Clergy/Leaders’ Mail-list No. 3-038 Sunday 23 Feb 2003

Reading: Psalm 148 – CREATION PRAISE

What are some of the most wonderful sights that you have ever seen ? Thank God for them.

Creation’s orchestra has two sections, ‘from the heavens’ (vs 1-6) and ‘from the earth’ (vs 7-14), but they play the same piece of music: ‘praise the name of the Lord’ (vs 5,13). This is God’s special covenant-name by which he has revealed himself to his people. We worship a God whose name we know. Angels, sun, moon and stars are thus demoted to their proper position – splendid, created signposts, pointing to the glory of their Creator.

Part two of the psalm is somewhat subversive of popular, romantic views of nature: does this also mean that typhoons and tsunamis, crocodiles and bluebottles and mosquitoes and cockroaches are called to praise the Lord, and if so, in what sense? If we find this difficult, we might ponder the fact that the psalmist was much less protected against natural disasters than we are, and that he lived before anaesthetics and antibiotics.

The psalm also subverts social and spiritual snobbery too. VIPs are called to worship, but Very Unimportant People are also summoned; young and old; boys and girls; all are called; special priests and choirs are nowhere to be seen.

Simply by existing, nature offers its praise to God (v 5).(Ps 19:1,2) The foundations of modern science are based on the belief that nature is orderly (‘a decree’, v 6) and predictable. Our human section of the orchestra offers deeper, articulate praise – for we know God savingly, as one who raises up for us a mighty Saviour, ‘a horn of salvation’ (Luke 1:69), and as one who has drawn us close to himself to his heart (v 14b). Hallelujah!

Use a favourite song to sing a song of creation praise to our Lord. Or write your own song.

– Howard Peskett

Copyright Scripture Union, 2003

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