Epiphany 8
Worship
Aids To The Psalms
It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Alternate Image
The Singer is in a forest of mighty, ancient trees; Lebanon cedar trees. The Singer calls them to worship. The trees ancient and young incline their leaves toward the singer and lift their branches in adoration as the Singer intones an opening song of praise. One ancient tree, almost 2,000 years old reflects on its long life. Its parent was used to build the inner walls of Solomon's temple. It was just a seedling when a man of Nazareth set his religious community afire with a fresh undertaking of their ancient faith. The rings of his growth mark also the growth of the followers of this man of Nazareth, this Jesus. Some years there was little growth for either of them; other years immense growth, but always growth. The cedar tree is pleased with what he has seen from his 120 foot height. Reveling in God's creative process, the tree joins in re-creation and drops new seeds to the ground to sprout, to grow, to offer new praise to the Creator.
Reflection
God's world calls us to worship. To worship not only in church sanctuaries but under God's canopy, in nature. All worship begins by recognizing God's love which solicits our thanks and praise. As we recall the experiences of our lives we know we have witnessed God's power and love. We have shared in God's continuing creation. The longer our recall the more we can celebrate. Our recollections, short or long, are only a small moment in time. If we compare our personal histories with that of trees such as the cedars of Lebanon, we sense how short our earthly life is. But even the 2,000-year-old cedar is but a flicker of eternity. Throughout creation we see re-creation: in the seeds of the palm or cedar, in newborn babies, in each new day. All of these things remind us of ongoing life that God has given us. Creation points towards the eternity God will also share with us. The fruit is tasty in all moments of our lives.
to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
and your faithfulness by night,
to the music of the lute and the harp,
to the melody of the lyre.
For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
at the works of your hands I sing for joy.
The righteous flourish like the palm tree,
and grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
They are planted in the house of the Lord;
they flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they still produce fruit;
they are always green and full of sap,
showing that the Lord is upright;
he is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.
Alternate Image
The Singer is in a forest of mighty, ancient trees; Lebanon cedar trees. The Singer calls them to worship. The trees ancient and young incline their leaves toward the singer and lift their branches in adoration as the Singer intones an opening song of praise. One ancient tree, almost 2,000 years old reflects on its long life. Its parent was used to build the inner walls of Solomon's temple. It was just a seedling when a man of Nazareth set his religious community afire with a fresh undertaking of their ancient faith. The rings of his growth mark also the growth of the followers of this man of Nazareth, this Jesus. Some years there was little growth for either of them; other years immense growth, but always growth. The cedar tree is pleased with what he has seen from his 120 foot height. Reveling in God's creative process, the tree joins in re-creation and drops new seeds to the ground to sprout, to grow, to offer new praise to the Creator.
Reflection
God's world calls us to worship. To worship not only in church sanctuaries but under God's canopy, in nature. All worship begins by recognizing God's love which solicits our thanks and praise. As we recall the experiences of our lives we know we have witnessed God's power and love. We have shared in God's continuing creation. The longer our recall the more we can celebrate. Our recollections, short or long, are only a small moment in time. If we compare our personal histories with that of trees such as the cedars of Lebanon, we sense how short our earthly life is. But even the 2,000-year-old cedar is but a flicker of eternity. Throughout creation we see re-creation: in the seeds of the palm or cedar, in newborn babies, in each new day. All of these things remind us of ongoing life that God has given us. Creation points towards the eternity God will also share with us. The fruit is tasty in all moments of our lives.
