THE THEOLOGY OF DOXOLOGY



The Theology of Doxology

Once upon a time there was a preacher whose gifts were so highly respected that he was made bishop and then personal chaplain to King Charles II of England. But instead of keeping step with the world, he always marched to the beat of a different Drummer--which kept him constantly in trouble.

His relations with King Charles soured when the king decided to move his mistress into the preacher's house where she would be discretely close for his purposes. The preacher said, "over my dead body," or something equivalent.

Later, when Charles died, his problems continued under the new king, James II. King James issued a declaration designed to convert the Protestants of England into Catholics. He ordered it to be read in the churches (the 17th century's equivalent for prime time TV). The preacher not only refused to read the king's proclamation, but denounced it publicly. For that indiscretion he was thrown into the Tower of London, their infamous prison where few came out alive.

Shortly thereafter, William of Orange conquered England in the name of Protestantism and thought he would at least have the sympathy and support of the preacher. But the preacher made it plain he would not transfer his allegiance from James II simply because he lost a war. For that impropriety, King William permanently retired him from preaching.

Who was this preacher? You may not know him by his name, Thomas Ken, but you know him by his music. For he wrote the world's most frequently sung hymn. It is sung every Sunday in churches everywhere: the Doxology, "Praise God from whom all blessings flow; praise him all creatures here below; praise him above, ye heavenly hosts; praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost."

This morning we will look closely at words you have sung so many times that you have committed them to memory. Dull repetition, however, may have robbed you of the glorious truth in this great hymn, so brief in words, but rich in content.

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow

Praise is simply appreciation made public. When we enjoy something or someone fully, we burst into happy, spontaneous praise. I like to be around thankful people, don't you? I think I know why. Thankful people take the ups and downs of life better than thankless people. When they are down they never despair. And when they are up they are never proud. They are thankful because they look at life as a gift.

Accepting life as a gift means you can't grumble when it's bad or brag when it's good. To grumble because you have less of this world's blessings is to regard them as a right instead of a gift, and thus to insult the Giver. (See Romans

1:21.)

On the other hand, to boast because you have more of this world's blessings is to deny that everything you have is an unmerited favor. "Who made you superior to others?" Paul asks. "Didn't God give you every thing you have? Well, then," he said, "how can you boast as if what you have were not a gift?" (1 Corinthians 4:7)

When the disciples of John the Baptist warned him that Jesus was drawing bigger crowds, John was not jealous. He said, "No one can receive anything except what has been given from heaven" (John 3:27 NRSV). As James added later, "Whatever is good and perfect comes to us from God, the Creator of all light, and he shines forever without change or shadow" (James 1:17 LB).

Unlike the agnostic, the Christian knows Whom to thank when he feels profoundly grateful. Praise God from whom all blessings flow—and they just keep right on flowing. If all the world enjoyed the beauty of the moon, it would not detract one particle from its brilliance. Likewise, if all the world drew on God's peace, help, and strength in their lives, it would not diminish his boundless supply. "His love has no limits, his grace has no measure, his power has no boundary known unto men. For out of his infinite riches in Jesus, he giveth and giveth and giveth again!" (Annie Johnson Flint) Praise God from whom all blessings flow. And….

Praise Him, All Creatures Here Below

By fulfilling God's intention for them all creatures on earth praise their Creator. “All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord," said the Psalmist, "and all your faithful shall bless you. They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom, and tell of your power" (Psalm 145:10-11).

When critics complained about the praise Jesus was receiving he said, "I tell you, if these were silent, the stones would shout out" (Luke 19:40). Comets and cabbages testify to the glory of God. How? By doing what their Creator designed them to do. In his vision in Revelation John said, "I heard every creature in heaven, on earth, in the world below and in the sea—all living beings in the universe—and they were singing: 'To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor, glory, and might forever and ever'" (Revelation 5:13). How is it possible that animals can praise their Creator? By fulfilling God's purpose for them. Just as the poetry of Shakespeare and painting of Rembrandt and the music of Handel continue to glorify their creators, so the universe by its parts and design is a grand statement of praise to God their Creator.

We humans are not alone in our praise, but our praise is different from that of lower nature. Lower nature does God’s will, but doesn’t choose God’s will. Since we have been given freedom of choice, we can decide to withhold or to extend praise to our Creator. For that reason we can rise above or fall beneath the rest of nature.

