sap, still bearing fruit,
16 (15) proclaiming that Adonai is upright,
my Rock, in whom there is no wrong. (Complete Jewish Bible).
***
This psalm's heading "For the Sabbath" makes sense. It talks about giving thanks; singing praises; declaring God's love; and making music. All things we do in worship. Yet, sometimes I worry that we might think of worship as a play. The worshipers are the audience. The clergy is the emcee. The musicians are the entertainment, and God is the prompter in the wings. Shouldn't it be the other way around? The worshipers are the performers; the clergy and musicians are the prompters; and God is the only audience.
Has worship become a place where we expect to be entertained? How can we move from observing to bursting forth with passion and praise? If we truly believed in the attributes and characteristics of God, we couldn't help but join in with our passion and praise. "Did I get anything out of worship?" is the wrong question. Rather we could ask: "Did my worship make God smile?"
Holy Lord, correct us when we make worship about us--when we let our tastes and preferences override glorifying you. You alone are worthy of our praise. Amen.
Laurie Neill, '12
Discipleship Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Fargo, ND
Psalm 92:1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy...
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap,
15 showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (New Revised Standard Version).
Psalm 92:1 (0) A psalm. A song for Shabbat:
2 (1) It is good to give thanks to Adonai
and sing praises to your name, ‘Elyon,
3 (2) to tell in the morning about your grace
and at night about your faithfulness,
4 (3) to the music of a ten-stringed [harp] and a lute,
with the melody sounding on a lyre.
5 (4) For, Adonai, what you do makes me happy;
I take joy in what your hands have made.
12 (11) My eyes have gazed with pleasure on my enemies’ ruin,
my ears have delighted in the fall of my foes.
13 (12) The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar in the L’vanon.
14 (13) Planted in the house of Adonai,
they will flourish in the courtyards of our God.
15 (14) Even in old age they will be vigorous,
still full of sap, still bearing fruit,
16 (15) proclaiming that Adonai is upright,
my Rock, in whom there is no wrong. (Complete Jewish Bible).
***
This psalm's heading "For the Sabbath" makes sense. It talks about giving thanks; singing praises; declaring God's love; and making music. All things we do in worship. Yet, sometimes I worry that we might think of worship as a play. The worshipers are the audience. The clergy is the emcee. The musicians are the entertainment, and God is the prompter in the wings. Shouldn't it be the other way around? The worshipers are the performers; the clergy and musicians are the prompters; and God is the only audience.
Has worship become a place where we expect to be entertained? How can we move from observing to bursting forth with passion and praise? If we truly believed in the attributes and characteristics of God, we couldn't help but join in with our passion and praise. "Did I get anything out of worship?" is the wrong question. Rather we could ask: "Did my worship make God smile?"
Holy Lord, correct us when we make worship about us--when we let our tastes and preferences override glorifying you. You alone are worthy of our praise. Amen.
Laurie Neill, '12
Discipleship Pastor, First Lutheran Church, Fargo, ND
Psalm 92:1 It is good to give thanks to the Lord, to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
2 to declare your steadfast love in the morning, and your faithfulness by night,
3 to the music of the lute and the harp, to the melody of the lyre.
4 For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work; at the works of your hands I sing for joy...
12 The righteous flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God.
14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap,
15 showing that the Lord is upright; he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him. (New Revised Standard Version).
The Luther Seminary
2481 Como Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55108, United State
***
No comments:
Post a Comment