Musings and Meditations

Make a joyful noise all the earth.
Worship God in all you do;
Let the song of the Creator resound throughout your life.

Know that God is with you wherever you go.
God calls us in to being and we belong to God.
Throughout our lives we are surrounded by God’s loving embrace.

Share with God your thanksgiving
and honour God with your praise.
Sing God’s praise and offer thanksgiving wherever you go.

For God is good!
God’s steadfast love endures forever,
And God’s love is known in every generation;
past, present, and future!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+100&version=NRSVUE

God is the core of all creation,
let all peoples tremble in awe!
For God moves through the universe
creating order and grace.
God’s greatness shines throughout the earth;
God invites all people into God’s loving embrace.
Let all people praise the One who is Holy Mystery and Wholly love!
Righteous Creator, leader in justice
You call us to create equity;
You judge those standing in the way
and hold them responsible for their action and inaction.

From Moses and Aaron to Samuel,
From Thomas Merton to Henri Nouwen,
From Dorothy Sölle to Walter Brueggemann,
From Marcella Althaus-Reid to Miriam Spies,*
You have called leaders to share your Word.
You speak to them in many different ways
but the message of your love for all remains the same.

When they called out and asked us to see the hurt in the world
You opened our eyes to the need for change.
You forgive those who repented and changed their ways,
And you hold to account those who continue perpetuate hurt.

Give thanks to God for God’s continued presence in our lives,
and worship God in all you do,
for God’s love endures forever!

*I chose theologians that I have encountered in my life, work and studies that came to mind in this moment. Feel free to substitute with names of your own or lengthen or shorten your list. If I was writing this only for myself, I would have added ministers and lay leaders that have guided me on my faith journey. This may be an opportunity to reflect on the people who shaped your faith.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+99&version=NRSVUE

Sing to the Creator a new song,
for all of creation is filled with wonders.
In times of struggle God is with Their* people,
and makes Their* presence known.
God reminds us in the darkest times
that we are not alone,
And gives us the strength to carry on.
God invites all people into the shelter of Their* love.
Throughout the world we can see the courage and strength God offers to people.

Let all the earth sing God’s praises!
Sing praise to God with the twang of a guitar,
with the gentle plucking of harp,
with the powerful wail of the pipes.
With the strum of a ukulele,
and the breath of a flute,
sing out with joy to our Creator!

Let the oceans roll and the winds whisper,
Let the fire crackle and the earth support the rhythm,
In the song of creations;
As the creatures of the sea, land and sky join in the song.
All of creation sings of God’s presence
as God invites us to join the song
and guides all of creation into its rightful place.

*for this Psalm I chose to use the gender neutral pronoun “Their” to refer to God. Feel free to replace the pronouns with God or whatever pronoun(s) you use to refer to God.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+98&version=NRSVUE

Let the earth rejoice and sing praises to the creator.
In the gentle whisper of the wind
and the thunderous roar of a storm
God is there.
In the warmth of a gentle flame,
and in the heat of a forest fire making way for new life,
God is there.
In the trickle of bubbling brook,
and the depths of oceans teaming with life,
God is there.
In the nutrients and life of the soil,
and the stillness and rest of the cold, hard ground in the winter,
God is there.

God’s love reverberates throughout the universe.
Every star in the sky is touched by God’s love.
And yet at times we worship false idols,
putting them before God.
Idols of busyness, idols of wealth, idols of individualism.
But God calls us out… and calls us back.
God reminds us that there is a better way to live;
That we must feel the rhythm of creation,
and remember all things are connected,
before we can truly fill that hollow space inside
and fill it with God’s love.

When you live in God’s love
God helps you to resist evil;
Shows you the path of goodness,
and helps you to put others on that path.
Knowing God fills you life with love;
So sing God’s praises and rejoice
with all of creation!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+97&version=NRSVUE

Sing a song of praise to the Creator;
Let all the earth sing God’s praises!
Sing of the good works God has done;
Share the good news with everyone you meet.
Everywhere you go lift your voice in praise
of our Creator who is Holy Mystery and Wholly Love.
Praise God for the wonders of creation,
And hold a special place for God in your heart.
Praise God the beauty of the earth,
and give thanks for God’s steadfast love.

