PRAISE IN THE COURT
Last month in Auckland, the New Zealand Bar Association held its annual Sentencing Advocacy Competition for university students studying law. Twenty students are selected to make submissions to the contest based on a fictitious court case. They appear before actual high court judges in real courtrooms to make their submissions either for the Crown or the defense. Winners advance to the semifinals and finals, until two top students are named. This year, Blake Storrier was named the winner and Charlie Harmer runner-up. Both students were from the University of Auckland. Justice David Johnstone presided over the final round and was deeply impressed with the litigating and advocacy skills of the finalists. “Their performances,” he said, “were truly excellent.”
PRAISE IN HIS COURTS
Today’s text is a glorious psalm of praise and thanksgiving. The psalmist calls the whole earth to shout praise to the Lord. Though it is a short psalm, it gives a wide array of images and aspects of praise for God. We thank Him, shout for joy to Him, rejoice in His shepherding—and our role as His sheep, rejoice over His faithfulness, and enter His courts with praise.
Questions
- Do you have Thanksgiving plans this year? What are they? If you’re not from the US, what makes you curious about the celebration of Thanksgiving?
- What do you think it would be like to stand in the highest court in the land in order to argue an important case?
- What is your favorite way to praise and thank God?
