Easter
Worship
Aids To The Psalms
The Lord is my strength and my might;
he has become my salvation.
There are glad songs of victory
in the tents of the righteous:
"The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly."
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has punished me severely,
but he did not give me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of othe Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I think you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builder rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Alternate Image
The Singer has been on death row. The charges were true, the trial fair, the jury just. It is the law of the land and the Singer has no complaint. Abruptly the cell doors burst open and a choir of righteous folk come into the prison singing. They cheer for the Singer. They say he is free. They say he is innocent. In his confusion the Singer protests he is guilty. They insist he isn't. They maintain that his past offenses have been forgiven and forgotten; he is truly innocent. They are passionate and sincere in their bizarre claim. Dramatically the cornerstone of the prison disintegrates and the building crumbles in dust around them. A new building emerges from the debris with its cornerstone a book that most have rejected. The Singer joins the choir of righteous folk, his voice blends perfectly with theirs. Together they sing their joy of the day that their Lord has given them.
Reflection
Do the righteous of our culture celebrate the freeing or incarceration of a convicted person? It is easy for us in our self-righteousness to condemn those whose actions we disapprove of or we don't understand. To make ourselves appear good and ascribe all evil to them and applaud their judgment peril. God makes it possible for us to celebrate the regeneration of people of evil. Indeed it is God who makes us righteous through Christ. This is nothing we have done. This is what God has done to make us right with God. This is the absurdity and joy of an empty cross. This is the day the Lord has acted, let us be glad and rejoice in it.
he has become my salvation.
There are glad songs of victory
in the tents of the righteous:
"The right hand of the Lord does valiantly;
the right hand of the Lord is exalted;
the right hand of the Lord does valiantly."
I shall not die, but I shall live,
and recount the deeds of the Lord.
The Lord has punished me severely,
but he did not give me over to death.
Open to me the gates of righteousness,
that I may enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of the Lord;
the righteous shall enter through them
and give thanks to the Lord.
This is the gate of othe Lord;
the righteous shall enter through it.
I think you that you have answered me
and have become my salvation.
The stone that the builder rejected
has become the chief cornerstone.
This is the Lord's doing;
it is marvelous in our eyes.
This is the day that the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
Alternate Image
The Singer has been on death row. The charges were true, the trial fair, the jury just. It is the law of the land and the Singer has no complaint. Abruptly the cell doors burst open and a choir of righteous folk come into the prison singing. They cheer for the Singer. They say he is free. They say he is innocent. In his confusion the Singer protests he is guilty. They insist he isn't. They maintain that his past offenses have been forgiven and forgotten; he is truly innocent. They are passionate and sincere in their bizarre claim. Dramatically the cornerstone of the prison disintegrates and the building crumbles in dust around them. A new building emerges from the debris with its cornerstone a book that most have rejected. The Singer joins the choir of righteous folk, his voice blends perfectly with theirs. Together they sing their joy of the day that their Lord has given them.
Reflection
Do the righteous of our culture celebrate the freeing or incarceration of a convicted person? It is easy for us in our self-righteousness to condemn those whose actions we disapprove of or we don't understand. To make ourselves appear good and ascribe all evil to them and applaud their judgment peril. God makes it possible for us to celebrate the regeneration of people of evil. Indeed it is God who makes us righteous through Christ. This is nothing we have done. This is what God has done to make us right with God. This is the absurdity and joy of an empty cross. This is the day the Lord has acted, let us be glad and rejoice in it.
