Everybody
Scripture Reading — Psalm 150
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
Psalm 150:6
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I like to walk into our church’s sanctuary on weekday mornings. The memories of the previous Sunday are still fresh while plans for the Sunday ahead are taking shape. The big room is absolutely quiet. Hundreds of chairs are all empty and neat. The piano sits with its dust cover on, and the pulpit has nothing on it but a closed songbook.
I remember the people I saw the Sunday before. Some are grappling with great grief. Others are enjoying the best times of their lives. Some are living close to God. Some don’t feel very close to God at all. Still others aren’t concerned one way or another.
But all are called to praise. Just like the various instruments named in Psalm 150, the various people in our congregation, with their various situations in life, are all called to bring to the
Lord the most powerful praise they can muster.
And, wonderfully, in that praise, stubborn hearts can be softened to God’s grace and distant hearts can be brought closer to God.
Today is Sunday, and God’s people will assemble again. They’ll make some noise as they meet and greet each other, and they’ll make some noise during worship. And it will be wonderful, because all of it belongs to God!
All our praise is yours, O Lord! May you be praised everywhere today, as your church gathers to do what no other institution or body on earth can do— worship you. Amen.
About the author — Dave Den Haan
Dave Den Haan is an ordained minister who works for Thrive, the Christian Reformed Church in North America agency that equips and encourages congregations. His main focus is to serve churches experiencing conflict and challenge. Before working with Thrive, Dave served as a pastor to two congregations, one in Minnesota and one in Michigan. He and his wife, Connie, have three married children and two grandchildren.
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