Psalm 84:1-7 The Joy of Worship

"Lord God All-Powerful, your temple is so lovely!
Deep in my heart I long for your temple,
and with all that I am I sing joyful songs to you.

"Lord God All-Powerful, my King and my God,

sparrows find a home near your altars; 

swallows build their nests there to raise their young.



"You bless everyone who lives in your house, and they sing your praises.
You bless all who depend on your for their strength and all who deeply desire to visit your temple.
When they reach Dry Valley, springs start flowing, and the autumn rain fills it with pools of water.
Your people grow stronger, and you, the God of gods, will be seen in Zion."

These photos were taken during the school holidays when the Confirmation Class had a whole day together, during which they put together their huge banner based on Psalm 84.

The following points were given by the Confirmation Class during the Reformation Service about Psalm 84 and their banner:

• God's temple is lovely. It's a place we want to be.
• The sparrows and swallows build their nests near His altars.  So we started by drawing the tree and putting  birds' nest there with the birds looking after their young.
• We then talked about God being the one we depend upon, the one who gives us strength.  He is at the centre of our lives.  So we made the tree into a cross to represent God's love to us through Jesus.
• The river represents the springs that flow through Dry Valley.  God is looking after us and giving us life.
• All living creatures depend on God for all their needs.  That's why we have God at the centre of our lives.

The banner is now hanging on the back wall of the Church, so if you haven't seen it yet, make sure you check it out next time you're in Athol Street.