Advent: The Gift of Praise...

Week Three: Gifts of Faith Community...

For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who is not partial and takes no bribe, who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall fear the LORD your God; him alone shall you worship; to him you shall hold fast, and by his name you shall swear. He is your praise; he is your God, who has done for you these great and awesome things that your own eyes have seen.
Deuteronomy 10:17-21

Some gifts we give and receive in congregation. It’s not that we can’t do them on our own, but we don’t tend to. Public witness strengthens our practice when we are in the gathered congregation.

Praising God in the congregation is an expression of worship which “recognizes and acknowledges God as the ultimate source and giver of all good gifts.” We praise, bless, glorify, magnify...part of the language the worshipping community learns to understand as they practice praise.

This praise is a different animal from the praise we give our kids when they accomplish a task or the praise we receive when we do a good job at work. Human praise is tied to accomplishment. Praise of God is tied to who God is.

Praise is a gift we give to God, but in true God fashion, it gifts us right back. Praising God recognizes God as the ultimate source and giver of all good gifts. Our fatigue too often comes from our attempt to play God, to be the greatest employee, the most magnificent parent, the most perfect friend. We work non-stop, are tethered to others through electronics 24/7/365, are constantly comparing ourselves and our lives to what we see in others...our attempt to earn that human praise that elevates us closer to god-status.

And then, in worship, we praise. We use language and music that acknowledges God as ultimate source. And I, for one, breathe. It’s not me in charge of creating perfect children, God is the source and giver of that beautiful gift. My home, large or small, is a gift. My job, my talents, my everything is from God.

Praise is perspective. God is God. I am creature, beloved by God. Probably can’t make a Martha Stewart living off that premise, but there’s where I want to live. I want my worth dependent on who God is, not on who I am (cause you should see my garage...ugh....) Congregational praise is the practice that brings me back, centers me again, and lets me re-enter a crazy world knowing who I am and where I belong.

God, the great and mighty things you have done in calling and claiming us as yours call forth our songs of praise, this and every day. Amen.