There are times in life when praise easily falls from our tongue and there are times where praise is an act of faith. Psalm 66 invites both.
We need opportunities for people who have experienced God’s gracious acts in their lives to share their praise with abandon. These testimonies remind us that God continues to be active in our lives and the world around us. While specific days like Thanksgiving are natural opportunities, we shouldn’t be limited to those days. It is important to celebrate milestones of all types with fanfare. We need to do more of this especially when life feels challenging.
One needs to reach down a bit deeper to pull forth praise when all is not right in our world or personal lives. It may just be that at those times our praise carries even more significance and import. In the face of difficulties, when feeling oppressed by enemies, there is nothing more startling than praise. It is a declaration that God is Lord of all—it is an act of defiance against the world. Such praise can only happen if we can remember the past, recalling how God has blessed us and brought us through difficult times as individuals and communities. The more such events are recounted the more such events will reside in our memories. Our praise produces resiliency in the face of adversity and undergirds our hope for tomorrow. The more difficult our circumstances the more we need such acts of praise.
With those truths in mind, here is a sequence for the opening of worship based on Psalm 66 that offers an opportunity for sharing our testimonies of praise.
Call to Worship from Psalm 66:1–4, NRSVUE
God calls all creation to worship him
for our God is worthy of all praise.
How awesome are God's deeds!
Psalm 66 commands,
Make a joyful noise to God, all the earth;
sing the glory of his name;
give to him glorious praise.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power, your enemies cringe before you.
All the earth worships you;
they sing praises to you,
sing praises to your name.”
How awesome are God’s deeds!
God’s Greeting from Isaiah 43:1–3, NRSVUE
Receive these words of greeting from our God.
But now thus says the Lord,
he who created you, O Jacob,
he who formed you, O Israel:
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you,
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
How awesome are your deeds!
Song of Praise
[See Topical List of Contemporary Songs—Praise]
Testimonies of Praise
We have sung praise to God and declared that God’s deeds are awesome, and indeed they are. But so often we don’t reflect on what that means for us personally, as a community of believers, or a larger community or nation. Psalm 66 invites us to “Come and see what God has done” and to name specific occasions that have led to praise (v. 5). Take a moment to think about how God has blessed you in even the smallest of ways. In a minute we will continue with Psalm 66 and then you are invited to share those reasons for praise aloud. [This could be done with everyone speaking at the same time, or an open mic format. Alternatively you could have invited a few congregants to share ahead of time and keep it at that.]
Come and see what God has done:
he is awesome in his deeds among mortals.
How awesome are God’s deeds!
He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
How awesome are God’s deeds!
There we rejoiced in him,
who rules by his might forever,
whose eyes keep watch on the nations—
let the rebellious not exalt themselves.
[Individual testimonies of praise. Using the refrain “How awesome are God’s deeds!” after each one. ]
Bless our God, O peoples;
let the sound of his praise be heard,
who has kept us among the living
and has not let our feet slip.
How awesome are God’s deeds!
For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
You brought us into the net;
you laid burdens on our backs;
you let people ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a spacious place.
How awesome are your deeds!
—Psalm 66:5–12, NRSVUE
