“A profound disconnect”
By Rev. Michael Stonhouse
Meditation – Sunday, April 24, 2022
Psalm 150 (Forward, p. 85) CEV p. 646
As I read today’s psalm from the perspective of a staid, generally conservative, relatively unemotional man of English background, I can sparsely imagine public worship anything like that described here. I love gospel and bluegrass music, and certainly like to have music in church that is more upbeat, lively and exciting. Trumpets, various kinds of harps, tambourines, stringed instruments, woodwinds and cymbals all would fit in. Dancing? Liturgical dancing? Well, maybe, occasionally. But shouting? No way. After all, I’m a respectable and sedate Anglican. No, there is a profound disconnect between what people from a culture like mine would consider acceptable, much less respectful and worshipful.
And yet, here in this psalm are people who are obviously excited about their God and who are happy, delighted, to give Him exuberant and over-the-top praise. I would think that some of this has to do with culture, but maybe not totally. (I say this about their culture because, in television coverage from the Middle East at least, the people seem much more spontaneous, much more able, and willing, to express their emotions.)
But, coming back to ourselves, I have to wonder whether we have grown too distant, too removed, from our experiences of what God has done for us. Perhaps such things are too distant, too removed from our present experience. Perhaps then, we need to renew that sense of God’s abiding love, mercy and presence so that we experience this in the here and now. Maybe we need to seek God more intently, listen to Him, and do as He says by stepping out in risky faith. Perhaps then we will experience some of those miraculous provisions of God that our psalmist was so exuberant about and want to praise Him with a little less reserve. Perhaps then there would not be such a profound disconnect between their experience and ours. Amen.
Forward notes: “Praise him with timbrel and dance; praise him with strings and pipe” (verse 4).
“Psalm 150 makes me want to start singing and dancing! It brings to mind lyrics of some of my favourite songs. I have sung their words enough times that I suspect they will remain with me into old age even as other memories fade and faculties fail. I also imagine that my heart and soul will remember how it felt to sing these songs: to recall the feeling of deep prayer and devotion as I asked God to prepare me to be a sanctuary or to experience an overwhelming joy that caused me to lift my hands and sing, ‘Hallelujah.’ In these songs, I remember that being alive in this world means I am in the sanctuary, the holy temple of the Lord.
“I listen to Christian music almost every day. It helps me to witness more of the good in the world around me. It helps me to remember and hold onto God during the rough times. It ties the good, the rough, and all the in-between together into a single redemptive story about God’s love for me and the world.”
MOVING FORWARD: “What songs have left an indelible impression on your heart and soul? Play them today.”