Previous Challenge Entry
Topic: Worship (05/03/04)
|
TITLE: Visions in He Reigns By Amy McWhorter 05/05/04 |
 LEAVE COMMENT ON ARTICLE
SEND A PRIVATE COMMENT
SEND ARTICLE TO A FRIEND
|
n. 1. a. The reverent love and devotion accorded a deity, an idol, or a sacred object. b. The ceremonies, prayers, or other religious forms by which this love is expressed.
2. Ardent devotion; adoration. (www.dictionary.com)
As my graduation draws near and I look for a new something to look forward to, I am finding myself in need of one on one worship more and more.
This morning I woke up to the sound of my alarm yelling, “Wake up you silly person! No more time to snooze! Don’t touch that snooze button! Wake up wake up wake up! Drip drip drip drip drip…” in a voice that sounds like the Middle Eastern scientist from Johnny Five. To think that I thought my old one was annoying!
I crawled out of bed, pulled my clothes onto my body and climbed up the stairs to the living room to gather my things. I entered feeling so terrible that I dreaded the thought of going outside. I didn’t even want to think of walking into school where I am one of a tiny minority of Christians.
When I got into the car for the drive to school I turned on my Newsboys CD… Adoration: The Worship Album. The first song, “He Reigns” has this poetic vibe to it that makes my worries melt and my praises abound in vivid, almost real mental pictures.
“It's the song of the redeemed, rising from the African plain…” I see my friend Theo and his sister Noela from Cameroon singing “Sanctuary” as we walk down the main street of downtown Benson.
“…It's the song of the forgiven, drowning out the Amazon rain…” Vibrant green leaves dance in a warm shower and bronze skinned men women and children turn their faces toward heaven.
“…The song of Asian believers, Filled with God's holy fire…” My friends from Vietnam and South Korea, Viet and Nali, are with wide smiles on their faces sitting on the couch in our youth room while we watch a skit.
“…It's every tribe, every tongue, every nation, a love song born of a grateful choir…” I think of Shahmar, a Muslim teenager from Azerbaijan who seems enamored with the worshipers as the blue light from the stained glass windows fills the room and voices hit the ceiling and bounce back.
“…It's all God's children singin', Glory, glory, hallelujah, He reigns, He reigns…” My mind is filled with visions from the Cove in Asheville, North Carolina, Festival Con Dios at Rosenblatt, Acquire the Fire in Des Moines, or Dare 2 Share in Lincoln when 200 – 5,000 voices joined together in one song. The music disappeared all the voices were an orchestra all their own.
“…Let it rise above the four winds, Caught up in the heavenly sound…” The seed from dandelions fly up into the sky and are spread across the plains to be planted in foreign soil.
“…Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals, to the faithful gathered underground…” I am standing atop the high towers of a cathedral in Cologne and then suddenly find myself in the midst of a group of people huddled in prayer in the basement of a Baptist home in the Republic of Georgia.
“…Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation, some were meant to persist…” The hypnotic song sung by monks of medieval Europe “O come o come Immanuel”, is the same song that we sing at my church near Christmas.
“…Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples, none rings truer than this…” I can see and feel the connection I have through worship filled fellowship with all the believers across the globe.
“…And all the powers of darkness, tremble at what they've just heard…” People who do not have God shudder because they feel it in the air, but don’t know what it is. They want to join, but don’t know how and it therefore makes them uncomfortable.
“…Cause all the powers of darkness, Can't drown out a single word…” Instead of trying to drown it out with their own noise, Satan and his minions fall to the ground clutching their ears in pain from the resounding praises to God.
“…When all God's children sing out, Glory Glory Hallelujah, He reigns, He reigns, All God's children sing out, Glory Glory Hallelujah, He reigns, He reigns, All God's people sing out, Glory Glory Hallelujah, He Reigns, He reigns.” All of these things come together and I hear a million voices in hundreds of languages. I see the faces of thousands of worshipers driving evil back into darkness. Their rainbow of faces gets lighter and lighter until it is a bright white light and not a single person can be seen – only the blinding light.
I get out of my La Saber and walk into my school singing the chorus over and over feeling fully capable through the strength that God has given me today. I can do anything, and I will become his hands and feet after my graduation. I need not worry about any of the rest of it. I will have everything to look forward to, not one specific end, and that makes me happy. All I have is adoration.