St. Aidan's Anglican Church
  • Home
  • Worship Online
  • The Preachers Blog
  • Bible in a Year
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Prayer Requests
  • Request Pastoral Care
  • Youth
  • Give
  • Statement of Faith
  • Video Archive
    • 2025 Videos
    • 2024 Videos
    • Real Lives
    • 2023 Videos
    • 2022 Videos
    • 2021 Videos
    • 2020 Videos
  • Sermon Audio Archive
    • 2020 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centered Eternities November 2019
      • The Real Joy of Easter - Holy Week 2019
    • 2018 Sermons
    • 2018 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centred Church Spring 2018
      • A Gospel Shaped Church Fall 2018
    • 2017 Sermon Series >
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
      • The Saviour King Lent 2017
      • The Victorious King Holy Week 2017
      • The Living King Easter 2017
      • The Brother King Fall 2017
      • Worship the King Advent 2017
    • 2016 Sermon Series >
      • Real Obedience Lent 2016
      • Unity of the Church
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
    • 2015 Sermon Series >
      • Real Gifts 2015
      • Real Mission 2015
      • Mission Discerned
    • 2014 Sermon Series >
      • Real Church 2014
      • Real Lives 2014
    • 2013 Sermon Series >
      • Real God 2013
    • Sermon Archive From 2014 - 2017
  • Christianity 101

the  Preachers  blog

Blogs are posted every Wednesday, except in July and August

"Ascending Praise" by Lynne McCarthy

10/26/2022

 
Psalm 122

​Observe  Let us go to the house of the Lord (1), sings Israel on their way to the Temple, rejoicing at God’s invitation as they climb the steep path. The image in verse two is potent: once their pilgrim feet touch the ground inside the gates of Jerusalem, the fortified city, God protects them from enemies.

In the Lord’s sanctuary all people “give thanks to the name of the LORD” (3-4). God’s judgment is established, for thanksgiving and judgment are inseparable. Judgment belongs to the God of all creation and of all people. The proper response of all people is to give thanks for God’s righteous rule and judgment.

Their prayers for peace in Jerusalem renew their strength as they continue uphill in joy.

Interpret  The third Psalm of Ascent, sung as Israel climbs to the Temple for worship. For them, Jerusalem is a place of refuge, safety, and sanctuary.

Here is peace that only God provides for all His people. All longing for this peace is distilled in the benediction: “Peace be within you” (8). In a world of bloodshed and war, swords and spears become plowshares and pruning hooks; peace that surpasses human understanding will, by His grace and power, prevail. Whatever Israel had done or not done in its checkered history, joy marks their worship together.

Apply  Here’s an attitude to cultivate as we approach Sunday worship. We can be glad for this wonderful privilege of gathering with His Body, His church, after 2+ years of isolation from one another. It’s almost a high for us after such a long separation, being able to meet together. But even if we’re down. faith and obedience draw us together in worship – God’s commandment heeded brings great blessing, personally and corporately. Worship, praise, the Word, confession, thanksgiving, Communion, blessing, fellowship – the liturgical sequence lifts us out of the bog.

It foreshadows our utter joy when we’ll finally meet God, not in a building at a set time, but forever in His Real Presence – quite overwhelming to think about!  We’ll see our Father face to face in the Presence of Jesus, the Spirit whispering His praises with us. We’ll see the true oneness of Trinity, for we will be truly one with God. 

We’re practicing for that time while here, so if we can become excited about worship together (a year of Psalms and teaching sermons should have helped us along), we’ll have come a long way, especially uphill!

Ask  What do I, small part of this gathered community, need to hear from this Psalm? How can God’s good news lodge in my heart to make more room for Jesus, and my neighbour? How can I align my longings for the new creation while in the middle of the old?

Pray  Lord, let my thoughts be centred in You; let my heart be fixed on You; let my joy be contagious in You. With my brothers and sisters, I offer thanks as our worship and prayers ascend to You, in Jesus’ name.

Sing Ps 122
I rejoiced when I heard them say -  John Michael Talbot 
Let Us Go Rejoicing  -  Michael Joncas
 I was glad - King’s College Choir 

Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Picture

    Preachers Blog

    In 2025, each week's blog is a follow-up reflection written by the preceding Sunday’s preacher to dig deeper into the sermon topic and explore engaging discussion questions.

    ​All past blogs remain available if you wish to catch up with any days missed.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

    Who is Jesus?
At St Aidan's, it's our desire to know our Real God,
to grow as a Real Church and
​ to live Real Lives for Him.

Picture
St Aidan’s Anglican Church
274 Campbell Street | Winnipeg, MB R3N 1B5
Phone: 204.489.3390 Email: [email protected]
  • Home
  • Worship Online
  • The Preachers Blog
  • Bible in a Year
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Prayer Requests
  • Request Pastoral Care
  • Youth
  • Give
  • Statement of Faith
  • Video Archive
    • 2025 Videos
    • 2024 Videos
    • Real Lives
    • 2023 Videos
    • 2022 Videos
    • 2021 Videos
    • 2020 Videos
  • Sermon Audio Archive
    • 2020 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermons
    • 2019 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centered Eternities November 2019
      • The Real Joy of Easter - Holy Week 2019
    • 2018 Sermons
    • 2018 Sermon Series >
      • Gospel Centred Church Spring 2018
      • A Gospel Shaped Church Fall 2018
    • 2017 Sermon Series >
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
      • The Saviour King Lent 2017
      • The Victorious King Holy Week 2017
      • The Living King Easter 2017
      • The Brother King Fall 2017
      • Worship the King Advent 2017
    • 2016 Sermon Series >
      • Real Obedience Lent 2016
      • Unity of the Church
      • The Servant King Christmas 2016
    • 2015 Sermon Series >
      • Real Gifts 2015
      • Real Mission 2015
      • Mission Discerned
    • 2014 Sermon Series >
      • Real Church 2014
      • Real Lives 2014
    • 2013 Sermon Series >
      • Real God 2013
    • Sermon Archive From 2014 - 2017
  • Christianity 101