SANDWICH PSALM – Psalm 147 and 148 around surrounded on either side by psalms of God’s reign or kingship; sandwiched between God’s reign are these two psalms that speak of God’s universal sovereignty, thus Psalm 148 gathers the theme and theological heart of the psalter: God reigns. [1]

GENESIS REVISITED – The first section—praising God from the heavens—is a list of animate and inanimate spheres which remind us of Creation—in the beginning—Genesis 1 and 2. All the heavenly beings and bodies are to praise God’s "name"—God’s essential character ad purposes, which represent God’s very self. The character and purposes of God are revealed in what God has done as creator, and such is the focus of the reasons for praise. [2] The second section also invites praise from the earth by beings, objects, and elements in this realm—animate and inanimate.

WHY PSALM 148 FITS IN CHRISTMAS –

The church affirms that Jesus the Christ not only announced but also embodied the cosmic reign of God in a ministry of suffering servanthood . . . to greet Jesus as Lord is to recognize God’s sovereign claim on our lives and on the whole created order, and it is to commit ourselves to exercise God-given sovereignty over the earth as God demonstrated divine sovereignty in Jesus—the power of suffering servanthood. [3]

connections

When were you last captured by a breathtaking sunset? Become aware of the brilliant array of stars splashed across space on a clear night?

Try writing your own hymn of praise by finishing the sentence, "Praise the Lord _____________" (name the object, thing, quality that you are inciting to praise).

gambits

Psalm 148 is one of those majestic, All Creatures of Our God and King kinds of psalms. Connections could be made to the interconnectedness and interdependence that creation has toward of its various parts.

Take a look at a verse from St. Francis of Assisi’s hymn based on creaturely praise embodied in psalms like Ps. 148:

Great rushing winds and breezes,

Soft, you clouds that ride heavens aloft,

O praise him, alleluia.

Fair rising morn, with praise rejoice,

Start nightly shining, find a voice.

O praise him, O praise him,

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.

 

I would place alongside of Psalm 148, St. Francis’ beautiful hymn. You could sing a verse and interact with text and Psalm for richness of meaning and by extension, how we have been able through science and technology to probe even deeper the majestic connections of the creation with the call to praise God.

If your community uses PowerPoint, you might match on screen what listeners are reading or singing about. That would certainly bring us to a more profound alleluia!

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[1] The New Interpreter’s Bible IV (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), page 1270.
[2] Ibid, page 1271.
[3] Ibid, page 1273.