The Reason for Praise
Reflecting on The Reign of Christ: One Day after Sunday (Year C)
Scripture (semicontinuous)
Psalter: Psalm 117
Old Testament: Jeremiah 30:1-17
Epistle: Revelation 21:5-27
Scripture (complementary)
Psalter: Psalm 24
Old Testament: Jeremiah 46:18-28
Epistle: Revelation 21:5-27
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Prayer
Shepherd of Israel, hear our prayer as your Son heard the plea of the criminal crucified with him. Gather into Christ's holy reign the broken, the sorrowing, and the sinner, that all may know wholeness, joy, and forgiveness. Amen.
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Reflection
Praise the Lord, all you nations!
Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord! (Psalm 117).
Has anyone ever asked why you were a Christian? How did you answer?
While I was in college, an acquaintance asked why I was majoring in Religious Studies. This person knew me before I had my “conversion” experience and couldn’t understand why I would spend all this money and time learning about God. My answer was honest, but, to him, obtuse. I said, “I know there was love out there. I want to study love.” Of course, God is love.
Why do we believe? Why do we praise a God many people ignore? Psalm 117 gives us an answer. This simple psalm contained three parts: 1) a universal exhortation to praise YHWH (117:1), the reason to praise God in his covenant (his steadfast love and his fidelity; 117:2a), 3) a short doxology (117:2b). The psalm formed an “A-B-A” structure that highlighted God's attitude toward and activity among his people. In other words, we should believe in God and praise him for what he does for us!
I studied and continue to study about God because I experienced him and I know he loves me. That reason has stood over the centuries as a primary impetus for praise. I have faith, not because of what I can do for him, but because of what he does for me, day after day. That is reason enough to be a Christian.
Point to experiences of God's love in your life. How has his love sustained you and brought you closer to him?
PRAYER: As the shepherd who cares for the flock, O God, you guide all things through Jesus whom you have exalted over all creation as king. Hear the prayers we offer in his name for the creation he cherished and that you entrust to us. Look upon your people who rejoice in your justice and mercy, and grant that the prayers we make may reveal Christ's reign in our time. Amen.
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More from Word-Sunday can be found here.