A JOYFUL NOISE (Week 7)
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Be joyful in the Lord, all you lands; serve the Lord with gladness and come before his presence with a song. Know this: The Lord himself is God; he himself has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his Name. For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his faithfulness endures from age to age. -- Book of Common Prayer (BCP) Psalter
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise; give thanks to him and call upon his Name.
Romans 8:5-7 ESV: 5 For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. 6 For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. 7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot.
Thanksgiving is not just some exercise that helps us feel better about God. It is an attitude paving the very pathway of coming closer to God.
Praise moves us from gratitude to the awe-inspiring realization and expression that God is the only One has granted us the life for which we are now grateful.
Praise is not reserved for a group, but for an individual. When we begin to praise, we acknowledge and focus on the seat God alone occupies.
Nehemiah 9:6 NIV: You alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.
Psalm 4:8 NIV: In peace I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety.
Psalm 71:16 NIV: I will come and proclaim your mighty acts, Sovereign Lord; I will proclaim your righteous deeds, yours alone.
"Worship is not a feeling. Worship is an act, and this takes discipline. We are to worship 'in spirit and in truth.' Never mind about the feelings. We are to worship in spite of them." –Henri Nouwen
"The great mystery is that the Lord is hidden in the simplest of things, in a piece of bread, in a cup of wine, in a stranger on the road, in a child, in a broken body. The challenge is to see and praise the Lord in these simple things." –Henri Nouwen
… give thanks to him and call upon his Name
When we recognize and remember who He alone is and what He alone has done, we remember His character and push past the fake firewall that keeps us from calling upon His name in the way He desires.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen. –Book of Common Prayer
