A Canticle of Praise and Prayer

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – February 5, 2015

Pillars of Creation
photo credit – NASA – European Space Agency
Hubble Space Telescope

A Canticle of Praise and Prayer

For those of you following at home, here is an update on Bella, the sweet girl who is the daughter of a friend of the office manager at my church. She had an operation on a brain tumor yesterday. The lab results are in: benign! Bella is aware, responsive and smiling! Thanks be to God. Now the rehab and recovery. Thanks so much for prayers and good thoughts.

I thought today’s prayer suggestion from the book Prayer and Temperament was so appropriate, given today’s situation. The suggestion was to read Daniel 3:26-90, meditate and pray on it, and write my own canticle of praise to God as a response. (Yes, I know Daniel 3:26-90 is only found in Catholic editions of the Bible. The book I am using as a prayer guide for these two weeks before Lent begins is co-written by a Catholic priest.)

While giving God thanks and praise for God’s encouragement, comfort and support for Bella and her family at this serious time, I want to follow the prayer suggestion, as written.

This canticle from Daniel has a great deal to say about the natural world. I don’t usually think about the wide world, and what it contains. But—didn’t God make the world, too? (Rhetorical question.) Yes, I can look at this prayer suggestion in the light of an “assignment.” Or, it can focus my gaze on the glories of God’s creation. Not being much in the habit of writing out my prayers, I thought this was an excellent idea! Here goes.

Praise be to the God of creation, the One who spoke and the world came to be.

Let the four-footed ones make merry! Let the winged ones flap together!

Let sea creatures glide, insects buzz, reptiles hiss—all lift praise together!

Praise be to the God of all creatures, the One who called all things good.

Let the forest and field lift their leaves! Let the wastelands and wetlands rejoice!

Let rocks and rubble roar, sand and cinders sigh aloud—all lift praise to You, God!

Praise be to the God of inventive ingenuity, of endless creativity!

Let the creative sense within mortals give praise! Let both intellect and emotion rejoice!

Let community and crowd, families and folks all lift praise with many voices!

Praise be to the God of earth and sky, of sea and dry land, the One who is over all!

Praise be to the God who brought order out of chaos, the One who made me and you.

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blog, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.

How Majestic is God’s Name—in Prayer

Matterofprayer: A Year of Everyday Prayers – February 4, 2015

How Majestic is God’s Name—in Prayer

For those who are wondering, Bella has come through a lengthy surgery with success. The doctors were able to remove all of the brain tumor. Praise God!

I can pray for Bella, as well as for her parents and all those who love her and care for her. Please, continue to pray. I know they would appreciate any earnest prayers, good thoughts, and heartfelt wishes of encouragement.

How all of our lives can be interrupted! They might be interrupted, like Bella’s, with a surgery. Or hospital stay. A continuing illness, or perhaps something internal. Like an emotional, behavioral or psychological diagnosis.

I checked out the second prayer reading this evening and I found it was Psalm 8. Several verses struck me as I read them. Especially in light of Bella and the brain tumor that has been removed today. “O Lord, our Lord. How majestic is Your name in all the earth.”

Yet, I know that some people did NOT call upon God as Holy. Or majestic. Or powerful, mighty, or anything of the sort. I know I could be asking God WHY. Why Bella, and not another child? What does God think to have King David write all about the wonders of the heavens, and still the have children and babies contract horrible diseases? Like Bella?

But—not now. I want to rest in the fact that God is sovereign. Glad that the Lord is not only mighty and powerful, but a great Creator as well. Very glad that David declared that the praise of infants and children are to be encouraged, so that God’s name might be praised throughout all of God’s creation.

And—I also won’t ask WHY, God? I won’t ask those questions of theodicy that come to my mind, periodically. Like, now. (Why? Oh, why, God?)

I can praise God’s name, in the meanwhile, using the glorious words of Psalm 8—and thank You, God, for Bella’s successful surgery. Thank You.

Like what you read? Disagree? Share your thoughts with your loved ones and continue the conversation.

Why not visit my sister blog, “the best of” A Year of Being Kind.