Read Psalm 148.
I don’t know about you, but for me, December 26th is a hard day. One of the saddest moments of my year is after all of the presents are opened, the wrapping paper thrown away, the ten-year-old bows saved (if you are my mother), and all the new books and gadgets put away. I realize that Christmas isn’t just about the presents (I took several classes in seminary that made sure that I knew this…). But for me, the anticipation of and preparation for Christmas morning is the best part of the season. Everything is oriented toward Christmas morning — the Advent services, the family shopping trips, the baking extravaganzas — and once that is over…what else is there to look forward to? I love the warm feelings and excitement associated with Christmas. And for me, once the presents are opened, that often signals an end to those feelings.
Maybe you experienced that today. Or maybe you will once the Christmas decorations are down. Or maybe you didn’t even catch the Christmas bug this year. The good news is that with the birth of Christ, the season of Christmas has just begun and today’s text reminds us of that. Today’s Psalm paints a picture for me of what I imagine the world did the day after Christ’s birth. The text commands every created thing to stop what they are doing to praise God. Praise God, all you angels! Praise God, you mountains and hills! Even the sea monsters and cows get a shout out. This psalm is one big “all y’all.” All y’all (including us humans) should put down our new books or gadgets and praise God for the Good News of Christ’s birth — because this story of God-With-Us has only just begun.
Pray: God of All Creation, as Advent ends and Christmas begins, we praise you. Open our eyes to the beauty of your world, that we may praise your name daily. Amen.
Sarah Wolf, UKirk Memphis & UKirk Rhodes
Words for Waiting 