Is God a megalomaniac who needs our praise? Or do we praise God because WE need it? And what about those of us who struggle with “praise” given our religious histories? Or those of us who quite simply value being thoughtful, critical, reasonable, and intelligent creatures not prone to the frenetic religious fanaticism we might associate with “praise” of God? Even if we can find our way to a meaningful and reclaimed practice of praising God, how on earth are we meant to do this - or even consider this - in a time of genocide and ethnic-cleansing in Gaza?? Pastor Megan posits that perhaps this is precisely the time we are meant to praise God. “How? Why?? WHAT???” If these are your questions, tune in and see if you get there too. Be in touch with your own thoughts!

Sermon begins at minute marker 6:43
2 Samuel 5.1-5; 6.1-5; Psalm 150

Resources

• BibleWorm podcast: Episode 507 – Praising the Lord, Amy Robertson and Robert Williamson, Jr.
• “What is worship for?” Debie Thomas, The Christian Century, October 11, 2023.
• To learn more and act for an end to the genocide in Gaza:
  • The Mennonite Palestine Israel Network (MennoPIN): https://mennopin.org/
  • Community Peacemaker Teams (CPT): https://cpt.org/programs/palestine
  • Jewish Voice for Peace (JVP): https://www.jewishvoiceforpeace.org/ 
• Image: Portion of the wall built by the State of Israel in Jerusalem. Photo taken by Pastor Megan Ramer on a CPT delegation to Israel and Palestine in 2003.
• Hymn: VT 95 Praise the Lord, Sing Hallelujah. Based on Psalm 148; The Book of Psalms, 1871; adapt. William J. Kirkpatrick (USA), ca. 1893, alt. Permission to podcast the music in this service obtained from One License with license #A-726929. All rights reserved.