Sunday, August 10, 2014
Psalm 66 - “Make a joyful noise!”
Today’s reading, a Psalm, is a reminder that our praying, worshipping, religiosity, spirituality, is not just for ourselves. It’s not all about a one-way line to God. An important facet to our faith is its communal nature -- and I’d suggest that a lot of society’s favour of ‘spirituality’ over ‘religion’ is because we are a highly narcissistic and individualistic people, and spirituality seems to be interpreted as a safe, personal possession of the individual. For me, the communal aspect of our faith is important. Yes, it can get messy. But the people we pray with (and argue with) are often the people who will be there when we need them: checking up on us when we’re sick, or giving us words of encouragement in difficult times.
In praising God we not only give thanks to God (vertically, if you will), but we also remind ourselves of God’s power and mercy. We also express that message to others (horizontally), who need to hear the Christian message of hope.
We are fortunate to live in a place where we can gather and pray in safety. May we, like the Psalmist, truly cherish our times of gathering and praise, this day and beyond!
- Matthew Kieswetter
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