Praise him all you shining stars
Laura Digan
December 28, 2020
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Psalm 148 (NRSVA)
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights!
2 Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his host!3 Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!
4 Praise him, you highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens!5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded and they were created.
6 He established them for ever and ever;
he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.7 Praise the Lord from the earth,
you sea monsters and all deeps,
8 fire and hail, snow and frost,
stormy wind fulfilling his command!9 Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Wild animals and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and women alike,
old and young together!13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
praise for all his faithful,
for the people of Israel who are close to him.
Praise the Lord!
Yesterday I wrote that to be human is to long for community. Today we take these thoughts a step further as Psalm 148 shows that this longing for community is not just with God and other humans but with all God’s creation.
‘Praise him all you shining stars.’ Life began in this universe when God sparked it into action. All life upon this planet first began as dust from space. We are stardust, we are the shining stars, connected not just to God and our fellow humans but to the plants, the animals, the insects, the birds, the fish…everything! God is not just the Creator of all things, he is also the redeemer of all things, not just of mankind. All things must praise God.
I feel closest to God when I’m out in nature. When I feel that vibration of life, connecting in community with all that God created, I feel alive, plugged into and recharged by the source of all life. Experiencing this sense of communion inspires me to cherish and care for all God’s creation.
Our brother in Christ St Francis of Assisi based his Canticle of the Sun on Psalm 148. We will use two stanzas to praise our Lord:
PRAYER:
“You are glorified by our Mother Earth.
Through her, you sustain and keep us.
Every plant and fruit and flower and colour of yours
Enters our lives by Mother Earth.
Glorified and blessed is the Lord, O God.
Thank him.
Serve him.
Show him your humility.
Amen.”
(text translated by Jon M. Sweeney into a 21st century English idiom)
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