Today, as I was looking for some hymn lyrics to be sung to the tune "Thaxted," taken from the middle of the fourth movement of Gustav Holst's "The Planets," I found these words which I encourage you to peruse. My sister and I decided that when she gets married, we will sing a hymn to this tune; and reading these words in that context really touched me: http://www.oremus.org/hymnal/o/o153.html

My favorite part of any worship service is the opening hymn, the ones like "Immortal, Invisible, God Only Wise," "Praise, My Soul, the King of Heaven," hymns where we offer praise to God but don't really get around to ask for anything. I became so suspicious of asking things of God while in college that I guess I went the other way. Praise, and thanksgiving to a certain extent, comes easy, but petition seems almost vulgar. No, it does seem vulgar. Does anyone else every feel this way?