5# Living Psalm 147:1-11 & 20c_Torigian Fifth Sunday in Epiphany, Feb. 11, 2024

Praise God, Creator of All!

How good it is to sing praises to our God-
From the mountains of Russia to the beaches of the Bahamas,
From the valleys in Switzerland to the deserts in Sudan,
From the rainforest of Peru to the plains of Thailand,
Praise our God!

Our God builds up the people on sides of all borders-
Across checkpoints and bridges.
God gathers the outcasts-
Struggling for shelter when unhoused,
Seeking love when excommunicated from communities,
Finding acceptance in the center of middle school.

Through words, medicines, embraces, and affirmations,
God soothes the broken-hearted,
Mending wounded souls and bodies and hearts.

God thrives in supernovas and black holes
And abides on each star-
Admiring their radiating beauty up close and from afar.

Our Creator is Great- infinite and eternal.
Seeing the universe in vast ways,
And from unforeseen angles.

Great is the understanding of our Creator,
Boundless understanding from each perspective.
Delivering grace as God stands in each intersection of creation.

As the Divine One embraces sees a new landscape across the galaxy
And within our communities,
God lifts our neighbors in the margins of life.
Even in times of trauma and turmoil, sadness and shame-
God’s greatness builds ladders for our neighbors to climb.

In gratitude we sing to God our Creator
And make melodies on the sitar, and guitar, and organ.

Under the heavens
God nourishes the earth with rain and sun,
Cultivating the flowers near lakes
And grass along hills and valleys.

Knowing the needs of all creation,
God provides animals with food,
And the most vulnerable find the strength they need.

God’s joy is not in ego or boldness,
Not in impressive speech or charismatic smiles,
Not in bank accounts or influencer “likes.”
But God delights with the ones who celebrate steadfast love
Who embrace grace, stand after failures, and hope when all seems lost.
And with our neighbors finding sparks of joy again,
We praise our God!

Written by Rev. Michelle L. Torigian, senior pastor of St. Paul UCC, Belleville, Illinois.