We are not content to praise God by ourselves. Like all true lovers, we invite others to join in our admiration of the beloved: "Ain't she sweet, coming down the street. Now I ask you very confidentially, ain't she sweet." Everyone in love knows the feeling. And everyone who loves the Lord delights in drawing attention to the praiseworthy virtues of God. We urge others to add their instruments to our grand symphony of delight, to play and sing and laugh with us, because we believe in its delightfulness. In the words of the hymn-writer, “Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns; Let men their songs employ; while fields and floods, rocks, hills and plains repeat the sounding joy.”

Like laughter and music, praise works best when it is experienced ensemble. Just as the more people laugh the more uproarious and hilarious the laughter. That’s why TV comedies add a laugh track. People laugh when they hear others laughing. It’s contagious. Likewise the more people praise the more uproarious and hilarious the praise. People praise when they hear others praising.

Psalm 148 calls on the sun, moon, stars, ocean waves, and all of nature to praise their creator.

In the words of St. Francis of Assisi: "All creatures of our God and King, lift up your voice and with us sing, Alleluia!" Then like a celestial choir director St. Francis calls on each to sing its part:

Thou burning sun with golden beam,

Thou silver moon with softer gleam, O praise him, Alleluia!

Thou rushing wind that art so strong,

Ye clouds that sail in heaven along, O praise him, Alleluia!

Thou flowing water, pure and clear,

Make music for thy Lord to hear, Alleluia!

Thou fire so masterful and bright,

That givest man both warmth and light, O praise him, Alleluia!

Yes, indeed, praise him all creatures here below. And furthermore. . . .

Praise Him Above, Ye Heavenly Host

When we worship God, we speak in harmony with nature above us as well as nature below us. Super-human nature joins sub-human nature in praising our Creator. God is blessed by both angels and alley cats for both are equally part of his created order. The heavenly hosts amplify our joy in the conversion of friends and family with their own chorus of praise. Jesus said, "There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents" (Luke 15:10).

God has other hands than ours to do his work, and other tongues than ours to sing his praise. Don't let some half-remembered Protestant prejudice about saints get in the way. It is Biblically true that you and I worship with the great company of heaven! And don't think it is all in the distant future. When you come to church you come to more than meets the eye. The writer of Hebrews says "You have come (perfect tense, not future tense)…we come every Sunday to:

to Mount Zion and

to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and

to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and

to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and

to God the judge of all, and

to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and

to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant" (Hebrews 12:22-24).

The weekly attendance figures don't tell the whole story. This morning we are worshiping with the uncounted hosts of heaven. I think of C. B. Ramsay, Bob Kidd, Mel Krumm, Emil Walpus, Simone Wylie and Gertrude Lockie—to name just a few. They have not passed away. They have passed on. There is a big difference. They have passed on to a place where they continue to worship with us the Lord of heaven and earth. Praise him above, ye heavenly host.

And….

Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost

Praise the Father, our Creator. God did not create to acquire something, but to give something: himself. We are not self-made, but God-made, handcrafted objects of divine love. To him be the glory forever and ever! Praise God the Father and . . . .

Praise the Son, our Redeemer. Thank God, he is not aloof from the nitty-gritty affairs of this world, but in Christ he came and will come again to restore lost creation to his righteous rule. You have a great need for a Savior, but you have a great Savior for your need. “Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. He is the first-born Son, superior to all created things. For through him God created everything in heaven and on earth, the seen and the unseen things, including spiritual powers, lords, rulers, and authorities. God created the whole universe through him and for him…. For it was by God's own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. Through the Son, then, God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son's blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven” (Colossians 1:15-20). Praise the Son, the Redeemer and. . . .

Praise the Holy Ghost, our Sanctifier. I prefer to call him Holy Spirit since Holy Ghost sounds like Halloween, but Holy Spirit doesn't rhyme with "heavenly host." By whatever name you chose to use, your worship is incomplete until you praise the third person of the Holy Trinity.

God the Father created the world and rested on the seventh day. God the Son redeemed the world and sat down at the right hand of God the Father. But the God the Holy Ghost never rests. He is at work in you today. The same God who created the universe and was incarnated in Jesus Christ lives and moves within your heart right now.

Praise was never intended to be a solo performance, but to be a chorus of voices. If you are not yet part of a fellowship of worshipers, we invite you to join us in praising God, from whom all blessings flow.

© Douglas Beyer 2011

Scriptures: Psalm 150 and Revelation 5:11-14

Next Steps

__praise God daily in my personal devotions.

__praise God weekly in corporate worship with my church.

__other________________________________________

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