Psalm 66:1-5
Puritans in the 16th and 17th centuries were so worried about Roman Catholic influence that they removed from their places of worship almost anything that could serve as an idol. They feared that ornamentation of any kind could distract the mind and heart from God’s word. Statues, stained glass, even crosses were left out of churches in favor of a lectern and a bible. Only scripture mattered as God’s voice in the world.
Psalm 66 seems to offer a different view in proclaiming that “all the earth” both praises God and is a reflection of God’s power and goodness.
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth; sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise. Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds! Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you. All the earth worships you; they sing praises to you, sing praises to your name.” Selah Come and see what God has done: he is awesome in his deeds among mortals. Psalm 66:1-5 (NRSVUE)
If “all the earth” can reveal God to us, then the sacred is all around all of the time. We simply need to open our eyes and our minds to it.
Sometimes my wife and I look out the window at the birds who swoop back and forth from our feeder. (We’re coming to terms with being recent empty nesters, and apparently staring out the window helps). Every flight of every bird is a miracle of evolutionary biology and aerodynamics. Every image of those birds is a miracle of optics as the picture is processed through the eye, sent to the brain, and stored in memory. The beauty of that image is appreciated and contemplated because every breath that fueled it represents a miraculous exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
When we “[c]ome and see what God has done”(5) in the grand sweep of the Milky Way or the meandering course of a ladybug, we worship—not in an idolatrous manner, but in a way that recognizes the world and our lives in it as sacred texts.
Questions for Reflection:
- Besides the bible, what are some “texts” you look to for inspiration: nature? art? relationships?
- What “joyful noise” do you make to God? Is it loud or quiet? Is it service, singing, or something else? Is it infused in your life or confined to certain moments? What is your goal for what that “joyful noise” should be?
Prayer:
Lord, you have provided a world that has all we need, and you have given us minds and souls to appreciate its beauty and complexity. Open our hearts to receive it as you have intended, and let our engagement in the world become a continuous act of worship. Amen.
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