Stewardship Series Week 3 - October 25, 2020

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Psalm 98

This series has been grounded in the psalms. They cover a broad range of topics from lament, to blessings, to searching for God. In the first week of our series, we focused on the 23rd Psalm and God as our shepherd. We were invited to imagine the “pastures” of the middle east, not as acres of green alfalfa, but as tufts of grass that grow from the water of the morning dew and to know that sometimes God’s provision can be hard to spot….it isn’t always acres and acres, sometimes it’s just enough for today.

The second week we heard a call to act for justice and were invited to think about our relationships before our doing. We were called to learn

names and listen to stories before we try and fix people, their problems, or throw money at an issue.

Today, we hear a psalm of praise. It’s a song of rejoicing for all that God has done and is going to do. To sing God’s praise almost beckons us to look around and see what God is doing in our midst. Listen again to the words of the Psalm this time from The Message translation:

Sing to God a brand-new song.
[God’s] made a world of wonders!
[God] rolled up his sleeves,
[God] set things right.
2
God made history with salvation,
[God] showed the world what [God] could do.
3
[God] remembered to love us, a bonus
To [God’s] dear family, Israel—indefatigable love.
The whole earth comes to attention.
Look—God’s work of salvation!
4
Shout your praises to God, everybody!
Let loose and sing! Strike up the band!
5
Round up an orchestra to play for God,
Add on a hundred-voice choir.
6
Feature trumpets and big trombones,
Fill the air with praises to ... God.
7
Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause,
With everything living on earth joining in.
8
Let ocean breakers call out, “Encore!”
And mountains harmonize the finale—
9
A tribute to God when [God] comes,
When [God] comes to set the earth right.
[God’ll] straighten out the whole world,
[God’ll] put the world right and everyone in it.

Hopefully, the words of the psalmist are a reminder to never forget what God has done. God has created the heavens and the earth, God has restored us in relationship, God has redeemed us from our sins. God loves us always and everywhere. Those things never change. They are always true. They’re so constant that it might be easy for us to take them for granted, but the Psalmist says, “Hey, look! Pay attention!”

And God’s work is so impressive that even the earth and creation sing praises!
-the sea and the fish
-the ocean waves
-the mountains and all creation

And us!! We sing out in praise too!
-with our voices
-with trumpets
-and trombones
-with choirs, orchestras, and bands

We sing praise to God because God has done great things! Even when we face life’s challenges--God’s works remain. God has created. God has saved. God has redeemed. God has loved. Nothing can change those truths. Nothing can undo those great deeds. And so we praise God--for what God has done and what God will do. Because we know that God’s not done. God hasn’t given up. God hasn’t quite. God is still in the business of creating, saving, redeeming, and loving. So we sing, we shout, we clap, we play for God has done marvelous things again and again.
Amen and amen.