Psalm Meditation 980
Fourth Sunday in Lent
March 31, 2019

Psalm 150
1 Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty firmament!
2 Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his surpassing greatness!
3 Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp!
4 Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe!
5 Praise him with clanging cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
6 Let everything that breathes praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!
(NRSV)

I have been known to skip to the end of a book, to read the last page or so, to see how the whole thing wraps up. Gratefully, it has never ruined a book for me to know how it ends. I rarely do it any more, however I do not fault anyone who reads the end of a book out of sequence. It can add to the interest as those of us who do this get to consider how the events on a given page move us to the end we know is coming. And yes, I can feel the disapproval of several friends and family as they discover this about me. The end of a book can serve to launch the readers into reality with new tools and insights, no matter when and how often that end is read.

This is the end of the Book of Psalms. It ends with a note of praise. The word praise is used thirteen times in six verses. For those who want to know what is important now that this book is at an end, the psalmist encourages us to praise the LORD. Are you having an excellent day? Praise the LORD. Are you having a bad day? Find a reason to praise the LORD. Are you being judged because you disagree with people around you? Praise the LORD because you have been given the ability to think for yourself. Is your life falling apart at the seams, ripping apart in the middle, wearing out at the stress points like a favorite shirt? Praise the LORD that you are not alone, that you are surrounded by people who love you, and that you are held in the loving arms of God.

As we look for reasons to praise we find our hearts and lives lifted to a new appreciation of the good that is present all around us. As we praise the LORD, we make new connections, new links in body mind and spirit, about how God works in the world of which we are a part. The Psalms touch the heights and depths of our emotions in the presence of God and remind us that even if we feel lost and abandoned we are within reach of God who loves us beyond the measure of our comprehension. Praise the LORD.

March 25, 2019
LCM