O Sing to the Lord a New Song

AM: Psalm 97, 98 • Proverbs 8:22-30 • John 13:20-35
PM: Psalm 145 • Isaiah 44:1-8 • 1 John 5:1-12

This year of the pandemic, if we wish to prolong our Christmas joy, with no interruptions, straight through from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, it might seem disappointing that the readings for today contain nothing about the birth of Jesus.

But on further reflection, look at Psalm 98. It's one of my favorites. It's coherent. It's all joy and praise with no complaining. Though old, it will always sound like a new song when we hear it, as it begins, “O sing to the Lord a new song, for he has done marvelous things.” It's one of the “hymn psalms,” and I like to think that the angels sang it to God and to the shepherds when they announced the marvelous birth of the son of God.

I love it when on Sundays we mortals sing Herbert Brokering's modernization of it to David N. Johnson's music, with the refrain,

He has done mar – – velous things.

I, too, will praise him with a new song.

With help from our belovèd former music director, Charlie Rigsby, I found Brokering's lyrics and have printed them below with the hopes that you will compare them with Psalm 98. Note how angelically Brokering renews and expands the King James Version of the psalm.

Earth and all stars, loud rushing planets, sing to the Lord a new song!

O victory, loud shouting army, sing to the Lord a new song!

Hail wind and rain, loud blowing snowstorms, sing to the Lord a new song!

Flowers and trees, loud rustling dry leaves, sing to the Lord a new song!

Trumpets and pipes, loud humming cellos, sing to the Lord a new song!

Engines and steel, loud pounding hammers, sing to the Lord a new song!

Lime stone and beams, loud building workers, sing to the Lord a new song!

Classrooms and labs, loud boiling test tubes, sing to the Lord a new song!

Athlete and band, loud cheering people, sing to the Lord a new song!

Knowledge and truth, loud sounding wisdom, sing to the Lord a new song!

Stories and poems, loud reading teachers, sing to the Lord a new song!

Daughter and son, loud praying members, sing to the Lord a new song!

Written by John DuVal

John admits to making Brokering's renewal of the song slightly newer by adding the penultimate line. He hopes you all will have had a happy Christmas and prays for your health, safety, and happiness throughout the new year.

P.S. Last night, December 13, a loud-blowing snowstorm sang praises to the Lord, covering Fayetteville with snow.