Create a peaceful space to pause, and allow yourself to feel God’s presence alongside you, as near to you as your own breath. In following the reflection below, as a church we will draw closer to God and to one another as we grow in faith and deepen our sense of belonging to God.
Psalm 24
1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it,
the world, and those who live in it;
2 for he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the rivers.3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts,
who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord,
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6 Such is the company of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.7 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is the King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates!
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.
One of the most famous rock songs of all time is ‘Stairway to Heaven’ by Led Zeppelin. Anyone who can play guitar has attempted the opening notes of the song… simply because they have to. It’s a rock classic, make no mistake.
Interestingly, ‘Stairway’ was in the news recently because Led Zeppelin had been in a long-running court battle over plagiarism. It’s not an uncommon thing in the music industry: series of notes and phrases can be familiar, can seem to echo other songs, seem to suggest other pieces of music consciously or subconsciously, and law suits can follow if one party feels that their work has been copied. In this instance, Led Zeppelin emerged successfully from the US Supreme Court having defended the song as theirs and theirs alone. Whenever property is concerned – intellectual, musical, or otherwise – ownership matters.
In Psalm 24 the Psalmist is writing about coming into the Temple for worship – the Jewish people coming into a place of great meaning and significance: a place where ‘blessing’ and ‘vindication’ are to be found. The Psalm begins by expressing that, even before this, it is right to acknowledge that everything is the Lord’s: all things.
Perhaps this Psalm is a good reminder to us in One World Week, that when we approach God as we pray, reflect, or worship, that all we have comes from God our heavenly Father. By acknowledging this, we rightly assume a position of humility and deference before God our Creator, who knows all things, and has made all we see, hear, touch, and who knows our life and experiences. We offer gratitude and worship to God whose Sovereignty is beyond question, and who loves all that he has made. We are his, and each one so very precious.
Prayer:
Creator God, accept us as we come before you, as the people you made us to be.
Help us to know, in the depth of our being, that you made and love all things.
May we treat our world, and one another, with the love and care you would have us show in our daily living.
For in Jesus’ name we offer you this prayer. Amen.
Reflection & Prayer © 2020 Paul Tabraham.
Images freely available online.
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All material within this order of worship is reproduced by permission under CCL 1226356