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This past week I found myself praising God on numerous occasions. There was a sun drenched Monday which reflected the season of fall in all its glory. The leaves were a spectacular palate of colors pressed upon the Carolina blue sky. Later in the week, these same leaves were falling; sweeping across roads and roads powered by a brisk wind. Later, they would gently fall in the sub-freezing temperatures.
I would say prayers of praise and gratitude to God our creator. Prayers led to songs and I began to sing one of my beloved hymns For the Beauty of the Earth. Here are the lyrics.
For the beauty of the earth,
For the glory of the skies,
For the love which from our birth
Over and around us lies:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For the joy of human love,
Brother, sister, parent, child:
Friends on earth, and friends above;
For all gentle thoughts and mild:
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
For Thy Church that evermore
Lift'eth holy hands above,
Offering up on every shore
Her pure sacrifice of love;
Lord of all, to Thee we raise
This our hymn of grateful praise.
When I behold the beauty of the earth I can't help but worship. I think at the core of our being is the desire to behold the beauty of earth and to worship our Creator.
Here's how the psalmist states this drive to worship:
Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are him; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. -Psalm 100: 1-2
Notice that the hymn For the Beauty of the Earth doesn't end with us outside in nature! We are born and built to worship God and church is the place we share our joy through the beauty of our worship together. See you next Sunday and we'll share thanks and praise together!
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