Image from keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk
Applause, everyone. Bravo, bravissimo! Shout God-songs at the top of your lungs! God Most High is stunning, astride land and ocean. He crushes hostile people, puts nations at our feet. He set us at the head of the line, prize-winning Jacob, his favorite. Loud cheers as God climbs the mountain, a ram's horn blast at the summit. Sing songs to God, sing out! Sing to our King, sing praise! He's Lord over earth, so sing your best songs to God. God is Lord of godless nations - sovereign, he's King of the mountain. Princes from all over are gathered, people of Abraham's God. The powers of earth are God's - he soars over all. (Psalm 47 The Message)
Happy Thursday, Dear Friend! I pray it is so for you. I also pray God's blessings as we study His word for today. The version of the Bible for today is The Message, a modern paraphrase by Eugene Peterson. I figured since the title is a bit modern, so should the version be.
The moon out this morning is awesome! I went with my daughter Carli, for our daily 4 a.m. walk/run. As we ran I couldn't take my eyes off the moon. I thought about the ancients and their fascination with it, leading some to believe it was a god. Then I thought of the wisdom of our forebears who put the Bible together, who knew that while creation is beautiful and awesome; the One who created it all is worthy of our praise. And as I thought that, and saw the moon, I said, Praise You, Lord!
Our church is doing a 30-Day Challenge, a sermon series and small group starter by Outreach.com. The five weeks associated with this program center around a weekly theme. This week's is Community and how important it is to find, form, or belong to a small group community. Next week's is on worship. This psalm is all about worship. I don't know your tradition(s); but I pray you're open to many ways to praise God. I love the old hymns, and I love the new worship songs that I hear on the radio and that we sing in our contemporary worship. I love the King James version of the Bible, for it was the one I was raised on; but I like the Revised Standard as that was my college and seminary Bible for classes. I love the New Revised Standard Version, and the New International Version; and I love the seemingly hundreds available online. They are not the object of my worship; God is. Neither are the songs or hymns; still God. Neither is the way others dress for church; God still. My main purpose in being and leading and participating in worship is God. The psalmist loved God. This version has us almost seeing the young king clapping his hands in worship to the Lord. We can also hear him singing his praises to God; all from his thankful heart. He loved God so much and saw God in all that he saw that he composed the psalms, which are really poetic lists of the attributes of God. Do you have a list?
My prayer dear one, is that we begin to praise God right now, right where we are as we read this. It doesn't have to be out loud, but it should start in your heart as you reflect on God's goodness. Make a list of the things that are so awesome that you're blessed by them and led by them to praise God again and again. My list would contain the sight of the moon in its many phases, but it would include those near and dear to me, the awe and wonder of children, especially the ones who bear the title "grand." It would include my church and pastor and those who make it up. What does you list contain?
PRAYER: Heavenly Father, I applaud You as part of my praise. In my heart I am singing (loudly!) the songs that come to me as I want to shout out You deserve all praise. Yours is the power and the glory, and the kingdom here and the one to come, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Get your worship on! (That's away from the OFF switch!)
Eradio Valverde
PRAYER REQUEST AND UPDATES: The Rev. Thom Elliott underwent successful surgery yesterday to correct perforated intestines. He's in ICU and needs our prayers for recovery. We received and were blessed by an unexpected praise report from Jerry Fogle, whose doctor has told him the treatments for his cancer are working and at this rate, he may live another ten years! I visited Bernice Heldarsen and she's recovering well, as is Debbie Robinson, whom I visited yesterday. Pray for one another; pray for your pastor(s) and your church.
