Proper 5
Worship
Aids To The Psalms
Praise the Lord!
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
Alternate Image
Hallel, hallel, hallel. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Praise, praise, praise. The Singer rests in the Garden of Gethsemane. He looks up and sees Jesus and the disciples coming into the garden. Jesus tells them, "Let us sing Psalm 113." The Singer joins their singing. It seems so very appropriate for them, God's servants, to sing God's praises; the Hallels roll easily over their tongues. The Singer considers how far away, how different, how awesome God is. Then, the Singer looks at Jesus, so close, so human, so touchable. God is right here in our midst. Amazing. "Hallel, hallelujah, praise be to God!"
Reflection
Hallel is a Hebrew word meaning to praise or boast. When we boast about ourselves, our family, our community, our country, and the like, our pride swells. It is easy for us to get puffed up with our own importance. It is easy for our pride to make us feel superior to others. Pride can make it hard for us to do things we consider beneath our dignity. For example, we may complain about foreign workers in the labor force, but they generally do the menial work most of us don't want to do; but it's okay for them. Pride can easily build separations between people. The most praised being is God. How does God react to our praise? God came down to us as a little baby, to a poor, youthful and unmarried couple in an underdeveloped nation. Jesus was a scholar but spoke the language of the common folk; those who wrote about his life and mission did not use classical Greek but street language Greek. Jesus related to social outcasts and was upset by those who exalted themselves. Why did God do that? Because God loves us.
Praise, O servants of the Lord;
praise the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord
from this time on and forevermore.
From the rising of the sun to its setting
the name of the Lord is to be praised.
The Lord is high above all nations,
and his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God,
who is seated on high,
who looks far down
on the heavens and the earth?
He raises the poor from the dust,
and lifts the needy from the ash heap,
to make them sit with princes,
with the princes of his people.
He gives the barren woman a home,
making her the joyous mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
Alternate Image
Hallel, hallel, hallel. Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah. Praise, praise, praise. The Singer rests in the Garden of Gethsemane. He looks up and sees Jesus and the disciples coming into the garden. Jesus tells them, "Let us sing Psalm 113." The Singer joins their singing. It seems so very appropriate for them, God's servants, to sing God's praises; the Hallels roll easily over their tongues. The Singer considers how far away, how different, how awesome God is. Then, the Singer looks at Jesus, so close, so human, so touchable. God is right here in our midst. Amazing. "Hallel, hallelujah, praise be to God!"
Reflection
Hallel is a Hebrew word meaning to praise or boast. When we boast about ourselves, our family, our community, our country, and the like, our pride swells. It is easy for us to get puffed up with our own importance. It is easy for our pride to make us feel superior to others. Pride can make it hard for us to do things we consider beneath our dignity. For example, we may complain about foreign workers in the labor force, but they generally do the menial work most of us don't want to do; but it's okay for them. Pride can easily build separations between people. The most praised being is God. How does God react to our praise? God came down to us as a little baby, to a poor, youthful and unmarried couple in an underdeveloped nation. Jesus was a scholar but spoke the language of the common folk; those who wrote about his life and mission did not use classical Greek but street language Greek. Jesus related to social outcasts and was upset by those who exalted themselves. Why did God do that? Because God loves us.
