Preparing for corporate worship

Praise and thanksgiving are integral elements of worship. We express praise and thanksgiving to the One who is worthy of worship. In praise, we respond to His attributes – or who He is. In thanksgiving, we respond to His works – or what He has done. Sometimes those flow together in worship. We see this in Psalm 111. In verse 1, the psalmist writes, “Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, in the company of the upright and in the assembly.” (That last portion is a great portrait of corporate worship.) We see this mixture of praise and thanksgiving in verses 2-4 as well: “Great are the works of the Lord; they are studied by all who delight in them. Splendid and majestic is His work, and His righteousness endures forever. He has made His wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.” May we ponder His attributes and works as we gather together this Sunday, and may we express our praise and thanksgiving as His people.