Our appointed Psalm for Sunday, August 11th , is Psalm 34:1-8. It begins with “I will bless the Lord at all times; his praise shall ever be in my mouth”. Verse three exhorts the reader to “proclaim with me the greatness of the Lord; let us exalt his name together”. That is what the church has the privilege of doing each time we gather for worship: to exalt our God and tell of his faithfulness and goodness toward us. The Communion hymn for this Sunday is titled “Taste and See the Goodness of the Lord “; the title comes from the eighth verse of the psalm: “Taste and see that the Lord Is Good; happy are they who trust in him!”
Along those same lines as the psalm, the Offertory hymn I chose for this Sunday is titled “We the Lord’s People, Heart and Voice Uniting”. This hymn, too, reminds us of the joy, privilege and, yes, duty that is ours to offer thanks and praise to God. I believe that it is clear that God does not need our praise; his own works in creation exalt his greatness. I believe that the many admonitions to offer thanks and exalt Him are for our benefit and for those who do not know God. Although the thanks and praise we offer can and should be offered through prayer and other ways, there are certainly a lot of places in scripture that encourage us to sing our praises as well. Come on, did you really think the music director wasn’t going to(eventually) steer this discussion to us singing together? Of course, I am; that is my joy, privilege and, yes, duty.
Your singing is always a blessing to me, but this summer you have seemed especially enthusiastic in offering your praises. That is a joy for all, myself included. In previous articles I have invited those who may be seeking a way to serve to consider singing with choir. I hear many voices in the congregation who could be of help to this faithful group of singers that help lead us in worship. No audition is required, only a teachable spirit and the willingness to be consistent in attending rehearsals and worship services. If you have questions, please email or see me after a service. I leave you with the words of the 1st and 2nd stanzas of this Sunday’s Offertory Hymn, “We the Lord’s People”: 1. We the Lord’s people, heart and voice uniting, praise him who called us out of sin and darkness into his own light, that he might anoint us a royal priesthood. 2. This is the Lord’s house, home of all his people, school for the faithful, refuge for the sinner, rest for the pilgrim, haven for the weary; all find a welcome.
Peace,
John
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