ELOGOS for Wednesday

​Psalm 100:1-2
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness; come into his presence with singing.
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I have always been one who chafes at anything and anyone who is authoritarian. I don't like being put down, laughed at, shamed, bullied or assaulted. When my bishop(who studied music in college) told us to listen to a selection of classical music, my first reaction was chafing. But the bishop is a good and smart man who just making a suggestion and means me no harm. Later in the day, I listened to a Brahms German requiem that started somberly and ended triumphantly. It was good for my soul. I highly recommend it. I have absolutely no authority to tell anyone to "Make a joyful noise" or "Worship the Lord." And trust me, I really have zilch, zero, nada authority to tell anyone to "Come into his presence." There are times when I wish I did have that kind of authority, but the truth of it is that following Christ is an invitation not a command. I only know that in the presence of Christ I feel humble but never humiliated and that is the difference between Christ's authority and human authoritarians. That difference is something to sing about. That difference can invite us into a different way to treat one another. 
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Lord, we lift up to you those who put us down. Amen