All people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with fear, His praise forth-tell;
Come ye before Him and rejoice.
The Lord, ye know, is God indeed,
Without our aid He did us make;
We are His folk, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take.
O enter then His gates with praise,
Approach with joy His courts unto;
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.
For why? the Lord our God is good,
His mercy is forever sure:
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.
Praise God, from whom all blessing flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heav’nly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.
William Kenthe, 1561
Read Psalm 100
(You may be familiar with the last verse. It is often sung alone as a doxology. However, the striking thing in the entire hymn is the attitude. There is anticipation, joy, even mirth. I’m not sure I’ve ever felt mirth in a worship service. But we should approach God individually and corporately with that kind of joy because it is “seemly so to do” or proper or fitting. The psalmist cites several reasons why. Perhaps if we took a few moments and considered why we were in the worship service and to whom our praise was directed, our attitude might be more joyful. Perhaps.)