Hallelujah, Praise the Lord!
All insects and birds,
cute puppies and cats,
the fish in the sea,
and yes, even me:
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
All planets and stars,
grass, trees, flowers, too,
the rivers and streams,
and yes, even me:
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
For toys and fun times,
the place we call home,
the food that we eat,
and yes, even me:
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
Come, all who have breath,
those near and those far,
our old friends and new,
and yes, even you!
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord!
—Diane Dykgraaf, alt. Joyce Borger, © 2025 Calvin Institute of Christian Worship, Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-ShareAlike. Used by permission.
Suggestions for Including Motions and Sign Language
Motions and sign language offer excellent opportunities to use our bodies along with our voices in worship. Encourage the following movements during this litany of praise:
Hallelujah! Clap hands once in front of you, then make two circles upward with each hand.
Praise the Lord! Clap hands twice as you move your hands upward in front of you. Then form an L with the thumb and forefinger of your right hand and move it from your left shoulder to your right waist.
Praise the Lord! Another option is to clap the hands twice in an upward motion and then reach both hands up to heaven in praise. I prefer this option because it opens our bodies to a posture of praise and worship to God and leaves our bodies in an expression of surrender, love, and adoration.
If you are using this type of praise and response with children in your worship center or classroom, encourage the children to write their own verses. Ask what they would like to praise God for today, and use their responses to praise God. Some children may like to create a picture or art piece of the praise they would like to express.
