o praise him

All creatures of our God and king, lift up your voice and let us sing.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Thou burning Sun with golden beams,
thou silver moon that gently gleams.
Oh praise Him, oh praise Him.
Alleluia! Alleluia! // Francis of Assisi

Note: I wrote this post over the past summer on my missions trip and never got a chance to put it up on the blog. May it be a good reminder to you as it has been to me to take time to worship the Father especially during this busy season of life.  

This past Sunday, as we sat on plastic chairs in a quaint room filled to the capacity with forty or so people, it occurred to me that worship is a universal act that never ends. What joy it must bring to the Father. I get chills when I glimpse this tiny snippet of heaven--a place with never-ending song. I haven't exactly been blessed with lovely vocal chords but I yearn for the day. I really do.

As we prepare for bed, somewhere on this planet we inhabit, the sun is rising and along with it the voices of praise and adoration. I can't say that the worship we had this morning was astounding. I think about the Western church and all its acoustics, instruments, equipment. I think about how I get irked listening to people singing off-pitch by a half-step or holding a note longer than the four beats the music asks for. I think about how frustrating it is when the technician or whoever it is in charge of the power point messes up. It's not right because I've completely missed the point.

By comparison to the voices I heard that morning, the Western church and all its state-of-the-art equipment and trained musicians were infinitely better, much more professional. And yet, there was something else about the worship that I partook in that morning.

On the spur of the moment, I was asked to accompany the worship leader on the keyboard. Me, a snobbish child from a privileged background, to serve the humble, the "no-good" by the world's standards and yet so cherished and loved by the Father. I cannot describe the feeling. What an honor to serve the Almighty and those who love Him. The song leader may have missed the cue more than once and held the notes longer than need be, but it was beautiful. It was raw. There was a guitar and a keyboard and the voices. But oh, the voices. Such passion and soul to praise their Father.

I will never forget it.

O praise Him, O praise Him
Alleluia! Alleluia!