“This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” -Psalm 118:24
I was a new Youth Director at a wonderful church. It was an exciting experience. I was now going to be part of a new community. I had grown up in the same congregation in Lawton, OK, but now, I was going to be at the First United Methodist Church of Altus. When I joined the church on that first Sunday, it was a brand-new experience. I only knew worship in my home church. Now, I was in a new sanctuary with a whole new family of faith.
The Rev. Ken Pate was the Senior Pastor at FUMC Altus. When he stood in the pulpit to start the worship service that Sunday morning, he boldly proclaimed, ““This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24). In fact, that is how we started every worship service under Rev. Pate’s leadership. It was a tradition I carried with me when I became a pastor just a few years later.
Psalm 118 is written to help lead God’s people in praise and thanksgiving. Originally, it was written for pilgrims who were traveling to the temple during the great feasts. It proclaims the goodness of God who has delivered His people from slavery and is actively working in their lives, today. It is a reminder that God has worked in the world in the past and God is now working. God is worthy of praise for the past and the present. God has extended mercy and grace before, and the gift of this day is a reminder that God’s grace and mercy are present in our lives, even now.
This past Sunday Dr. Long encouraged each of us to begin our time of prayer in thanksgiving. It is so important to do so! We have so much to be thankful for. First and foremost, we can give thanks for a God who loves and cares so deeply for us. We can give thanks for the gift of this day. Today is an opportunity for so many wonderful things! I am thankful for Rev. Ken Pate for teaching me to start worship, to start my day with the knowledge that, “This is the day that Lord has made.” When I remind myself of that gift, it gives me a positive perspective. I see the day in the light of God’s goodness and God’s presence. There are so many negative things in our world, but we are also surrounded by good news. We have so much to be thankful for. We are loved by God. “O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 118:1)
As you start you day today, I want to encourage you to start by boldly proclaiming, “This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” -Psalm 118:24
-Rev. Keith King, Pastor of Worship
