“Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord!”  Psalm 150:6  

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice!”  Philippians 4:4  

We spent last week on the North Shore of Lake Superior.  Leave chores and cares behind and take time for praise and thanksgiving.

Psalm 150 is a lovely song.  “Praise [God] in his mighty firmament!”  The earth is God’s sanctuary where we worship, wonder and marvel at sights, sounds and smells.  All creatures – we – praise God with instruments of all kinds.  Everything that breathes joins in the song – whales and birds; ancient tortoises and newborn babies; us; in exotic places, in our own backyards – from early morning when birds sound reveille until dusk when crickets call taps.  

A sanctuary is also a place of protection and God left it under our watch.  If it is worthy of praise, it is worthy of care and preservation.  Writer Robert Fulghum reminds us of what we were supposed to learn in kindergarten:  that we should put things back where we found them and clean up our own messes.  It seems many were sleeping during the lesson.  We see grim pictures of messes we have made and don’t know how to fix.  Resources are extracted without regard for future generations.  We want the latest model and discard what is still useful. We know that Nature is not always friendly.  Forces we cannot control are in motion.  We ask God to give us energy to help those picking up the pieces; wisdom and an unselfish attitude in managing earth’s resources; and we praise God for all that is lovely and good.  

King of Creation, for the beauty of the earth and sea and skies, for the beauty of each hour, for the joy of human love, for each perfect gift you have given, “Lord of all to thee we raise, this, our joyful hymn of praise.”  Amen  

Verla Olson 

Ministries
Teaching Mission Party