Creekside Chronicle August 2026

1 Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! 2 Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! 3 Know that the Lord, he is God! It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise! Give thanks to him; bless his name! 5 For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations.

The text mentions entering God's "gates" and "courts" with thanksgiving, pointing to a setting at the physical temple in Jerusalem. This may suggest it was written during the period after the exile when the Jewish people returned from Babylon and rebuilt the temple. The Psalm is also viewed as a timeless liturgy used during ancient festival processions.

In either case the purpose, Psalm 100 was designed for communal worship—calling the people to make a joyful noise, to recognize God as their Creator and Shepherd, and celebrate His enduring goodness. But unlike portions of other Psalms that focus strictly on Israel's specific national triumphs, Psalm 100 calls "all the earth" and "all lands" to worship God. This reflects the overarching biblical theme that Israel was meant to be a light to the nations, drawing all people into the joy of the Lord. This is a universal invitation to us all.

But do you still wonder what was going on at the time it was written? The harassment of the Jewish people has never ended. Even up to this point the Jewish people certainly had their share of political crisis, war, and persecution. Right?

I believe all scripture has one interpretation but countless applications (as long as they don’t violate scripture). So, as I contemplated this Psalm and the meaning of some of the phrases and words, I wondered if it should or even could be interpreted chronologically – in order of how the verses land. Let me explain.

The first verse is what sparked this notion, "Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!"
- the phrase "Make a joyful noise" is the one word "Rua". It holds a meaning of shouting a war-cry or alarm of battle. To sound a signal for war or march. Then comes "Serve the LORD with gladness!"- This particular service is subjecting yourself (gladly) to God's kingdom work, which at times may include a battle. Do you suppose that “shouting a war-cry” seems to be an enthusiastic sign of commitment that you are giving yourself to His call to war and your readiness for the work? I say, YES! I get tired of the modern saying “Let’s gooooooo” but I feel like it fits here.

So, if the first two verses are laid out chronologically, a cry of enthusiastic commitment comes before Kingdom service. Then we read, "Come into his presence with singing! Know that the LORD, he is God!" We come into His presence with both enthusiasm and reverence – a cry and a commitment. Why? Because “He is God!” This phrase “coming into His presence” has the meaning and purpose of being enumerated, counted among the warriors, among His people, those whom He is calling. And when we know how the war ends, we are counted among His victors as well.

That "Rua", making a joyful noise, is not only a battle cry before the fight, it is also a victory cheer and applause - applause for the win, but more so a cheer and applause for the hero of the story – Our Lord – Our God. Our confidence of going into battle should rest on "Know that the LORD, he is God!". That should be our posture in any victory we celebrate. He gets all the glory and honor. He is the hero. We get both the confidence and the win because of Him.

So, whether this Psalm is for before the battle or after it, the outcome is the same. Why? Because it all points to God. What does the Psalm go on to say? "It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Who is He? He is the Creator, Breath Giver, Sovereign Lord, Good Shepherd, King of kings, Loving Father. Who are we? His people, His own who carry His name. We are His sheep – not for the slaughter – we are restored souls destined for His safe and abundant green pastures. Enter his gates with thanksgiving because you are assured you are welcome in His sanctuary and His presence where there is light and life - and his courts with praise! tells us we have much to praise Him for and much to shout about. Give thanks to him; bless his name! What is the significance of "his name"? It is all of who He is, all He has done, all He is doing, and all He is yet to do - For the LORD is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations." — Psalm 100:1-5

It is in all this that our "Rua" is a shout of victory and applause to our King. Though the battle may go on, the war has been won.

Father God, King of all kings, it is You who made us, and we are Yours – You said so! We are counted by grace as those among Your people, and the sheep of Your eternally abundant pasture. We come to You by Your grace to offer thanksgiving, and praise in Your courts! We give thanks to You and bless Your name! For You the LORD are good; Your steadfast love endures forever, and Your faithfulness to all generations. Be with us all in Your kingdom battles. The victory is Yours. Amen.

Canyonview would like to thank and honor these two amazing young ladies. Both girls are students at Turner Elementary School. Autumn (10) and Haley (9), are amazing examples of selfless servant hearts who give for the joy of giving. Two years ago, it was their own idea to try and raise money for worthy causes through selling lemonade and cotton candy. Last year they gave to the Humane Society. This year they beat their own record and blessed Canyonview with their hard-earned $117.

Autumn's family has a long history with Canyonview that goes way back. Her grandmother, Debi, reminisced about wonderful memories of our beloved "Buzzard", Dale Price. She said, "Canyounview is an amazing place." We couldn't agree more. And more so, we serve an amazing God who would work through two such precious angels.

