Ascribe to the LORD, O families of the peoples, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength! Ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name; bring an offering and come before him! Worship the LORD in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth; yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved. Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, “The LORD reigns!” (1 Chr. 16:28–31)
“I have never taken more pictures of rocks in my entire life.” I’ve been saying this to everyone who asks us how our recent vacation went. My family and I concluded the month of May with a long trip to the five big national parks in Utah (Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce, and Zion), the Grand Canyon, and the Great Sand Dunes. As I reflect on those two weeks of 4,000 miles of driving, of 9,000 feet in elevation, and of ever-changing terrain, I left our trip with greater awe and worship than before we started. Every park was unique. Every view was stunning. The trip marked the conclusion of my sabbatical graciously offered to me by Bethlehem College and Seminary to work on my dissertation on the use of Psalms in 1–2 Chronicles.
One of those psalms, Ps 96, is quoted in the middle of 1 Chr 16 (along with Pss 105 and 106). As part of that quotation, the Chronicler (the author of Chronicles) writes the text noted above. There are three observations that connect to our vacation in these national parks.
First, Yahweh is at the center of our worship. When we stand awestruck at massive mountains and gorgeous canyons, we cannot end there. “Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved,” but such an observation by the psalmist gives cause to our trembling before him and worshipping “the Lord in the splendor of holiness.” The grandeur of the world around us is meant to lift our eyes and give glory to the one to whom it is due.
Second, the psalmist describes our worship not simply as glory ascribing, but as rejoicing. We don’t simply acknowledge God’s supremacy in all things—we rejoice in it! The joy of seeing giant rocks in Utah points us to the greatest joy we must have in the Lord. The beauty of The Narrows in Zion, the magnificence of the Double Arch in Arches, or the breath-taking colors of the Hoodoos in Bryce pale in comparison to the beauty, magnificence, and breath-taking wonder of our God. We are already talking about going back again. How much more should you and I yearn similarly to meet with and rejoice in the living God!
Third, this vision of Yahweh’s greatness and the depth of joy we have in him is meant to be spread to the nations. “We exist to spread a passion for the supremacy of God in all things for the joy of all people’s through Jesus Christ” is not a mere slogan at Bethlehem College and Seminary. It is our expression of the Bible’s vision of why we exist. The greatness of God must be made known and mountains, canyons, valleys, and sand dunes are meant to help us want to make God’s reign known, rejoiced in, and then expressed to and by the nations, the families of the earth.
Such an amazing trip was not a waste, but has kindled afresh our love for Christ, our desire to make him known, and our love for Bethlehem College and Seminary.
My prayer for this summer has been that when our students, faculty, contributors, and prayer-warriors are away on their vacations at the beaches, mountains, cabins (etc), God would use that time to stir afresh our love for him and a love for making him known. As the Director of Evening Programs, I’m eager to see prospective students catch a taste for this kind of Sovereign God in his Sacred Book. If you know of anyone who may be interested in taking evening classes, completing an undergraduate degree in theology, or earning a master’s degree in exegesis and theology, consider sending them this prayer letter and encourage them to take classes with us.
Don’t waste your vacation this summer. May the Spirit help us “ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name.”
Lance Kramer, Th.M.
Director of Evening Programs
Prayer Requests:
- Pray that prospective students as they finish applications and join us this Fall for classes.
- Pray that the Lord would give our faculty, staff, and students rest over these final summer weeks as we write, work, and prepare for next school year.
- Pray that the Lord would guide you or others to consider taking classes at Bethlehem College and Seminary, especially in our evening programs.
- Pray for the full funding of the Alex Steddom International Student Fund.