In Israel's Praise, Walter Brueggemann note that he wants:
...to pursue the notion that in addition to being responsive, praise is also constitutive of theological reality. It not only addresses the God who is there before us but also is an act of constructing the theological world in which we shall interact with God. Because praise is constitutive as well as responsive, practitioners of praise would do well to be critical, knowing, and intentional about the enterprise of construction.
We praise the God we envision. That is, in our praise, we can hear the vital characteristics of the God to whom we offer our praise. With that in mind, it makes some sense that we are also shaped by the praise. I suppose it would be like praising a warrior God who lead us into battle and enables us to conquer others. If our praise is to such a God, don't we begin to step into the role of being a warrior-like people. In fact, it could be that we would begin to make war and the elements of war a central part of our lives. Our God would go before us and we...we would follow as the army of God. But what if the God we praise is praised for making peace...caring for the outsider...pursuing justice...building up the broken-hearted...and restoring the people to life? Would we then be a people whose lives unfold into just such an image? If we did go into war, it would be with the vision of life listed in the previous question? It could very well change how we enter war...if we enter it at all? Just a thought.
Connection: During the day it would be a good exercise to take a look at what we are doing...what decisions we are making ...what tasks we take up, and then reflect upon how we shape our praise of God...maybe even what hymns of praise seem to have a shaping impact on our lives.
Come, Lord of Life, and continue to shape us as we praise you. Amen.
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