Open-ended, Life-centred,
Gospel-Focussed Explorations of Australian Prayer Book Psalms.
Song of the Three 29-34...TRINITY (A)
.... (For the
Gospel, please scroll)
INTRODUCTION: 1] Psalms
are poetry for singing,
depending not on rhyme, but repeating an idea differently,
developing it, contrasting it, etc. They date from pre-1000 BC (David)
to mid 400s
BC. Being of their day, we may
find attitudes in some PSs abhorrent. 2]
The
APB text differs from Bible versions. 3]
While not one of 'The PSS', the
song the three sing in the fiery furnace is from Ch.3 of DAN in the
Greek version of the Hebrew Bible & is on p 399 of the A.P.B .4] God's Name, revealed to Moses at
the burning bush, is YAHWEH, often just YHWH, meaning I AM, or I AM WHO
I AM, from an ancient verb 'to be'.
WARMING UP: What part does singing play in any part of our life?
TREASURES OLD & NEW:
Identify God at work in anything this week?
ENTERING INTO THE STORY:
29 How much time do we
spend consciously 'blessing God'? Are we more used to 'blessing'
someone when they sneeze? Why do we do that, & how does it
relate to God? Do we still connect much with our forbears, in the
generational sense or our forbears in faith? Do we still know about,
& value what they have passed on to us in any sense?
Chorus What does 'worthy' actually mean, & why
is God 'worthy to be praised & exalted for ever? If God is 'worthy'
as the hymn says, are we
busily praising & worshipping God? Do we really expect our praise
& exaltation (= worship?) to continue, in some form, for ever?
30 What
does 'holy' mean, & why is God's name: a) holy, & b) glorious?
In the light of N.4, why is
God's name holy, glorious, to be praised & exalted?
31 Whether
God's 'holy temple' is the Jerusalem temple (in ruins when this song
dates from), the heavens above, or our local church, how much do we
localise God's presence in / to one spot? Does that make God easier to
'grasp'? Bring God more under our 'control'?
32
Assuming earth is somewhere 'in the depths' does it surprise us at all
that God bothers to 'behold' us down here? If we're even further down
in the depths e.g. of despair, as the three must have been (whether the
story's literally true or parabolic doesn't matter!) how encouraging is
it that God 'beholds' us? Is it often easier to be conscious of God's
presence from 'down in the depths' than when we're not 'down'? Why
would God be concerned with 'depths' anyway?
33
Is throne imagery meaningful to anyone other than royalists these days?
Does 'throne' represent some aspects of God's nature as revealed to us
in Jesus & not others?
34
Is heaven really 'in the heights', or do we need to change our imagery
in the light of what Jesus shows us of God & our experienced of
God's presence?
Plus: How does the
grandeur of this hymn lend itself to our worship of God as a Trinity of
Persons?
