Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; praise him in the heights!  2 Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his host!  3 Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars!  4 Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!  5 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he commanded and they were created.  6 He established them forever and ever; he fixed their bounds, which cannot be passed.  7 Praise the LORD from the earth, you sea monsters and all deeps,  8 fire and hail, snow and frost, stormy wind fulfilling his command!  9 Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars!  10 Wild animals and all cattle, creeping things and flying birds!  11 Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth!  12 Young men and women alike, old and young together!  13 Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is exalted; his glory is above earth and heaven.  14 He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his faithful, for the people of Israel who are close to him. Praise the LORD! Psalm 148

How is it I have never seen or heard anyone speak of the similarity between this second to last praise psalm of the Psalter to the beloved children’s book, Good Night Moon?    It is no wonder that the little book has soothed, charmed, assured, wee ones to sleep for over 50 years, so similar is its cadence and content to Psalm 148.

This Holy Spirit moment came early this morning as I began the third selection of  today’s lectionary (Ps 93, 96 * 148, 150; Baruch 4:21-29; Galatians 3:15-22; Luke 1:67-80) .  Duh!  I am reminded that all great stories, myths, literature, movies, legends, poetry, art, come from THE great story – the one God, our Father wrote and that we know as Scripture. 

And ALL the Scripture sent us – over time, through creation, through humankind and their particular experiences with God, through culture, context, language, the moon, the stars, through the birth, life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus – all of it births all stories, myths, literature, movies, legends, poetry, and art.  THE great story permeates every cell of our beings from the physical matter of the universe to the phrasing in a children’s book that points us to Him.

Scripture has a cadence and content – a truth – to soothe, charm, assure, enliven and enlighten us morning, noon, and night forever and ever.

Praise God! Praise Him!