O, Praise!
March 24, 2010
Choir members often share (in good humor) that we can’t get the most recently performed anthem out of our heads. We find ourselves singing it, even wake up in the night with it fresh in our minds. Almost always, that one yields to the next one. For me, today’s anthem is an exception, because it “cut in line.” As is our custom, we’ve rehearsed it for several weeks, but this one got in my head well ahead of today’s performance. I’ve even caught myself singing it out walking through the neighborhood. That is in large part a tribute to the skills and remarkable composition of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In his 35 years of earth time, he managed to crank out 600 compositions. Whew!
In the ongoing effort to go deeper in our understanding of worship, I invite you to think with me about “praise.” Definitions of praise range from exuberant joy to giving credit where credit is due. Perhaps in your circle of acquaintance are those who punctuate conversation and daily life with “praise the Lord!” I don’t have a clear idea of whether our biblical ancestors behaved thusly, but it sounds like a direction one or more of the biblical parties were headed, trying in every way to follow the scriptures. If it says praise the Lord, then that’s what we’ll do! I have a friend in another tradition (with more Pentecostal leanings) who will begin any kind of worship moment with, “Let’s give God some praise!”, followed by thunderous applause. That may not be our “thing,” but hey, look it up, it’s right there in Psalm 47:1 – “Clap your hands, all peoples!” (and how about this?) “Shout to God with loud songs of joy!”
The psalms offer a really rich understanding of “praise.” I excerpted Psalm 106 and 105 for two parts of today’s liturgy, the first to begin the service, the second as a prayer of thanksgiving. In worship, praise of God is where we begin, praise is evident throughout. Quite a few psalms are filled with the language of praise, framing with praise the mighty acts of God, the story of salvation. Even the psalms of lament, which are deep and heartfelt utterances of life’s agonies, find their way toward praise. For instance, Psalm 69 begins with, “Save me, O God, for the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no foothold… I am weary with my crying,” but near the end says, “Let heaven and earth praise him, the seas and everything that moves in them. For God will save Zion…”
The psalms are typified by their honest expression to God – sometimes it seems a little too honest! From the depths to the heights of human emotion, the continual reminder is that this is our God and we are God’s people. When we recognize that, we offer praise.
In today’s anthem, you’ll here the following phrase, uh, more than once! “Praise the Lord our God forever!” Let me know how you do with the music-in-my-head syndrome!
Pastor Steve