Why does God desire praise?

Discussion in 'Liturgy, and Book of Common Prayer' started by Toma, Mar 6, 2013.

  1. Toma

    Toma Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Friends,

    When discussing God with atheists, a big question is why He desires praise & glory. He lacks nothing, being infinite & eternal. His description of Himself is "jealous" - i.e. possessive of His people. Did God ever explain why He demands all things praise Him?

    My answer tends to be: God asks praise from human beings because praising God is the only way in which we, as creatures, can receive continued existence. To praise, magnify, and worship God is our natural fuel, as it were, and not just an arbitrary command or wish of God. Without doing it, we simply cannot "Be". What about the angels, however, and all the other creatures? Why?

    I'd appreciate help with this, especially from Scripture. :)
     
  2. Scottish Knight

    Scottish Knight Well-Known Member

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  3. Lowly Layman

    Lowly Layman Well-Known Member

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    You had me at CS Lewis...
     
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  4. Toma

    Toma Well-Known Member Anglican

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    Thank you so much Scottish Knight. This is extremely insightful and puts down my own Lewis-scruples about the issue. :D

    Two passages in particular: one from Lewis and the other from the writer of the article, inspired me...

    So God's command to praise Him is a command that we start to Love Much: that our hearts be circumcised with absolute love of all that is good, true, and beautiful - out of which love naturally flows praise, for we are creatures who know there is a Creator, deep down.. If we have no love for truth, goodness, and beauty, we cannot even praise the small things that God has made, let alone know His status as Maker, Creator, and Master.

    God wants us to praise Him because only when we are able to make heartfelt praises will we realize that our hearts have been turned to the innermost depths of our existence: the blessed Trinity, Who Is Love. Love & Praise mixed together! What a great point! I had just thought of praise being a ritual act, and love something interior - but the former is preceded by the later, in truth.

    I would expand that to a sort of maxim:

    We want a God who is man-centered, not men who are God-centered.
    expanded:
    [Fallen] Men want a God who is man-centered, but God wants men who are God-centered [for the sake of Greater Love in the Universe].

    It's a struggle between lust (human passions) vs. love (divine agape), and mere nostalgia vs. true beauty.
     
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  5. Toma

    Toma Well-Known Member Anglican

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    There it is! That's the "Money Quote". :)
     
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  6. Toma

    Toma Well-Known Member Anglican

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    The hymn "When I survey the wondrous cross" seems to connect praise & love too, now that I think of it. :) The final two stanzas:

    His dying crimson, like a robe,
    Spreads oer His body on the tree;
    Then I am dead to all the globe,
    And all the globe is dead to me.

    Were the whole realm of nature mine,
    That were a present far too small;
    Love so amazing, so divine,
    Demands my soul, my life, my all.

    Love so amazing, so divine, demands my soul, my life, and my all! It's all in light of the Cross. "Greater love hath no man than this: that he lay down his life for his friends". That's why God is so eminently loveable & praiseworthy: because He is the greatest love.
     
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