"Glory!"

PASSAGE FOR THE DAY:
1 Ascribe to the LORD, you heavenly beings,
   ascribe to the LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name;
   worship the LORD in the splendor of his holiness.

3 The voice of the LORD is over the waters;
   the God of glory thunders,
   the LORD thunders over the mighty waters.
4 The voice of the LORD is powerful;
   the voice of the LORD is majestic.
5 The voice of the LORD breaks the cedars;
   the LORD breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon leap like a calf,
   Sirion like a young wild ox.
7 The voice of the LORD strikes
   with flashes of lightning.
8 The voice of the LORD shakes the desert;
   the LORD shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
9 The voice of the LORD twists the oaks
   and strips the forests bare.
And in his temple all cry, “Glory!”

10 The LORD sits enthroned over the flood;
   the LORD is enthroned as King forever.
11 The LORD gives strength to his people;
   the LORD blesses his people with peace. (Psalm 29, NIV)


REFLECTIONS:
The book of Psalms is the prayer book of the Bible and today’s psalm is noted as a hymn of David. Some Bible versions refer to this psalm as "The Voice of God in a Great Storm," for it calls us to remember that Yahweh is Lord of all—and Yahweh speaks! In verses 3-9, all the verses but two begin with the words: "The voice of the LORD..." This God of glory and power now manifests in acts of strength. The voice of the Lord is heard in thunder and flames of fire. This voice controls the waters and “strips the forest bare.” The voice of the Lord is heard and seen in all creation. Watch! Listen! 

On the night of Jesus’ birth, the heavens broke open and angel-song from throngs of the heavenly host rang forth on earth, “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace among those whom [God] favors” (Luke 2:14). It is to this magnitude of praising and glorifying God that David, the sweet singer of psalms, called the people of God then and calls us now. Glory and praise are due the Lord, and we worship the Lord in the splendor of the Lord’s holiness, not in the reflected shards of glory we call our own. 

We worship a God who is Lord of the storms, and, therefore, Lord of life. This God exercises power over life’s turbulent aspects. This strong and blessed God offers the attributes of strength and blessing to the people. Our response is, “Glory!” Our lives offer daily opportunities to give praise and glory to God. Three choices lie before us: ignore the opportunity, take the praise and glory for ourselves, or offer the praise and glory to God with open hands and grateful heart. How will you choose?


PRAYER:
Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.


WHO AM I?
I am Tres Sansom, and today I am celebrating Epiphany. Seeking to arraign my life around the Christian Calendar is a relatively new thing for me, but it's something I've greatly enjoyed. It has helped expand my understanding of and value for other church traditions. Epiphany, the 12th day after Christmas, celebrates the visit of the three kings or wise men to the Christ Child, signifying the extension of salvation to the Gentiles. The word "epiphany" means "manifestation," and encourages us to live with our eyes, ears, and hearts open to God's presence in and around our lives. Here's a link to an article about Epiphany.