Here are some questions based on last Sunday’s sermon text (Psalm 150), in case they’re helpful to you for personal growth or group discussion…

• [1] It is a miracle of God’s grace that there is anyone at all in his sanctuary or in heaven to praise him. Sinful humanity is welcome in his presence only through the atonement found in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Praise is the proper response to God for what he has done and simply for who he is. Do you praise him as someone who has been graciously welcomed in his sanctuary (church) in the name of Christ? Do you praise him simply for who he is?

• The final Psalms (145-150) sum up all the prayer-songs of the Psalter in praise. “Praise is the consummating prayer” (Eugene Peterson). Psalm 150 is the Grand Finale of the prayers of God’s people, a vision of our future, a vision of heaven. Can you imagine how Psalms of lament and suffering, Psalms about one’s enemies or imprecatory Psalms could possibly be consummated in praise? Do you think you will see all your prayers transformed to praise in this life? Do you hope for an eternal future where all is praise?

• The call to praise the LORD (Hallelu-JAH) appears in some variation 13 times in Psalm 150. Do you think this means you should happily praise Yahweh even when you don’t feel like it? When you feel like praying a lament or an imprecation instead? When you don’t feel like praying at all? Do you think it’s possible to praise him and to suffer at the same time?

• [3-5] Gratuitous celebration, boisterous music, and the gleeful abandon of dance are most gloriously appropriate to the praise of Yahweh. Does that sound too frivolous to you, like we should be doing “more serious things” to praise God? What does it say about God that he invites you to an eternity of hopping around, banging on noisemakers, singing his praises with our outdoor voices? Do you think it’s worth investing yourself in learning to play a musical instrument to praise the Lord? Can you see that as an aspect of your priestly ministry (e.g., 1 Chronicles 16:1-7)? Have you ever thought of ways you might be able to help others to celebrate the Lord musically?

• [6] “Breath” is what fuels our praise-singing. We need the Holy Spirit, God’s own Holy Breath of Life, to fill us constantly in order to sing his praises in the name of Jesus. This is well pictured in our physical need to breathe while singing. Whether or not you can carry a tune, do you enjoy singing God’s praises? What do you enjoy about it? What aspects of singing in church are difficult for you, why, and what can you do about that?