Singing the Lord’s Praises with Our Lives

“Man’s chief work is the praise of God.”– Augustine of Hippo

Augustine’s quote brings to mind the verses of Psalm 137 (1-4) that provided the basis for one of my favorite songs from “Godspell:”  By the rivers of Babylon– there we sat down and there we wept when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our harps.  For there, our captors asked us for songs, and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”  How could we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?

How shall we sing the Lord’s song in what amounts to a foreign land, or foreign existence, for Christians? How shall we carry out mankind’s chief work- the praise of God- when we are surrounded by so much pain and evil? The economy is teetering. We live in fear of more terrorist attacks. Unrest festers around the world. Dishonesty impacting upon millions of people dominates the news. Crime. Declining morals. Evil afoot. Our God is an “in spite of” God- the one true God who is with us always in spite of what is happening- even in the midst of difficulty. So it appropriate to give praise in the midst of even the most difficult times.

The Psalmist was looking towards the past and what was lost. Christians look forward to what is promised through our Lord Jesus Christ. And we sing songs of praise to our Lord who beckons us on through the way in which we live our lives. Yes, there is evil in the world. There has been since Adam and Eve gave into temptation in the Garden of Eden. The Bible recounts stories of evil at every turn. It is nothing new. What the New Covenant through Christ brings us is the certainty that those who serve Christ will not be defeated by that evil.

Our Baptismal Covenant, the holy vow which each of us reaffirms publicly several times a year, provides clear guidance for how we are to live our lives in such a way that our very lives will be praise to God. One of the inquiries in the Baptismal Covenant is “Will you proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ?” To which we respond, “I will with God’s help.”

It is so easy, so seductive, to compartmentalize the practice of our life in Christ to Sundays and particular times during the day. Plus, Episcopalians are not very big on evangelism. As a result, we may think of “proclaiming by word and example” to mean something like attending church and being nice people. What it means is praising God every moment of our lives through every action we take and every thought we conceive, and publicly acknowledging God’s presence. Not an easy task. But we recognize that when we respond, “I will with God’s help.”  Whenever we think of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, it is especially appropriate to reflect on the window on holy living that opened for the several weeks following. There was talk of a kinder, gentler America rising as a result of those horrible events. While there still may be pockets of that new America remaining, the change was short-lived. Such a clear demonstration of what a challenge it is to sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land. In spite of our best intentions, the demands of life distract us from our primary work of praising God.

How will you sing the Lord’s songs in this foreign land? How will you carry out your chief work of praising God through your every action?  Remember, you are not alone in the effort. You will succeed with God’s help!