Wednesday, May 25, 2022
Scripture: Psalm 97. 1-5
The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice;
Let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
And consumes his adversaries on every side.
His lightnings light up the world;
The earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
Before the Lord of all the earth.
Devotion:
This week in worship, we are going to be reading this Psalm, a song of praise, and we’ll be reading about Paul and Silas who sing hymns while they are in prison. The power of hymns or of lifting songs of praise to God goes far beyond our simple imagination. We all have hymns we love or songs that speak something special to our hearts. Perhaps singing Amazing Grace brings you back to your auntie’s funeral; or perhaps every time we sing, In the Garden, you can hear it sung in your mother’s voice. Perhaps you wait all year to hear a soprano belt out the O Holy Night, or a full choir perform Handel’s Messiah, or that deep bass voice to take on Were You There. Hymns speak to us in particular and special ways. In fact, when I visit people with memory care issues, hymns and psalms are among the greatest tools I have for making a connection. Sometimes people can’t remember who they are or who their children are or where they are, but they can remember the words of Psalm 23 and the lyrics to How Great Thou Art. What incredible comfort and joy!
Special hymns for me include, Come Thou Fount, which was sung at my wedding, Our God Our Help in Ages Past, my go-to on difficult days, Beautiful Things by Gungor, which was sung near me on the hardest day of my life, and It Is Well, as the lyrics always serve as a comfort when I’m feeling anxious. What hymns are special to you? How have hymns spoken to you in a particular and unique way? Now is a great time to share with your family and friends!
The Lord is king! Let the earth rejoice;
Let the many coastlands be glad!
Clouds and thick darkness are all around him;
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.
Fire goes before him
And consumes his adversaries on every side.
His lightnings light up the world;
The earth sees and trembles.
The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
Before the Lord of all the earth.
Devotion:
This week in worship, we are going to be reading this Psalm, a song of praise, and we’ll be reading about Paul and Silas who sing hymns while they are in prison. The power of hymns or of lifting songs of praise to God goes far beyond our simple imagination. We all have hymns we love or songs that speak something special to our hearts. Perhaps singing Amazing Grace brings you back to your auntie’s funeral; or perhaps every time we sing, In the Garden, you can hear it sung in your mother’s voice. Perhaps you wait all year to hear a soprano belt out the O Holy Night, or a full choir perform Handel’s Messiah, or that deep bass voice to take on Were You There. Hymns speak to us in particular and special ways. In fact, when I visit people with memory care issues, hymns and psalms are among the greatest tools I have for making a connection. Sometimes people can’t remember who they are or who their children are or where they are, but they can remember the words of Psalm 23 and the lyrics to How Great Thou Art. What incredible comfort and joy!
Special hymns for me include, Come Thou Fount, which was sung at my wedding, Our God Our Help in Ages Past, my go-to on difficult days, Beautiful Things by Gungor, which was sung near me on the hardest day of my life, and It Is Well, as the lyrics always serve as a comfort when I’m feeling anxious. What hymns are special to you? How have hymns spoken to you in a particular and unique way? Now is a great time to share with your family and friends!