scripture and prayer reflection
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Lyrics
All creatures of our God and King
Lift up your voice and with us sing
Oh praise Him, alleluia!
Thou burning sun with golden beam
Thou silver moon with softer gleam
Oh praise Him, oh praise Him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Thou rushing wind that art so strong
Ye clouds that sail in heaven along
Oh praise Him, alleluia!
Thou rising moon, in praise rejoice
Ye lights of evening, find a voice
Oh praise Him, oh praise Him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Let all things their Creator bless
And worship Him in humbleness
Oh praise Him, alleluia!
Praise, praise the Father, praise the Son
And praise the Spirit, three in one
Oh praise Him, oh praise Him
Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia!
Alleluia
Psalm 148:1-14
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his hosts!
3 Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!
5 Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For he commanded and they were created.
6 And he established them forever and ever;
he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.
7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you great sea creatures and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling his word!
9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and flying birds!
11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
old men and children!
13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his saints,
for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!
Psalm 8:1-4
1 O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babies and infants,
you have established strength because of your foes,
to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Reflection
The 2013 version of The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a movie that is arguably all about beauty, about something being worth pursuing for its own sake. When something is truly beautiful, it pulls on something in us, moving us. As the movie progresses, we see Walter’s world open up as he realizes that life is full of beautiful things all of the time, they just “don’t ask for attention”. Out of familiarity we pass them by on a daily basis without noticing. It takes attentive eyes to see them for what they are, and to value them accordingly.
The beauty found in creation is an invitation, directing our hearts to the praise of God. Indeed, many people find that their hearts more easily tend toward praising God when in the mountains, at the beach, or in other beautiful natural surroundings. As their eyes feast on the beauty around them, they become more attentive to its source. But even when we are just going about our everyday lives, even in the mundane we are surrounded by the glory of God’s creation in the smallest and most familiar of things.
I live in Southern California, where sunny weather is the norm. We take it for granted, and even complain about it at times. It wasn’t until I lived for a year overseas and experienced 5 straight months of solidly overcast skies that I gained an appreciation for how beautiful sunshine could be. Even on the hottest of summer days, sunshine is an invitation to praise God. Leaves rustling in the wind are an invitation. The proper functioning of our incredibly intricate and complicated bodies is an invitation. Our pets are an invitation. Beauty is everywhere, ready to be discovered, waiting for us to notice. And all of it points to our Creator, reflecting His creativity and power in its vast scope and minute detail.
Take time to reflect on your own life. What setting naturally draws your heart to praise God? What is around you now that might also be a reflection of God’s creativity? What do you easily overlook or take for granted? Consider taking a walk today, being attentive to your surroundings and letting them direct you to praise. Talk with God about what comes up.