Make a Joyful Noise

The time comes when we feel the need to make joyful sounds because we are bursting with love, we recognize God's faithfulness, and we cannot hold those feelings inside anymore. That is the time when most of us will either shout out with gladness in our hearts, burst out singing, or want to listen to people singing songs that express the same joy that was caught up in our bones but now must be released.

There is no better time than the present to do as the writer of Psalm 100 relates in its first verse, "Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth." We all know that God has been good to us, especially as it concerns our state of being after such a difficult period during the height of the pandemic that we all suffered through and are grateful to have survived, even as we remember all those who did not survive.

We can celebrate being alive and the restoration of our daily lifestyle and remember with joy the lives that have entered God's loving presence, who are completely healed and praising God without any more hardships eternally. The writer of Psalm 100 recognizes God's love and faithfulness by referring to God as "Yahweh," which means, "The One Who Is Always Present." That fact is enough to be joyful by itself, but there are multiplied instances that we can list that make it easy to burst out with a joyful noise, recall those instances now.

As we prepare for worship this Sunday, I ask that you read Psalm 100. It has five joyful verses, so between today and Sunday, read it five times and let it infuse you with its message of joy and for all people to join in praising God, and prepare to listen to all the songs of praise and thanksgiving that will emanate in worship during the singing of the Cantata, Jubilate Deo.  Come with joy and praise for God and receive the same through the songs in the cantata and the musical instruments that join together lifting up our collective love for God!