Come Into The Word with Sarah Christmyer | Bible Study | Lectio Divina | Journals | Retreat

  • About
  • Blog
    • Scripture Reflection
    • Prayer & Lectio Divina
    • Bible Reading & Study
    • Holidays and Holy Days
    • Discipleship
    • Women of the Bible
  • Resources
    • New Release
    • Books & Journals
    • Bible Studies
    • How-tos & Reading Plans
  • Speaking
    • Speaking Topics
    • Schedule
    • Testimonials
    • Reviews & Interviews
    • Past Events
  • Contact

PRAISE FROM “THE LAND OF ENCHANTMENT”

May 26, 2017 By Sarah Christmyer 6 Comments

Morning light in the Sangre de Christo mountains, NM

At 6:29 am light breaks over the Sangre de Christo mountains, banishing shadows and flooding the valley before me with the deep greens and reds and ochres of the American southwest. Swallows come from nowhere and send their wheeling shadows across the adobe wall outside my window. New Mexico is fittingly called “the Land of Enchantment.”

Blessed are you, O Lord our God, maker and ruler of the universe!

I should be out walking but I want to package this moment, to get it down on paper and on film. I need to put it up like I used to jar summer fruit for the winter; to store it on my heart so I can take it out when life is dull and dreary.

I want to sing along with Psalm 148—

Praise the Lord from the earth…
Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all cattle,
creeping things and flying birds!…
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his glory is above earth and heaven…
Praise the Lord
!

Some of the people in these mountain towns, drawn like me to the beauty, treat it as a god to worship. They pay their respects with brushes and paint, they fashion jewels and erect altars and work hard to sustain it. So far so good . . . but why can’t they see beyond it to the hand that made it (and who truly does sustain it)? Why can’t they see the gift?

You have filled our world with wonders, Lord:
Fill us with reverence and delight

Alpenglow on the Sangre de Christos

The tail end of the sun at evening. ©2017 Sarah Christmyer

 

I am overcome by the lavish gifts of God. And I wonder, with all this spectacle around me, who am I that he cares for me? What kind of God is do we have, who creates perfection, who must delight in the praise creation sings simply by being that which he made it to be — yet who still loves those of us who, sadly, can forget him?

Again, the Psalmist said it best—

Who is like the Lord, our God,
who has risen on high to his throne
yet stoops from the heights to look down,
to look down upon heaven and earth
? (Psalm 113)

Today for me is about PRAISE and AWE. Will you join me this Memorial Day weekend and remember not only those who gave their lives for us, but also the One who made possible life and everything glorious about it? I plan to set aside some time each day to meditate on one or more Psalms of praise. If this is something new to you, I recommend Psalm 145, but the Psalms are full of praises. Choose one and read it again and again for several days and let it teach you to lift your voice.

O Magnify the Lord with me and let us exalt his name together! (Psalm 34:3)

Filed Under: Scripture Reflection Tagged With: Praise, praise & thanksgiving

Comments

  1. Karen Sheehy says

    May 26, 2017 at 1:01 pm

    Love the southwest desert! Beauty, solitude, and certainly the hand of God just cry out in glory. Reminds me of the desert in the Holy Land. I love the stark beauty and heat of the desert, along with the occasional tucked away oasis and hidden treasures that you often find there. Enjoy Sarah, and I look forward to your Psalm meditations!

  2. Peggy says

    May 26, 2017 at 1:32 pm

    I just spent a glorious week on the South Carolina coast. All I could say when I beheld the majesty of the ocean was, “Sand and surf, bless the Lord! Praise and exult Him above all else forever.”

  3. Pam Memmer says

    May 26, 2017 at 2:57 pm

    Magnificent! I will read Psalm 145 this Memorial Day weekend. and meditate on it. My husband and I camp a lot here in Texas but I have never stopped to thank God who created this beauty and keeps it so beautiful. and gives me the opportunity to witness it. Thank you Sarah for this meditation.
    Pam Memmer

  4. Arlita Winston says

    May 26, 2017 at 4:53 pm

    We are seeing it through your eyes, Sarah! You bring back the memories and renew our awe in our Creator and His creation! And that includes US!

