How do you say the words hallowed be your name when the last thing you have strength for is a conversation with God? This reflection begins with a man who went through illness after illness until he heard the diagnosis of the deadliest kind of brain tumour, and it was precisely then that he praised God most loudly. Psalm 113 becomes the answer to the question of why praise comes easily when life goes our way and so hard when it falls apart. Listen if you are looking for a reason for gratitude in a place where you cannot see one today.
Discussion questions
For your small group or for personal reflection after the sermon.
- Psalm 113 repeatedly calls us to praise the name of the Lord. What did a name mean in biblical times, and what does that tell us about why the psalmist praises God?
- The psalmist asks, "Who is like the Lord our God, who is seated on high," and then says He lifts the poor from the dust and gives the childless woman a family. Why might this combination have surprised its first hearers?
- The sermon compares God's majesty to mountains that make us feel small and humble. How does this view of God's greatness shape your prayer and worship?
- Jan Kaczkowski said that when we are poor and sick, God is even closer to us. What helps you praise God when everything is falling apart, and what gets in the way?
- Patryk's story shows that God sometimes lifts people up through others. Who has been that kind of instrument of God's grace for you, and how did it affect your life?
- In what specific difficult situation this week do you want to intentionally pray "hallowed be Your name," and what can you praise God for in it?
