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Day Thirteen
In some church traditions there is a tradition practiced during Lent called “Burying the Alleluia.” It’s a liturgical practice that dates back to the 5th century, and involves removing the word “alleluia” from spoken responses and songs in the weeks between Ash Wednesday and Easter. Even on the “mini Easters” that happen each Sunday, the practice continues. In some congregations they even have a symbolic burial, placing a banner or some other sort of representative art in the ground (or designated place inside the church building) for the six weeks of Lent.
The idea is to create a sense of anticipation, removing a beloved word of worship from our midst for a time so that it hits us with fresh meaning when it returns. As one Episcopal diocese describes it:
“We let it rest, as it were, during Lent, so that when it reappears on Easter, we may hear it anew. In fact, once it returns on Easter, we give it no rest at all, repeating it again and again, in celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus.”
Whether or not we practice “Burying the Alleluia” during Lent, there is no doubt that the word has special and profound meaning for us as we contemplate the empty tomb. It’s a beautiful word. It’s a powerful word. And in recent years it’s a word that has resurfaced thanks to the popularity of Leonard Cohen’s song “Hallelujah” (which became extremely well known thanks to the movie “Shrek”). In the many interpretations of that song the meaning of the word is sometimes lost, so even though there are millions who know the word, there are many who don’t fully understand what it means.
“Alleluia” or “Hallelujah” is a biblical word, derived from the Hebrew “hallalu-yah,” meaning “praise Yahweh” or simply “praise the LORD.” It’s a direct statement of worship, containing a bit of a command (as in “The LORD be praised”)*. It’s an acknowledgement that Yahweh, the LORD God, is alone to be praised and lifted up—in fact, the very nature of the word robs it of any use in praising anyone or anything else because God’s name is literally built into it!
The LORD be praised!
Of course, the primary place we encounter Hallelu-yah in the Scriptures is in the book of Psalms. There are 24 instances in the Psalms, and the only other book of the Bible it occurs in is Revelation 19:
“Hallelujah!
For the Lord our God
the Almighty reigns.
Let us rejoice and exult
and give him the glory,
for the marriage of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready;
to her it has been granted to be clothed
with fine linen, bright and pure”—Revelation 19:6-8 (NRSV)
In this instance the call to praise the Lord comes as a shout of victory, as Babylon has been judged and the table has been set for the great wedding supper of the Lamb: a feast with Jesus, who has come to reclaim his bride. How we long for that day when the hallelujahs echo for all eternity to the glory of God.
But while we await that great celebration to come, we rejoice in the celebration that is: the resurrection of Jesus. The shouts of victory echo in the here and now, even as we exist in the now and not yet. What was buried has now been raised: let your alleluias ring out, for one day they will be endless.
Let our voices rise
All creation cries
Singing out an endless alleluia
From this moment on
Join with Heaven’s song
Singing out an endless alleluia
Read the rest of the lyrics here.
*As a side note—next time you hear someone use the word “hallelujah” in a secular context, giving thanks for something that turned out well, you can smile in knowing that God’s name was just praised whether the person saying it knows or not)
Time of Reflection
For today’s reflection we’re going to share 3 psalms that begin with the word “Hallelujah.” After each psalm, reflect and pray through these questions:
Why does the psalmist call us to praise God in this psalm?
Who is being called to praise God? What does it look like?
What can I learn from this psalm about what it means to praise the Lord?
You may read all three during the same time of prayer, or you may wish to use these three psalms at different times of the day, one in the morning, one in the afternoon, and one in the evening.
Psalm 111 (CSB)
Hallelujah!
I will praise the Lord with all my heart
in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
The Lord’s works are great,
studied by all who delight in them.
All that he does is splendid and majestic;
his righteousness endures forever.
He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered.
The Lord is gracious and compassionate.
He has provided food for those who fear him;
he remembers his covenant forever.
He has shown his people the power of his works
by giving them the inheritance of the nations.
The works of his hands are truth and justice;
all his instructions are trustworthy.
They are established forever and ever,
enacted in truth and in uprightness.
He has sent redemption to his people.
He has ordained his covenant forever.
His name is holy and awe-inspiring.
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow his instructions have good insight.
His praise endures forever.
Psalm 150 (CSB)
Hallelujah!
Praise God in his sanctuary.
Praise him in his mighty expanse.
Praise him for his powerful acts;
praise him for his abundant greatness.
Praise him with the blast of a ram’s horn;
praise him with harp and lyre.
Praise him with tambourine and dance;
praise him with strings and flute.
Praise him with resounding cymbals;
praise him with clashing cymbals.
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 148 (CSB)
Hallelujah!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
praise him in the heights.
Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his heavenly armies.
Praise him, sun and moon;
praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, highest heavens,
and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for he commanded, and they were created.
He set them in position forever and ever;
he gave an order that will never pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth,
all sea monsters and ocean depths,
lightning and hail, snow and cloud,
stormy wind that executes his command,
mountains and all hills,
fruit trees and all cedars,
wild animals and all cattle,
creatures that crawl and flying birds,
kings of the earth and all peoples,
princes and all judges of the earth,
young men as well as young women,
old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
for his name alone is exalted.
His majesty covers heaven and earth.
He has raised up a horn for his people,
resulting in praise to all his faithful ones,
to the Israelites, the people close to him.
Hallelujah!