Pentecost 22 Sermon: Praise the Lord!

Preached on Psalm 148
22nd Sunday After Pentecost — Proper 27C
10 November AD 2019

Title: Click to hear the MP3 of Praise the Lord!

Summary: We usually think of praise as the conscious action of thinking beings. We might go so far as to include “higher” animals as capable of some sort of praise. This is particularly likely when we look at domestic animals, particularly our pets. We want to believe that they appreciate us and desire to show their love.

However, we rarely give thought to the idea that inanimate objects can actively praise someone. How can a star or a planet, a mountain, a snow storm, or a tree give praise? Yet that’s the picture painted by the psalmist.

By its very nature, the entire creation praises the Lord simply because it was made by Him. Perhaps under divine encouragement, even that which lacks sentience can actively praise God — after all, Jesus said just before the events of today’s Gospel that if the people’s voices were stilled on Palm Sunday, “the very stones would cry out. (Luke 19:40)”

We Christians especially praise Him because we are remade by Him as His redeemed children. Because of our faith in Christ, He now praises us as His holy people.

Text:

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the heavens;
  praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
  praise him, all his hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon,
  praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
  and you waters above the heavens!
Let them praise the name of the Lord!
  For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them forever and ever;
  he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
  you great sea creatures and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
  stormy wind fulfilling his word!
Mountains and all hills,
  fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all livestock,
  creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
  princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens together,
  old men and children!
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
  for his name alone is exalted;
  his majesty is above earth and heaven.

He has raised up a horn for his people,
  praise for all his saints,
  for the people of Israel who are near to him.

Praise the Lord! Psalm 148

Scripture quoted from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®, © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Audio: Click to hear the MP3 of Praise the Lord!

NB: A few people have had problems trying to play the inline audio with Windows Media Player. If this occurs, you can either change to QuickTime or another default browser player, copy and paste the link directly into a selected player, or download it to your computer, where it seems to work regardless of which player. Several folks have suggested VLC Player from VideoLAN.

Other Readings: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 13-17; Luke 20:27-40