God has been with all of creation from the very beginning.
Through the generations our understanding of God has shifted
as we learn more about this earth and everything on it
and grow into the Holy Mystery of God,
But through it all God’s love remains.
So praise God the beauty of the earth,
and give thanks for God’s steadfast love.

Share with the world the majesty of God,
And declare God’s good works everywhere you go,
So that all people may know God in their lives.
Open your hearts and your minds
to the Mystery of God
that is held in each piece of creation.
Learn the many names of God
from our siblings from other faith traditions.
Listen to the song of nature
as each rock and tree,
animal and mineral,
and everything in between
sings praises to God.
And join in the song!
So praise God the beauty of the earth,
and give thanks for God’s steadfast love.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+96&version=NRSVUE

Join in a song of praise to our God;
Let us sing for joy for we are grounded in God’s love.
Let us give thanks for the strong roots God has given us,
Let us sing with joy and celebrate God’s goodness.
For God’s goodness knows no bounds;
God’s love reverberates throughout the universe.
God’s presence is felt in the dark depths of the ocean,
and on the highest peak of the tallest mountains.
God’s loving hands for this world for us
and all living things that make up this wonderful world.

Let every creature sing of their adoration of the creator!
Listen to the music of the rocks and trees,
of the wind and rain,
of creatures on land and in the sea,
And join in the song.

Listen for God’s voice leading the song.
Open your hearts and join in singing.
That will not always be easy.
Everyone faces trials and tribulations
that make it hard to resonate with God’s love.
Pain and suffering, grief and loss, generational trauma,
all obscure the rhythm of the Great Song.
Let the music of creation enter into your pain
and help you find healing and rest
in God’s loving embrace.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+95&version=NRSVUE

God where is your righteous anger of days gone by?
Where are you prophets warning of the destruction you will bring?
Who will punish the wicked, the arrogant, the people destroy our planet?

People boast of their wealth;
claiming business acumen,
praising their own brilliance
While their employees,
their tenants,
their customers,
are starving in the street.
When, O God, will you call them to justice?

How can we make them see the impacts of their greed?
How do we help people understand
that when they take too much the whole world suffers?
Who will tell them of the destruction of the earth,
of starvation and suffering of your people?
God you see into our hearts and minds,
but how do we open one another to you?

Following you is a gift, O God!
Following your path and helping those in need where we can
only brings us closer to you and to each other.
There is so much joy being in community,
sharing joys and sorrows, and offering your love to each person we meet.

How do I invite people into that community, O God,
when their life has been defined by selfishness and greed?
When I was lost you reached out and guided me home,
you surrounded me in love and showed me my path.
It breaks my heart do see so many missing out
on that deep relationship I have with you.
I long for the day when all your people will follow their paths
to care for and support one another.
But until then I will find solace in knowing you in my life
and keep looking for the places where you are calling me
to guide people back home to you.

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+94& version=NRSVUE

God is in every atom, in every molecule, in every quark,
In every particle of the universe we have yet to discover.
God is at the foundation of our very being;
a foundation that keeps us grounded and gives us strength.

God, we marvel at the endurance of your creation!
You began creating at the dawn of time,
And yet, there are new things to discover every day
as your creation evolves.
You guide your creation each step of the way;
When wildfires destroy an ecosystem,
You encourage new growth.
When cities and villages are flattened by earthquakes,
You inspire us to rebuild; using new and better technology.
When people are displaced by floods,
You encourage us to work together to care for your people.
God, you are at the root of all creation,
you shape the world to your design,
now and forever.
We give thanks for the many ways you make your presence known to us!

For the original Psalm visit https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm+93&version=NRSV