Eastertide

April 24, 2019

Scripture Reading: Psalm 150

Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
   praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
   praise him according to his surpassing greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;
   praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
   praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with clanging cymbals;
   praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

The Hebrew word halal* translated praise in this Psalm means to shine. Discovering that just gave new meaning to the song, This Little Light of Mine. What does it mean to worship God? What does it mean to be made in the image of God? Do those two intersect? I wonder how many people like me envision bowing their heads, perhaps kneeling before God? I do think humbling ourselves before God is key to our relationship with God. When this psalm calls us to shine, the implication is that our shining will be visible to God as well as others. We are called to reflect God in all that we are and do.

When I search Google for pictures to use with these writings, I often run into very appropriate quotes by Mother Teresa. Some are familiar but many I have never heard before. Most are succinct and usually hit the mark of what I need to hear. She still shines through her words. Rumi is another person whose quotes usually hit the spot. I had never heard of him until I started searching for illustration to use with my writings. He was a 13th-century Persian poet, jurist, Islamic scholar, theologian, and Sufi mystic. He too continues to send forth a shining light.

Part of praise is recognizing that God is greater than anything we can image. God’s light shines so brightly that Moses had to cover his face when he came down from the mountain top experience with God. I am sure God enjoys beauty and music and dance or he would not have created them. The same goes for God enjoying us. God experiences joy when our light is shining forth as a true reflection of God’s love whether it is in a sanctuary, a hospital, a prison, a school, or a coffee shop.

Prayer: Lord, let you love flow through me so that what I do is an accurate reflection of your love. Amen.

*https://biblehub.com/hebrew/1984.htm

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.