Fireworks

Well, another Canada Day almost over, but first there's the fireworks!  All over Canada, I'm sure, there are cities and towns and villages putting on ear-splitting, earth-shaking fireworks displays.  After all, what would a day of celebration like Canada Day be without noise and lights and more noise and... well, you get the picture!

We love to celebrate, don't we!  Any opportunity to cheer on a team, or sing along with the band, or clap at an amazing display of fireworks, and we're there.  We're so into it, we're so pumped, we're so... enthusiastic.  It seems that the more noise we can make, the better - it's, like, let's celebrate and let's really make it something.

READ:  Psalm 96

Celebrating is great, but why is it (all too often) limited to sports events, or pubs, or dances, or a host of things similar to that?  What about celebrating life?  What about celebrating others?  What about celebrating... God?  God?  Yes, God.  After all, the Bible tells us we should 'sing a new song to the Lord' because 'great is the Lord' who is 'worthy of our praise'.  Why are we told to do this?  Because celebrating is not limited to games, or parties; celebrating is for rejoicing in God's goodness, in His majesty.  Because celebrating is for all of us to do, for all God has done, for all of us.

If we cannot, or will not, celebrate the God who created everything there is (which includes each of us!), then why should we be celebrating anything?  Seriously, why?  But we do, don't we!  So ask yourself...

• Is there something, or someone, I celebrate regularly?
• Do I celebrate God? 
• What might I do in order to better celebrate God?

It's so easy to be a fan and cheer on our team, but when it comes to church, or God, we tend to be less enthusiastic, and usually much less noisy!  But our 'team', with God as our 'leader', is one which deserves recognition, and praise, and celebration - and with noise!  After all, doesn't God deserve all our praise and all our recognition and all our celebration... and all our noise!

So, get noisy for God! 
Celebrate God! 

It's not just the things in this world - the events, the people, the parties - that deserve our celebration, it's our great, big, wonderful God who deserves it.  Cheer, whistle, clap, pound your feet, whatever - just as fireworks make a lot of noise and provide lots of light, let our celebration of God be a time of rejoicing, a time of noise, a time of cheering.  Because seriously, who deserves our celebration/praise more than God!

PRAYER
God, thank you for who you are.  That's worthy of celebration.  Help me not to forget you in the midst of all the things I celebrate in life.  God, you are worthy of my praise!
Amen.