Today’s Text: Psalms 96-98
Key Text: Psalm 96:1-2
“Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD all the earth. Sing to the LORD, bless his name; Proclaim good tidings of His salvation from day to day.”
Speaking of singing…
Did you catch that bit about it being a new song we are to sing?
I think there are times when the people of God should admit something – we keep on singing the same old song over and over again.
We read our favorite Bible passages – and leave the rest of the scriptures untouched.
We sing our favorite hymns – and forget there are all kinds of ways to “make a joyful noise unto the LORD.”
We stick to our cherished beliefs and attitudes – without asking God to open our eyes – our spirits – our hearts – to new ways of thinking and acting.
We do things the way we have always done them – forgetting God has said many times “Behold, I am doing a new thing!”
So, I offer this reminder – to myself as a minister – and to those who “have ears to hear” – let’s be brave enough, creative enough, and bold enough to really take the Psalmist’s call seriously:
“Sing to the LORD a new song…” wherever that may lead us.
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By Paul Simrell
The Reverend Paul W. Simrell has served for over thirty years in a variety of congregational and institutional settings. He is a recognized minister with standing in the Virginia region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the United States and Canada and is nationally endorsed by the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) for specialized ministry in both pastoral counseling and chaplaincy. Ordained in 1982, he has served congregations in Kentucky, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. He currently serves as the pastor of Elpis Christian Church, a small, historic congregation located just a few miles west of Richmond, Virginia. “Elpis” is the Greek word for “expectant hope.” He is a graduate of the University of Florida and Lexington Theological Seminary and has done advanced clinical training in chaplaincy and pastoral counseling at the University of Kentucky Medical Center in Lexington, Kentucky, Children’s Medical Center and Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas and the Virginia Institute of Pastoral Care in Richmond, Virginia. He is a Certified Pastoral Counselor, an ACPE Practitioner, a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, and a member of Spiritual Directors International. He is a Certified Facilitator of the Prepare-Enrich relationship assessment and skills-building program and served as a volunteer chaplain for over twenty years with the CJW Medical Center campuses in Richmond, Virginia. His avocational interests include playing the piano and drawing. He is very happily married to his wife Elizabeth Yeamans Simrell, a free-lance writer, who is also a Certified Facilitator for the Prepare-Enrich program.
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
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