WEEKEND FEAST LITURGY
Philippians 4:4–7 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Read Psalm 28
2nd Reading: Psalm 29
(Ps 29: 1-2) “Ascribe to the Lord, O heavenly beings, ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.”
In his book “Treasury of David, Charles Spurgeon says that this psalm is meant to be read while sitting in a thunderstorm, listening to howls from heaven. Perhaps he is right, in that the psalm characterizes the voice of God as peals of the thunder. If you have ever been outside while the thunder cracked overtop your head, then you have a sense of the voice of God mentioned in this psalm.
The psalmist draws our attention to the power of God. The images are strong, such as God’s voice breaking cedars, shooting flames of fire, and stripping the forest bare.
The beginning of the psalm calls God’s people to ascribe the glory to God that is due to him, and the end of the psalm images God seated on his throne. For the singer of the psalm, the challenge is this: Do you ascribe God the glory that he is due?
It is a gracious thing that the Lord does not reveal himself to us all at once, lest we be torn apart like the imagery of the forest in the storm. Yet, while God is gracious, we ought not to forget that our God is powerful beyond all measure. It is easy to take for granted his grace and presume upon his gentleness. Where in your life could you do better in ascribing all glory, honor, and power to the Lord of heaven of earth?
PREPARE FOR WORSHIP TOMORROW
Consider inviting someone from Church over on Saturday. If you partake of a meal together, share things about gathered worship that you look forward to. Specifically:
- Where do you see shalom, or “peace”, within your gathered community?
- What makes you glad to gather in worship?
- How can you highlight these things?