Monday 29 October 2018

Background

There is a whole lot of praise and knowledge of God packed into this small Psalm. From the all-embracing “all you peoples” and “all you nations”, the call to praise is one that encompasses more than the people of the local gathering for worship. Why then does the cry of praise belong to everyone? Verse 2 is a declaratory phrase pointing to the great panorama of God’s covenant relationship in all its stories and detail. Those who know have stories to tell, names for God that speak of the character and love of the One and they will share Good News of God’s activity as Creator, Deliverer, Rescuer, Rock, Saviour, Lord, King …

The psalmist requires us to remember and respond. In our praises we recall not only what is written in the Bible, but also the stories of God’s faithfulness and care down the generations – the biographies of Gladys Aylward, Corrie Ten Boom, Darlene Deibler Rose, Mrs Estill (my own Sunday School teacher way-back-when) and the stories from your fellowship group speaking of faith and a faithful God. We praise God as we remember our common history as Methodist people and as people who belong to local churches that have borne and continue to bear witness to God’s great love, kindness and faithfulness. This is not remote and historical but is local and current. Psalm 117 is an imperative call to the people who belong: “Praise the Lord!”

To Ponder

• What is your favourite Christian biography – or whose story have you always wanted to read? How does that person inspire you to prayer and praise?
• Mull over your own story of God’s faithfulness, thinking about how that great love continues to be shown in the life and love of your local church and fellowship group.