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“Sing for Joy”
“How lovely is your dwelling place,
O Lord of hosts!
My soul longs, indeed it faints
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh sing for joy
to the living God.
Even the sparrow finds a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may lay her young,
at your altars, O Lord of hosts,
my King and my God.
Happy are those who live in your house,
ever singing your praise. Selah
Happy are those whose strength is in you,
in whose heart are the highways to Zion.
As they go through the valley of Baca
they make it a place of springs;
the early rain also covers it with pools.”
Psalm 84: 1-6
February 2 is a day set apart on the church calendar as “The Presentation of Our Lord” and the Gospel lesson is from Luke 2:22-40, where the Song of Simeon can be found in Scripture. However, Psalm 84, one of the appointed Psalms for this feast day of our Lord, caught my imagination for reflection. I have included half of the text above but commend the whole 12 verses to your reading. Two ideas came to mind when reflecting on this passage: first, the longing to worship in person again, and second, the happiness that can be found in worship.
In the early days of the pandemic not too long ago, there was monumental frustration and angst that in-person worship was being limited in the number of worshippers present, with the number of singers, priests and others seriously reduced as well. There was great fear for many that the source of spiritual comfort was being limited. The swallow was no longer able to return to its nest. Thinking of this time makes me even more grateful for the moments of full, energetic, life-giving worship we now share in person.
Not only does St. Martin’s offer a lovely dwelling place for the Church to meet, it also is a place where hearts and flesh sing for joy. While singing the processional hymn at the beginning or end of the service, I try to look for people who are smiling while singing; often, they are not hard to find. Sometimes, folks will smile while listening to the sermon or as they kneel for the Eucharist.
As you reread this Psalm, ask yourself what makes you smile in worship. How can you be involved in making others smile with gladness and joy in worship?
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