Proper 4
Worship
Aids To The Psalms
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Alternate Image
The Singer stands at the entrance of the church examining the faces of people as they enter. She examines them thoroughly, stares intently, touches, pats, feels and peers closely at each face. She looks at the chubby cheeks of children, the acne of teenages, the radiant faces of pregnant women, wind-burned faces of outdoor workers, thoughtful faces of philosophers, hardened faces of soldiers, wrinkled faces of old folk. She delights in each new face she sees. What a lot of faces, all the faces of the world have entered the sanctuary singing praises to God. The Singer follows the last person into the sanctuary and finds another face. She examines it more closely than all the rest. It has more to it than all the others combined. It shows more love, more care, more understanding, more mercy, more faithfulness, more compassion, more passion, more everything. The Singer reaches out and touches the face of God.
Reflection
Who has seen the face of God? Jesus told us that if we have seen him, we have seen God. But who of us today has seen Jesus? Panim is a Hebrew word that can be translated either face or presence. Who of us has not felt God's presence? We have seen God's face but we may have not recognized it. If we look for God's face we become more aware of God's creation. We examine more intently nature God has created. We look more thoroughly at the animals and plants God has made. We inspect each other's faces with more fascination. All of these things draw us to praise God more fervently, to rejoice in God's faithfulness and passion fOr us. As we gaze on God's face we join all generations in the common bond of being God's children.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Alternate Image
The Singer stands at the entrance of the church examining the faces of people as they enter. She examines them thoroughly, stares intently, touches, pats, feels and peers closely at each face. She looks at the chubby cheeks of children, the acne of teenages, the radiant faces of pregnant women, wind-burned faces of outdoor workers, thoughtful faces of philosophers, hardened faces of soldiers, wrinkled faces of old folk. She delights in each new face she sees. What a lot of faces, all the faces of the world have entered the sanctuary singing praises to God. The Singer follows the last person into the sanctuary and finds another face. She examines it more closely than all the rest. It has more to it than all the others combined. It shows more love, more care, more understanding, more mercy, more faithfulness, more compassion, more passion, more everything. The Singer reaches out and touches the face of God.
Reflection
Who has seen the face of God? Jesus told us that if we have seen him, we have seen God. But who of us today has seen Jesus? Panim is a Hebrew word that can be translated either face or presence. Who of us has not felt God's presence? We have seen God's face but we may have not recognized it. If we look for God's face we become more aware of God's creation. We examine more intently nature God has created. We look more thoroughly at the animals and plants God has made. We inspect each other's faces with more fascination. All of these things draw us to praise God more fervently, to rejoice in God's faithfulness and passion fOr us. As we gaze on God's face we join all generations in the common bond of being God's children.
