Shout

Shout with joy to God, all the earth!

Sing the glory of his name;

make his praise glorious!

                                       Psalm 66

We shout with enthusiasm for things we love.  Crowds at sporting events scream to the point of losing their voice.  Concert goers raise their hands and sing along loudly.  Graduates hear family and friends cheerfully scream when their name is called.  Parents shout on the sidelines at their 10 year old's soccer game.  We sometimes even shout at inanimate objects like the T.V or computer.  We are shouters.

Shouting is not something we do all the time.  It's reserved for special moments.  If we were to shout all the time, aside from it being really obnoxious, we would need to find some other way to express and indicate enthusiasm.  Shouting is meant to be reserved for the right occasions.

In the beginning of Psalm 66 we are commanded to shout to God.  At first thought it sounds irreverent.  If I were in the presence of the President of the U.S. my instinct would be respectful silence and reflection not shouting (depending on the President!).  And so we are with God.  We think we should be exclusively silent - and there is a place for that.  But there is also a place for shouting.  

We are told two things about our shouting.  First, we are to do it with joy.  Shouting for the sake of shouting is empty.  It is designed to be an expression of enthusiasm for the One whose ways are higher than ours. Who woke us up this morning and put breath in our lungs.  Who fearfully and wonderfully made us in His image.  Who starts and ends seasons.  Who, even in low moments, is the One whose peace and comfort and presence never leaves or forsakes us.  With joy for these things and a thousand more, we shout.

And secondly, our shouting should make people think of Him not us.  The Psalmist says to sing the glory [fame] of his name.  Some shouting and dynamic expression of worship is nothing more than exhibitionism - putting ourselves on display rather than pointing people to God.  But we should shout only for the purpose of lifting up the name of the great I Am.  He is worthy of our vocal outbursts.

So go shout in worship somewhere this morning.  If that is not possible, shout in your car or your home or outside somewhere.  I will be shouting with my brothers and sisters at Commonwealth Chapel.  And in a mystical way, shouting with people around the globe who will give praise and honor to His name today.  Shouting is a good thing.

Ex nihilo,

R.J. Rhoden