Psalm 134
A song for pilgrims ascending to Jerusalem.
1 Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
you who serve at night in the house of the Lord.
2 Lift your hands toward the sanctuary,
and praise the Lord.
3 May the Lord, who made heaven and earth,
bless you.
Reflection
“Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Centre, a speaking voice, to which we may continuously return. Eternity is at our hearts, pressing upon our time-torn lives, warming us with intimations of an astounding destiny, calling us home unto itself.” -Thomas Raymond Kelly, Quaker pastor & professor
According to the encyclopedia Britannica, “sanctuary, in religion, is a sacred place, set apart from the profane, ordinary world. Originally, sanctuaries were natural locations, such as groves or hills, where the divine or sacred was believed to be especially present.”
Whether it’s internal or external, sanctuary calls us to lift our hands in praise to the Holy One.
We invite you to meditate on what lifting up your hands toward the sanctuary might look like you today? Perhaps you can imagine the scene. Is it internal or external? Would you speak in praise? Or be silent? Spend time with God in that sanctuary. Give gratitude for all that has unfolded with God.