Being Joyful Before God - September 24, 2010

Daily Lectionary Readings for September 24, 2010
Psalm 68:1-10
Esther 8:1-8, 15-17
Acts 19:21-41
Luke 4:31-37

Psalm 68:1-10
But let the righteous be joyful:
let them exult before God;
let them be jubilant with joy.
Sing to God, sing praises to his name.(vs.3 and 4)
A characteristic of the righteous (which I don't think we can declare ourselves to be, but which we can strive to be like) is that the righteous are joyful before God.  They are jubilant with joy.  They sing praises to God's name.  Which is different then being joyous and then going to God and sharing that joy with God.  I believe God loves it when we share our joy with God, but I think the point here is that whatever our state of mind when we get there, when we place ourselves in God's presence, it's cause for joy.

Steven Colbert appeared before Congress to offer testimony at hearings related to immigration.  And received tremendous press coverage.  And deservedly so, Colbert is a sharp guy, able to make a point and draw a laugh at the same time.  What is unfortunate is that that particular skill set - bright, articulate, funny - seems to be in such short supply in the vicinity of congress.  Why must so much of the discourse offered by our elected leadership be in simplistic sound bites, woefully lacking in meaningful points and devoid of anything approaching a light touch.  Just curious.