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1 Hallelujah! Praise God from heaven, praise him from the mountaintops; 2 Praise him, all you his angels, praise him, all you his warriors, 3 Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, you morning stars; 4 Praise him, high heaven, praise him, heavenly rain clouds; 5 Praise, oh let them praise the name of God - he spoke the word, and there they were! 6 He set them in place from all time to eternity; He gave his orders, and that's it! 7 Praise God from earth, you sea dragons, you fathomless ocean deeps; 8 Fire and hail, snow and ice, hurricanes obeying his orders; 9 Mountains and all hills, apple orchards and cedar forests; 10 Wild beasts and herds of cattle, snakes, and birds in flight; 11 Earth's kings and all races, leaders and important people, 12 Robust men and women in their prime, and yes, graybeards and little children. 13 Let them praise the name of God - it's the only Name worth praising. His radiance exceeds anything in earth and sky; 14 he's built a monument - his very own people! Praise from all who love God! Israel's children, intimate friends of God. Hallelujah! (Psalm 148 The Message Bible)
I can identify somewhat with the Apostle John on that first Sunday morning that found me working in the school cafeteria. It was my freshman year, away from home, and having to get up super early, shower, head to the back entrance of the Lon Morris College cafeteria, serve myself a nice hot breakfast, joke with the other lucky work study scholarship kids, take our trays to the window, don an apron and gloves and become the crew behind the window. I wondered at the appropriate times where my church might be, what hymn they might be singing and knowing that someone behind the window might start singing "I'm in the mood for love" to make the others of us laugh; the occasional drama major might come to the window, linger as he held the tray as he started into Bobby Vinto's Mr. Lonely. More laughs; but still the pain of not being home in worship hit hard. Hey, I was a pre-ministerial student after all. The shift would end soon enough some Sundays, others not too soon. Repeat at lunch with a very nice meal, and then supper we were on our own. That lunch however I asked the crew if any wanted to walk with me to First UMC downtown for their evening worship. Kids, ask your great-grandparents what those were! And surprising enough about six said they would and so we would meet in front of the cafeteria and we would walk to church. None of us owned cars and so this was fun, talking, walking, laughing our way to worship. Once there Dr. Gilpin would greet us warmly and we worshiped with a congregation that now does that on a daily basis in Glory. Tears streamed down some cheeks as we remembered the hymns from home. I knew the tunes, but the words were new to me. But God was the same and so the words of this psalm spoke to my heart.
The psalmist had a wonderful world view of who and what should be in worship and praise of God; everyone, everything! Angels, warriors, sun and moon; morning stars (afternoon stars who slept in), high heaven, heavenly rain clouds; a long list. All praising God, Who is worthy; His name is worthy. The monument He created, us, should be praising Him. All who love God, praise God!
This psalm reminds us that praise isn’t limited to a worship song on Sunday or a whispered prayer before a meal. The entire world is a choir, and our lives are meant to harmonize with the beauty of God’s ongoing creation. When we praise God, we join in a song that echoes from the galaxies to the garden. Whether you’re walking the dog, doing the dishes, or sitting with someone in grief, your life can echo praise when it’s rooted in gratitude and grace.
PRAYER: Loving God, thank You for the many opportunities and places where we can worship You. Thank You for all days, especially the days without cars when we could walk and be in Your house to lift high your name. Thank You for kind heart and souls who opened the doors and welcomed us in to worship. Thank You for the memory of dear friends who make the trek possible and thus shared a wonderful blessing. Thank You for the servants then and now who prepared and led us to Your presence. Let our lives become praise songs, offered not just in words, but in how we love, serve, and hope. In the name of the Risen Christ, who makes all things new, Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! OUR CALL TO ACTION: Let your life be a melody of praise today. Find one moment—however small—to offer God thanks in word or deed. When we live with gratitude and awe, we tune our lives to the rhythm of the Creator—and that’s a song worth singing.
I love you and I thank God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
