I will lift you up high, my God, the true king. I will bless your name forever and always. I will bless you every day. I will praise your name forever and always .The Lord is great and so worthy of praise! God’s greatness can’t be grasped. One generation will praise your works to the next one, proclaiming your mighty acts.
Psalm 145:1-4, Common English Bible
Psalm 145 is a Psalm of praise, attributed to David whose reign flourished in 1000 BCE. I often forget how ancient the Psalms are. I have recently learned that the name David can be translated as Beloved. That means that we could all address one another as David, but then, that would quickly get confusing. Still, I love the idea of everyone going about their day, addressing all they meet as a Beloved One. We can, at least, do that in our hearts.
In the United Church of Christ, there is not much royalty language in our current liturgy. Some of this is probably because we are deeply rooted in the Congregationalists who fled to this country to flee the reign of English royalty. It is also a reflection of UCC’s commitment to inclusive language. However, if King David, or someone in his court, did write this Psalm, he is expressing humility as he refers to God as the true king, the One that he serves. The One to whom all creation must bow. Hopefully, not out of fear, but because God is so completely beyond our comprehension. No human can understand God, but David, the beloved one, is right. We do continue to praise God generation after generation. I am grateful.
How do we praise God? We can do so through gratitude, daily devotions, and caring for God’s creation. Our praise includes being attentive to one another because no matter how far we might go astray, there is no one who is not one of God’s beloved.
Let us care. Let us serve Let us praise.
Blessings,
Rev. Sue Ann