In God’s Presence

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful song to him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.” Psalm 95:2-3

School chapel is about to start (I’m not leading this morning, but I’ll be tuning in). In normal times, we worship using the full service of Morning Prayer, which includes Psalm 95, from which this morning’s Old Testament Daily Text passage comes. I’ve sung these words so many times that it’s easy to miss their power, but that power jumped out at me today. God, immortal and ineffable, beyond our comprehension, invites us into the divine presence. What a gift!

We continue to grieve the fact that we cannot gather for congregational singing. We add our voices, as solos or small ensembles, to the music on the livestream. This is a gift, but it’s not the same. But we will day gather again for worship. We will one day come into God’s presence together, and we will sing!

Until then, remember that God comes into your presence wherever you are. God knows the song of your life and joins you to the song of the faithful. Our physical separation cannot change this simple fact. After all, if I’m in Christ and if you’re in Christ, we can’t be that far apart. Thanks be to God!

Be well, friends. You are loved.

Loving God, your reign extends over all the earth. It reaches even to me, wherever and however I am today. Let my voice praise you today, even if my voice is weak or shaky. Added to your faithful choir, by your grace, let my voice become beautiful for you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Image: Chapel, today.