  5. Norman says

    May 27, 2017 at 8:13 am

    Thank you Sarah for your post. I wonder if you could list the Psalms of praise so that I can make my mediation with them.
    Best wishes, Norman from Santiago, Chile

  6. Sarah Christmyer says

    May 27, 2017 at 1:50 pm

    There are many psalms of praise of different types. A good place to start is with group of Psalms that the whole psalter leads you to, those at the end: Psalms 145-150. Another grouping is the so-called Egyptian Hallel, Psalms 113-118. These celebrate God as savior and are said by the Jews on Passover (celebrating the release from Egypt) and other feasts.

    There are “descriptive” praise psalms like #s 28, 36, 105, 111, 113, 117, 135, 136, 146, and 147.
    There are “declarative” praise psalms, also called “thanksgiving psalms,” like 18, 21, 30, 32, 24, 40, 41, 66, 106, 116, and 138.

    Wherever you start – enjoy! And happy praising.
    Blessings, Sarah.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

 characters available

Sarah Christmyer writes and speaks about Scripture and the Catholic faith with the goal of helping people meet Jesus in his Word. “The Bible isn’t just a book about God or instructions for a good life; it’s a place to meet God and be changed by him,” she says. Her love of Scripture fuels her writing of Bible studies and related books; her teaching of Philadelphia seminarians; her speaking at conferences and retreats; and writing for blogs such as this one. “Come Into the Word” draws people into the Bible and encourages and equips them to explore it on their own.

Subscribe Here

Sign up to receive new posts and news via email. (Add sarah@comeintotheword.com to your address book to make sure mail arrives in your inbox!)

Search Come Into The Word

Categories

Recent Posts

  • PSALMS FOR LENT: Find GRACE in the Penitential Psalms
  • ADD SCRIPTURE TO YOUR LENTEN DIET
  • TRUST IN GOD; HE’S GOT YOUR BACK
  • FINDING JOY AT CHRISTMAS
  • FOCUSING ON THE CHRIST CHILD with the O Antiphons
  • THANKSGIVING PSALMS: Drowning grief in gratitude

Archives

Recommended

  • Integrated Catholic Life – Catholic blogs and resources
  • Lux App and Lux University – online faith hub for women
  • Peter Kreeft – featured writings and audio
  • The Sacred Page (Michael Barber, John Bergsma, Brant Pitre, John Kincaid) – blog
  • Scripture Speaks (Gayle Somers) – commentary on the Mass readings
  • Speaking of Scripture (Mary Healy, Daniel Keating, Peter Williamson, et al) – blog
  • Women in the New Evangelization (WINE) – women’s ministry, book club, blog

 

We engage in affiliate marketing whereby we receive funds through clicks to our affiliate program through this website. This disclosure is intended to comply with the US Federal Trade Commission Rules on marketing and advertising, as well as any other legal requirements which may apply.

 

Let’s Connect

mailfacebook instagram pinterest

Subscribe Here

Sign up to receive new posts and news via email. (Add sarah@comeintotheword.com to your address book to make sure mail arrives in your inbox!)

MENU

  • About
  • Blog
  • Resources
  • Speaking
  • Contact
  • Home

Copyright © 2023 Come into the Word LLC | Site designed by Cynthia Oswald

  • About
  • Blog
    △
    • Scripture Reflection
    • Prayer & Lectio Divina
    • Bible Reading & Study
    • Holidays and Holy Days
    • Discipleship
    • Women of the Bible
  • Resources
    △
    • New Release
    • Books & Journals
    • Bible Studies
    • How-tos & Reading Plans
  • Speaking
    △
    • Speaking Topics
    • Schedule
    • Testimonials
    • Reviews & Interviews
    • Past Events
  • Contact