Radical Gratitude

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise God in his mighty firmament!

Praise God for his mighty deeds; praise God according to his surpassing greatness!

Praise God with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!

Praise God with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise God with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that breathes praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

In the Bible everything sings, not just people but mammals, fish, birds, insects, trees, rocks and water all sing, and what they sing is praise for their Creator.  Psalm 150 is the last psalm in the Book of Psalms.  So the last line of the last psalm is In the Bible everything sings, not just people but mammals, fish, birds, insects, trees, rocks and water all sing, and what they sing is praise for their Creator.  Psalm 150 is the last psalm in the Book of Psalms.  So the last line of the last psalm is “Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!”  It is fair to say that the invitation to praise God, to express gratitude and joy in God’s presence, is woven all through the sacred writings of our faith. 

The foundational attitude of the Christian faith is gratitude and joy. The foundational expression of the Christian faith is poetry and song.  Christians may have many other attitudes which they express in many other ways, but at heart the Christian faith is joyful gratitude, radical gratitude, offered in response to God’s self-giving love for us. 

Easter is the season for us to remember the wonderful works of God and give thanks for them.  Even more than Christmas, Easter is the season of singing, dancing and feasting, because the darkness of the world has been overcome and the light of God’s love shines brightly.  So … Praise the Lord!

AMEN.

   It is fair to say that the invitation to praise God, to express gratitude and joy in God’s presence, is woven all through the sacred writings of our faith. 

The foundational attitude of the Christian faith is gratitude and joy. The foundational expression of the Christian faith is poetry and song.  Christians may have many other attitudes which they express in many other ways, but at heart the Christian faith is joyful gratitude, radical gratitude, offered in response to God’s self-giving love for us. 

Easter is the season for us to remember the wonderful works of God and give thanks for them.  Even more than Christmas, Easter is the season of singing, dancing and feasting, because the darkness of the world has been overcome and the light of God’s love shines brightly.  So … Praise the Lord!

AMEN.