Day 209 | Wednesday, 14 October 2020

Day 209 - Audio Version

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Day 209  |  Wednesday, 14 October 2020
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We shall gather at noon – I go by the time on my phone!
 
 There is a hymn that comes under the category of In Praise of Christ.  The hymn is titled “There’s a Spirit in the Air” words by Brian Wren, 1969 and it is set to a Medieval French melody; harmony, by Richard Redhead, 1853.  It is a nice bouncy tune but since many of you may not be familiar with it, you will not be singing along.  Here are the words.
 
1.   “There's a spirit in the air, telling Christians everywhere: Praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working, in our world.
2.    Lose your shyness, find your tongue; tell the world what God has done. God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow's life today!
3.   When believers break the bread, when a hungry child is fed, praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working, in our world.
4.   Still the Spirit leads the fight, seeing wrong and setting right: God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow's life today!
5.   When a stranger's not alone, when the homeless find a home, praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working, in our world.
6.   May the spirit fill our praise, guide our thoughts and change our ways: God in Christ has come to stay. Live tomorrow's life today!
7.   There's a spirit in the air, telling Christians everywhere: Praise the love that Christ revealed, living, working, in our world.”
 
 I also want to share Psalm 8 with you today.
 
1 “A Psalm of David. O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth! Thou whose glory above the heavens is chanted
2 by the mouth of babes and infants, thou hast founded a bulwark because of thy foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I look at thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast established;
4 what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?
5 Yet thou hast made him little less than God, and dost crown him with glory and honor.
6 Thou hast given him dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet,
7 all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field,
8 the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the sea.
9 O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is thy name in all the earth!”
 
Both the hymn and the Psalm have a central theme of offering Praise.  You may have noticed that the theme of Praise has shown up in my messages recently.  We have been living under so much uncertainty especially since March when COVID-19 changed the way we were used to living.  Praise hasn’t been at the top of our list on many days.  We have focused more on worry, fear, uncertainty.  Sometimes we have been frustrated.  Now, along with COVID-19, and the flu we are in the midst of political battles.  Praise is not something that is right on the tip of our tongues.  Yet, Praise is something we can easily offer – to God, to others who lift our spirits, to those who keep us safe and healthy.  Today, take a few moments to offer your own prayers of praise to God for the blessings you are receiving and seeing around you.  Lord, Hear our prayers.  Amen