"Worship: We Sing"
So…
Do you remember that Carpenter’s Song, Sing, Sing a Song?
I always thought it was just a Muppet’s song! It goes:
“Sing, Sing, sing a song; Sing out loud; Sing out strong
Sing of good things not bad; Sing of happy not sad!
“Sing, sing a song; make it simple to last Your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not good enough for anyone else to hear
Just sing, sing a song
“Sing, sing a song; let the world sing along
Sing of love there could be, sing for you and for me
“Sing, sing a song, make it simple to last your whole life long
Don't worry that it's not, good enough for anyone else to hear
Just sing, sing a song!”
Yeah! Sing!
And that is the invitation in the Psalmist’s rendition in Psalm 148.
Praise, sing out your heart. Let God know of your love and devotion.
The Psalmist makes the case that all of creation is already doing that. The ones who are not doing that, or not doing it well is us humans!
Given free will our praise is the most exciting, and the most heartwarming for the creator. But we are also the ones who perhaps most often forget to sing praise, or even worse refuse!
Not understanding our relationship to God, we fail to bring the praise we could!
And all that is needed to be people of praise is to look around and see the wonder of all that God has done!
Even a simple Sunday School song, like “Jesus Loves Me This I know!” offers the most basic worship that God craves.
It acknowledges God’s creative power and grace and love, and places us in a relationship that is very much like of the love of a child for a parent!
I don’t know if you have a favorite hymn or song that kind of embodies how you feel about your relationship with God, but it would really be great to find one.
I love “Crown Him with Many Crowns” for a hymn and “Just a Closer Walk with Thee” for a gospel song, but that is just the start of my list!
Having those songs ready to sing at any time is such a joyous way to make clear our relationship with God, and our understanding of who we are and who God is to us.
The Psalmist sings, “Shout praises to the LORD! Shout the LORD's praises in the highest heavens.”
And we can and we should!
It starts with seeing all that God has done and then finding ways to give thanks.
Now perhaps you are not much of a singer.
Then play an instrument! Back in King David’s day there were harpists, and drummers, and even cymbal players. For so many of our praise choruses, a drum set would add so much!
But there are so many others ways to express praise. Art, dance, poetry, even stories about what has happened.
The church often calls those “testimonials” and then scares everybody off, but all they really are is stories about what happened, what you saw, heard, felt, tasted, smelled, that made it clear to you that God was providing for you and for others.
And then in your unique way - you can get your praise on!
And while some parts of the church may make praise seem like a big, wild, crazy thing - praise can also be deep, and quiet, and very powerful.
While you can express your love for another by spreading rose petals all through the house to a bathtub filled with bubble bath and surrounded by candles…
You can also get your wife a teddy bear that says on it, “I love you more – I win!” Just saying!
Every time you choose to come to worship, every time you choose to pray, every time you choose to use your resources – energy, intelligence, imagination, and love – to make a difference – you are praising God!
Everyone who chooses to teach Sunday School!
Everyone who chooses to sing in the choir, or ring those tone chimes, or bake cookies for the Kafe, or choose to go and help a neighbor, a friend, a family member, is praising the God who gave them the ability to not only recognize the need, but to respond!
Everyone who shows up to unload the trucks for the Food Pantry, or helps our struggling neighbors with food is praising God.
But do know…
Making a point to say, “Lord, I do this as an act of praise!” just doubles the value!
Not because God doesn’t know your motivation, God knows you very well! But because it connects you with the God who loves you!
Tying your five-year-old’s shoelaces is act an of deep love!
But telling your child that you are tying their shoelaces because of how much you love them is another level!
Praise is powerful!
God loves to hear us praise because it connects God’s heart with ours. It is recognition that that the one who loves us - is also loved by us!
Think of the little one who brings mom a handful of yellow dandelions!
Why? Praise!
So what praise are you bringing?
And all of it in Jesus’ name!
Amen.