“I will praise God’s name in song and glorify Him in thanksgiving.” (Psalm 69:13 NIV)
It’s Sunday morning and that means it’s time to sing. Aloud. With others. In church. What a privilege it is to pull close to the throne, especially with fellow believers.
I’m praying we extricate ourselves from this pandemic more thankful for public assembly than ever before. Church attendance has been on the decline for decades and in our current Co-Vid reality, it’s been renamed as of of the riskiest behaviors we can participate in. Step aside sky-diving and Okie-noodling, church-going takes the prize for hazardous pastimes. It’s laughable, but also understandable when we consider the science behind this highly contagious virus.
I keep thinking of Laura Ingalls Wilder books. In all their covered wagon trails across pioneer America, Pa was in continual search for church fellowship with and Ma wanted a school for the girls to get an education. Maybe we’ve lived with these two privileges at our fingertips for so long that we’ve lost sight of their extraordinary nature? Corporate worship and public education are two precious tenets of civilized society. Perhaps as the pandemic recedes we’ll return to these institutions with wide-eyed gratitude and enthusiasm?
“Let me shout God’s name with a praising song, let me tell His greatness in a prayer of thanks.” (Psalm 69:30 MSG)
Lord, we are so grateful when we get to gather and sing, yet we recognize our responsibility to worship is not limited to in-person assemblies. We can and should worship You at home, alone or in our families. We can sing praise in the car and under our breath at our workplace. We can share Your goodness and our gratitude for You with anyone who will stand close enough to listen. We are so thankful to be Your people, God. May we never tire of telling You thank You. Amen.