Psalm Meditation 1280 ¶First Sunday After Christmas ¶December 29, 2024 ¶Psalm 148 https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+148&version=NRSVUE (NRSVUE) ¶The older I get, the more of a monotheist I am becoming. Not that my God is the only one and all the rest are pretenders, rather that there is only one God who is richer, fuller, and deeper than we can comprehend. Each religious tradition has picked up on characteristics of that one God, given him/her/it a name/names that fit for that tradition. As we gather for worship, we offer our praise to the one God in the name and style that fits for us and our group. In whatever way we hold things sacred, we lift up our thanks and praise. ¶When the psalmist calls for each of the parts of Creation to lift up and honor Yahweh, it is an invitation to praise the one God in a way that is fulfilling for each creature lifted up. The sun, moon, and stars praise God by continuing the tasks for which they were each created; sea monsters, deeps, fire, hail, snow, frost, and winds offer praise in ways that work together with the one God for the sake of all of Creation. ¶If you agree with me, have a more traditional view of God, or go a totally different direction in your working definition of God, we can each offer thanks and praise for the way the world, the universe around us, works together for the benefit of such a variety of people, animals, things, and ephemera. Despite any attempts to thwart the process of Creation by any number of influences, we can see the resilient power of God in and through all Creation — and that gives us reason to offer our praise. ¶December 23, 2024 ¶LCM