Glory of God, II

When I read this prayer, I am always mindful of Luther’s words in the Small Catechism with regard to the third petition of the Lords’ Prayer. (Quick now, do you remember it?) God’s kingdom comes, Luther writes, without our praying for it, but in praying this prayer, we are really asking that it come to us. In other words, we are praying that we acknowledge God’s reign and submit to it. It is an important petition with far-reaching consequences.

So, too, with the prayer in this psalm. The glory of God is going nowhere. God, by our human definition at least, is unchangeable. God’s glory fills the world, the church and the disciples of Jesus, and there is nothing we can do about it?except recognize and submit to it.

It’s easy to spot the glory of God, say, in a glorious prairie sunset. But how about in the face of a street person, a person who was created in and bears the image of God? We might feel God’s glory as we enter a grand cathedral. But how about when we enter a local soup kitchen?

And how do we submit to God’s glory? Ah, by loving as Jesus loved, serving as Jesus served, forgiving as Jesus forgave?

Glorious God, help me see and share your glory every day. Amen. — DAB