Bless the Lord!
I pray this anthem amplifies our response of praise together.
By: Jeremy Case, Head of School
2020 has been a year full of noise. The clangs of COVID, riots, protests, atrocities of injustice, polarizing politics, and arguing over masks ring out everywhere … all in addition to the normal clatter that resonates within our culture. In the midst of all this noise, only scripture can cut through the commotion to tune our hearts and minds to the truth of God’s Word. This year, we’ll begin reflecting on our new school verses from Psalm 103. These verses will be our tuning fork to resonate our hearts in the certainty of God’s truth and His never-changing character.
WHAT OUR CHILDREN NEED TO HEAR
In the disquietude of this “new normal,” our children need to hear these things so clearly again and again:
Our children need to continually hear who God is and the trueness of His character.
God is on His throne ruling and reigning over all things with righteousness and justice.
Our children need to continually hear all that God has done and continues to do for His people.
He knows them. He loves them. He redeems them. He crowns them.
Our children need to continually see that our response to this good news is to bless the Lord.
Our response is to praise Him with our whole being by delighting in Him fully.
DISCIPLING OUR CHILDREN TOGETHER IN COVENANT
Our children are always being discipled. Their hearts and minds will either be shaped by the noise of the world or transformed by the truth of who God is and what He has done for them.
Discipling our children together in covenant allows this good news to be amplified in our homes, classrooms, and church each and every day. This is the privilege and responsibility we get to steward for such a time as this and why it’s so vital for us to be together again.
AN ANTHEM TO TUNE OUR HEARTS TO JESUS
There’s a beautiful structure to David’s psalm. His response of praise begins as an individual response but then builds to include God’s covenant people before it crescendos to include all of creation. It’s a response which amplifies an anthem of praise - all of creation blessing the Lord!
As we memorize and meditate oN these verses together, I pray this anthem drowns out the noise of life in 2020, tunes our hearts to Jesus, and amplifies our response of praise.
Every school year we rest in the scripture and rely on God’s Spirit to carry the mission of Perimeter School forward together. This year is no exception. We are stepping forward in faith asking God to do what only He can do. I pray that each step is a sweet sound of praise as we bless the Lord together this year.
“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!”
Psalm 103
God shows up in our messy places and transforms ordinary moments into holy ones.