The Worship Arc: Thanksgiving
Psalm 100 is ALL about thanksgiving… in fact, it’s an instruction manual ‘for giving grateful praise’!
“Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.
Know that the Lord is God.
It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.
For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
Psalm 100
In the message version it says…
“Enter with the password: ‘Thank you!’. Make yourselves at home, talking praise.”
We’ve set our minds at ease, welcomed the Spirit, and are ready to worship; now, thanksgiving ensures that we give all the glory to God, from the outset! Thanksgiving reminds us how and why we praise God – because He is LORD (v3); He made us and we are His sheep (v3); He is good, and His love and faithfulness endure forever (v5). Thanksgiving further prepares us to ‘come before Him’ (v2) with our offering of worship, and dwell in His Presence. What a delight that thanksgiving is prescribed in the Bible – what a great and beautiful command for us to follow!
What does this look like practically? According to the Psalmist: shouting and declaring God’s goodness, loud and upbeat praise, singing songs oozing with joy and gladness. It might look like that person who’s usually shy opening up just a little more; someone who is usually fixed to the spot gently moving from side-to-side; a young person raising their hands for the first time, or simply an older person smiling quietly to themselves, reminded of the good things God has done in their life.
I want to challenge us, as a worship team, whether we’re up the front or among the congregation, to reflect our thanksgiving with our bodies – whether that’s smiling whilst we lead from the front, instigating a round of applause in praise of God from the middle, joining in wholeheartedly with actions or sign language, or dancing all around the church – let’s be an example to others of how good and pleasing it is to praise the Lord with thanksgiving (Psalm 147:1).