Girls - I am not sure you know how profound it is that God would specifically choose the two of you to play a special part in His kingdom work here at camp. Your generous gift just may change someone's life for all eternity. You certainly have something to smile about. And, we can tell by both of your smiles that you loved raising the money just as much as you did giving the money.

Autumn and Haley - YOU MAKE GOD SMILE!

What great examples Autumn and Haley are, showing us all, that when you love what you do and do what you love, others are blessed much more than you may ever know. Bless you Autumns and Haley. Thank You, Lord for loving Canyonview through them.

PLEASE PRAYERFULLY CONSIDER GIVING TO CANYONVIEW. CLICK ON A SMILE ABOVE.

Canyonview has had the honor of serving the ministry of Royal Family Kids (RFK) for more than two decades. If you're not already familiar, Royal Family KIDS Camp is a five-day overnight summer camp designed specifically for children ages 6 to 12 who have experienced foster care, abuse, neglect, or abandonment. Operated nationally through the nonprofit For The Children and hosted by local churches, the program provides a 2-to-1 camper-to-counselor ratio to ensure Christ-centered, personalized care, safety, and positive life-changing memories. It is a wonderful loving ministry of faithful churches and volunteers who make this incredible week of camp free for these precious kids. Canyonview hosts four such RFK groups every summer.

We're reaching out to you, the Canyonview Family, because RFK Albany is seeking more volunteers for next year for their RFK week at Canyonview. They are well funded but are falling short of the number of volunteers they need to maintain the right ratios for ministering to and caring for the kids entrusted to them. As a volunteer you would be trained by RFK Albany in a way that equips you with all you'll need to provide this Christ-centered personalized care and safety that results in lasting positive life-changing memories.

We promise you'll get way more out of it than you will put into it! And, there is no measure to the eternal impact you will make.

Please prayerfully consider volunteering for RFK Albany. For more information contact RFK Albany by emailing albanyrfk@gmail.com (Click the RFK logo above to find RFK Albany on FB)

First: Would you thank God for His provision of campers, summer staff, and the means to continue His ministry. And thank Him for making the Gospel alive through His word and Spirit and in one another.

Answered Prayer: Canyonview was blessed with the means to purchase a much needed truck. And if that wasn't enough, we were donated another truck. It was odd. But God knew we would have need because another ranch truck quit on us the day after we got the second truck. Thank you to our generous donors and to God for His faithful and providing hand.

Second: Would you please pray...

- That God would provide the funds through our supporters and guest groups to equip us with a much-needed heavy equipment we need that would help us to properly care for our campgrounds and the animals we have been blessed with.

- That God would bless us with gifts or grants to make the repairs and improvements we need to our facility and housing to be good stewards of our guests and our staff.

- That God would keep our staff healthy, well rested, physically fit, spiritually fed, and filled with the Spirit with the passion to serve in these last few weeks of camp and in the months ahead.

-That God would kindle the fire that was started in the hearts of our kids and adults this summer in a way that makes them burn bright as they grow in Christ and that they would shine bright in the darkness of a lost world as they live out the Gospel.

- That God would fan into flames our creativity and insight for filling the Fall and Winter calendar with life changing programs and events in service to those He is calling from near and far.

- That the word would be spread about the work God is doing at and through Canyonview to unite our local churches, pastors, and Christian leaders, and that He would give the CV staff the capacity and wisdom to serve unified believers all for His glory and the good of many.

THIRD: We would ask you to please consider supporting Canyonview with an ongoing or one time gift that will expand our operational capacity in a growing but difficult to sustain ministry that employees families, and feeds and cares for animals that both serve God's purposes at Canyonview and proclaim His name to all who will hear.

FOURTH: Would you please share this newsletter with your friends, family, and church members who may or may not know about Canyonview?

1 John 5:15 And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

Amen and Thank you.

Canyonview is the perfect place for you to CHILL OUT and HAVE FUN. Our Guest Services Team is ready for you to call to book you next event, big or small. Special Winter rates may be available for you. Ministry discounts for churches and para-church ministries. We are eager to connect with...

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We would love to be the host for your next Church or Company picnic party, Baptism Party,
Women's Retreat, Men's Retreat, Youth Retreat or Activity Night, School or Home School Prom, Graduation, Sports Camp, Field Day or Outdoor School, Family Reunion or Special Occasion. Call and ask to speak to our Guest Services Team to talk about your event and/or get a tour.

CLICK ON THE DUCKS TO GO TO OUR GROUP PAGE.

We want to thank all of our supporters, readers, parents, churches, and campers for being part of the Canyonview experience. Your partnership with us and your enjoyment of this wonderful place that God has entrusted to us gives us a glimpse of heaven. Please share this email with others you know. If you are new to us, you can visit our website and read previous editions of the Creekside Chronicles. Enjoy your summer and the wonders of His glory.