Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing.
3 Know that the Lord is God.
It is he that made us, and we are his;
we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name.
5 For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures forever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.
Psalm 100
Psalm 100 bursts with joy! The Psalmist encourages us to sing to the Lord, while also assuring us that the most important aspect of our singing is our attitude, not our vocal quality. We are encouraged to make “A Joyful Noise” to the Lord.
Years ago, I accompanied a children’s choir as a volunteer pianist. The name of the children’s choir was “Joyful Noise!” That was such an appropriate name! The wonderful thing is that this choir brought joy to all who participated: the children, their parents and grandparents, and all who were blessed by listening to them.
As we receive updated guidance on how to hold religious gatherings from the governor, we need to follow these guidelines. We are now allowed to sing, but we will need to wear masks. I can understand the concern behind this guidance. As we know, singing includes a little bit of projecting of our words, and we are learning that the virus can be shared this way. It would seem so strange, though, to worship without song. Oh, well! At least we can sing, as long as we are wearing a mask. Although the sound may be muffled, God will hear our praises lifted up to Him.
One of the religion professors at Whitworth University, Dr. Jerry Sittser, is retiring this year. In his course on the history of the Christian faith, one of the classroom activities he encouraged, on a regular basis, was for them to sing the great hymns of our faith. Why? In some senses, we learn about our faith as we sing about our faith!
Thanksgiving, praise, and an attitude of thankfulness should characterize us, when we consider the Lord. He created us, and He watches over us, even as a shepherd watches over his sheep.
The God of heaven and earth is good. He is faithful to all, forever, generation after generation. That is a thought worth singing about! Therefore, make a joyful noise the Lord!
Prayer
Creator God,
We worship with all of our hearts. Thank you for your goodness, your faithfulness, and you tender care for us. With joy in our hearts, let us give voice and song to our thankfulness, lifting our praises to You. We pray this prayer in the name of Your son, and our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Amen.
