The Psalms tell us again and again that all parts of creation express their thanks and praise to God. I invite you to read Psalm 148 and, along with that, listen to short recordings of a few of the voices within creation as they sing their own songs—made up of whistles, roars, patters, chirps, to name a few. I hope these sounds will soak into you today and will usher you toward joy as you hear and enjoy the varied and expressive world that our God has made. Make sure to turn your volume on!

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens
    and you waters above the skies.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for at his command they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you great sea creatures and all ocean depths,

lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,
you mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,

    small creatures and flying birds,

kings of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
young men and women,
    old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;

    his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.
And he has raised up for his people a horn,
    the praise of all his faithful servants,
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.
Praise the Lord.

I know that for me, listening long and deeply to the voices of wind, water, birds, animals, and people all around me as they use their particular voices to express their own thanks to God, is a practice that refreshes and delights me—and at times makes me laugh out loud.

Today (which in the United States is a day for giving thanks), let your vision of what giving praise and thanks looks like expand beyond pumpkin pies on a dining room table. If you place yourself where you can hear other voices within creation and enjoy their song as well as your own, I believe those voices will enrich your day.

In addition, I have an invitation! Over the next few days, keep your eyes and ears open for how you see creation praising God. When you see something that captures your attention as a beautiful, interesting, or entertaining voice of praise, take a picture, shoot a very short video, or write a three or four-line poem that is a verbal snapshot of that experience. Send it to me at info@circlewood.online by Monday, December 6th, and I will share it in a Thursday post (perhaps through a video compilation of what is sent in). It would be wonderful to have voices from many people and places to share!

Reflection Questions: Was there a particular voice that resonated with you? How does your voice mix with the other voices around you in creation to create a chorus of praise and thanks?

Feel free to contact me directly at info@circlewood.online

Louise