Praise the Lord, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars!

Praise the Lord from the earth,
ye dragons and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and mist,
stormy wind fulfilling God’s word!

Mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars!
Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and winged birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all rulers of the earth!
Young men and maidens,
the old together with children!

–Psalm 148:3

What, I wonder, happened at the moment of incarnation? What gasp did all creation sharply inhale at once when the Word through whom and by whom and in whom they were all created took on flesh, became one of those He had made? What love, what immense love is this that the eternal, infinite God should limit His eternity, should bind His infinity in human flesh?

No wonder the sun and moon and shining stars sing praise, the mountains and hills and trees, the wild beasts and cattle, the creeping things and winged birds, the kings and all peoples—young and old, men and women—indeed, the very rocks cry out in praise of such a God.

Let us praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted;
his majesty is above earth and heaven.

He has raised up a horn for his people—
a Saviour who is Christ the Lord—
the praise of all his saints,
of the people who draw near to him who has drawn near to us.

Praise the Lord!

Hallelujah. Amen.