Awake, Awake: A Complete Stirring of Powers to Praise

Deborah's exhortation rings with urgency: "Awake, awake, Deborah: awake, awake, utter a song: arise, Barak, and lead thy captivity captive" (Judges 4:14). This doubled command demands a total mobilization of human capacity for worship. First, rouse the bodily powers. The tongue—that glory of our frame—must be tuned like David's harp of old. Our weary limbs and heavy eyelids yield to the power of Divine joy, which reanimates even the flesh itself.…