Tuesday, April 9, 2024  

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Today's Hymn
“When Morning Gilds the Skies”

Let earth’s wide circle round
in joyful notes resound:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Let air and sea and sky
from depth to height reply:
may Jesus Christ be praised!

Be this, while life is mine,
my canticle divine:
may Jesus Christ be praised!
Be this the eternal song
through all the ages long:
may Jesus Christ be praised!

translated by Edward Caswall
Hymn 667, Glory to God
verse 3–4

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Reflection

If we want to emphasize the importance of a situation, we call in natural forces. It is not enough to say that everything or everyone is responding. Instead we call forth air, sea, and sky. We say something is true throughout the whole earth and not just our corner of it. Maybe it lends credence to the power of the moment. It certainly seems that nature praising Jesus is beyond what I can offer all by myself.

And yet I think my life lived in praise is more powerful than what any mountain can mutter or what the sky can spew. Oh, I don’t think I’m that important. However, my actions have an impact on those around me. Perhaps if I join together with other people living lives of praise, we can bring about God’s dream for the world. When collectively we live in a way that honors the sacredness of the earth, it can be a force for good.

Frankly that’s a better story than the opposite narrative. If the sea and sky and air can praise Jesus, does that mean hurricanes, floods, mudslides, and tornados are somehow expressing dissatisfaction? There is no scientific basis for that, and I am weary of religious folks blaming God for natural disasters.

So, while I am living I will wholeheartedly and imperfectly let my life be lived in praise to the one who lived out love. I will relish the exhilaration of natural wonders. And when nature creates calamities, I will remind folks that God surrounds us with love and doesn’t punish with natural disasters. For that, I am grateful and offer exuberant praise.

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Prayer
God of sunsets and slushy streets, of gentle breezes and gale-force winds, give us strength and creativity to live lives of praise to you. That means paying attention to the ones created in your image. Amen.

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Written by Andrea Denney, Executive Director of Operational Ministries

Reflection and Prayer © Fourth Presbyterian Church

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