Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, ELW 858
1 Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise him, for he is your health and salvation!
Let all who hear now to his temple draw near, joining in glad adoration!
2 Praise to the Lord, who e'er all things is wondrously reigning and, as on wings of an eagle, uplifting, sustaining.
Have you not seen all that is needful has been sent by his gracious ordaining?
3 Praise to the Lord, who will prosper your work and defend you; surely his goodness and mercy shall daily attend you.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do if with his love he befriend you.
4 Praise to the Lord!
Oh, let all that is in me adore him!
All that has life and breath, come now with praises before him!
Let the amen sound from his people again.
Gladly forever adore him!
Devotion
This hymn is a magnificent call to worship. When I was a teenager, my congregation celebrated its 50th anniversary. Even though we had a very large facility and sanctuary, there was no way we could all fit for one celebratory worship service. A local high school gymnasium was selected as the site. Our four choirs processed that morning, and several thousand joined in singing, "praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation." I think it was as I heard the line, "...now to his temple draw near..." that it occurred to me, even as we were in a gym, we were entering into God's real presence. And God's temple was alive.
I think of those who say that they can better worship God out in nature than they can at church. While that might be a connection for some, this hymn points us to what is really important for creating an atmosphere of worship: "praise to the Lord." As we call upon the name of the Lord, the woods, the beach, the sanctuary, or even the gym becomes the temple to which we draw near to come into the Lord's presence.
Prayer
We praise you, Lord God, and ask you to be present, always, among us. Remind and assure us that, wherever two or three are gathered in your name, you will be present. Amen.