Sing, Shout, and Roar!
Almighty God,
You sent your Son Jesus Christ to reconcile the world to yourself: We praise and bless you for those whom you have sent in the power of the Spirit to preach the Gospel to all nations. We thank you that in all parts of the earth a community of love has been gathered together by their prayers and labors, and that in every place your servants call upon your Name, for the kingdom and the power and the glory are yours, for ever and ever. Amen.
(Prayer for the Mission of the Church, Book of Common Prayer)
Psalm 98 NRSV
Sing!
Salvation is accomplished!
O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things. His right hand and his holy arm have gotten him victory. The Lord has made known his victory; he has revealed his vindication in the sight of the nations. He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness to the house of Israel. All the ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.
Shout!
Praise to the King!
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises. Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody. With trumpets and the sound of the horn, make a joyful noise before the King, the Lord.
Joyfully roar!
The King will bring righteousness to earth!
Let the sea roar, and all that fills it; the world and those who live in it. Let the floods clap their hands; let the hills sing together for joy at the presence of the Lord, for he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with equity.
God [has done] great deeds for the sake of his people as a whole. He provides protection from their enemies and creates the conditions in which faithfulness can flourish. God has done these great deeds to the house of Israel, but the benefit is not limited to them: All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. What God has done for Israel (vv. 1–3) is for the sake of bringing the light to the whole world. [An] invitation is extended to the human inhabitants of the world (the world and those who dwell in it) [and includes] even the sea and all that fills it, the rivers, and the hills. The entire creation, human and otherwise, can rejoice at the prospect of God’s just rule.[1]
Cantate Domino
If you have found this meditation helpful, take a moment and give thanks to God. Then share what you learned with a friend. This is how the grace of God spreads (2 Corinthians 4.15).
[1] J. I. Packer, Wayne Grudem, and Ajith Fernando, eds., ESV Global Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 806.
