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Morning Devotion for the Season After Pentecost
November 17, 2023
The Invitatory
The mercy of the Lord is everlasting: O come, let us adore him.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.
Reading: Psalm 19:1-4
1 The heavens declare the glory of God, *
and the firmament shows his handiwork.
2 One day tells its tale to another, *
and one night imparts knowledge to another.
3 Although they have no words or language, *
and their voices are not heard,
4 Their sound has gone out into all lands, *
and their message to the ends of the world.
Meditation: Jo Ann B. Jones
I am fully confident that some of you are singing along with the opening verses of Psalm 19, “The heavens are telling the glory of God, the wonder of His work displays the firmament.” Many thanks to Joseph Haydn for his composition of the oratorio, Creation, composed in 1789. His music is just as compelling as the opening words of this Psalm. Isn’t it amazing that this one verse of Scripture is so very packed with power! In his Reflections on the Psalms, C.S. Lewis declared Psalm 19 the treasure trove of the Psalter: “I take this to be the greatest poem in the Psalter and one of the greatest lyrics in the world.” (More of this if you come to Vespers on Sunday!) Each season of the year aids in this declaration. Think of what you would say about autumn. While slow to display its full array of colors this year, this autumn has truly come to life in the past few weeks with deep reds, an array of oranges and yellow and yellow green. Such a glorious palette!
The landscapers have been on the grounds this past week gathering the first fall of leaves and removing them. They will soon return when we face bare limbs. Soon thereafter we will find ourselves on the doorstep of another winter. Then we have an almost uninterrupted view of the sky. And in early winter it displays subtle and colorful changes as it darkens. It truly is glorious!
The Psalm contains a series of subtle, contrasting, both-and-statements. The heavens day after day and night after night, yet they do not use words. God is the cosmic ruler of the glorious heavens, yet present enough to humankind to give individuals precepts, or commandments, for living. The heat of the sun covers the whole earth, yet gives life rather than destruction. The Psalmist is identified as a leader, yet possesses a humble spirit. The verses that are appointed for today focus upon God’s sovereignty over the whole creation. Just as the sun stretches over the entire heavens to illuminate the ends of the earth, so does God the Creator rule over the entire world.
If this Psalm is to be reduced to any theme, it is a close and abiding attentiveness to God’s instruction, or more strongly expressed, commandments. In this respect, Psalm 19 pulls together themes from the opening and closing of the Psalter: Psalm 1 with its emphasis on God’s commands and Psalm 148 with its emphasis on God’s sovereignty. The two would seem to fit hand in glove. These two themes are woven throughout the book of Psalms, but they are rarely juxtaposed so closely as they are found in Psalm 19.
And now for the Creation Oratorio: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4lSauxyFWo&list=RDp4lSauxyFWo&index=1&pp=8AUB Do click here and listen!!
The Lord’s Prayer
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy Name.
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the Kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever. Amen.
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