“Alleluia”
Revelation 19:6
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I had another beautiful experience with worship recently. You may remember the episode I mentioned a few weeks ago, when I was at church.
This time it was at Bible study. And one of the reasons it was so special was because of the song experience that came before it…
The first song we did was “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” which is a lovely, upbeat Christmas song, that I would have enjoyed immensely, if the two women behind me hadn’t talked the whole way through it.
I tried hard to concentrate, but you know how it is: once you’re aware of something, it’s really hard to stop being aware of it. I thought about turning around and giving them a friendly, smiling “shush” face, but you never know when someone’s feelings are gonna be hurt, and I was at Bible study, so I tried to just be forgiving.
Plus, I kept figuring that the song would end any second.
When it did, in the quiet, the women quieted, too. My mind sort of breathed a sigh of relief, and I hoped that they’d stay quiet through the next song. Well, the next song was a beauty. It was written by Michael W. Smith and sung by Amy Grant, on her “A Christmas to Remember” album. The song is called Agnus Dei, and the words are these:
Alleluia, Alleluia
For our Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia, Alleluia
For our Lord God Almighty reigns
Alleluia
Holy Holy
Are You Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
You are holy
Holy are you Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb
Worthy is the Lamb
Amen
Simple, isn’t it? The words come right out of the Book of Revelation ~ chapters 4, 5 and 19. They are simple, unadulterated words of praise. And just like the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders, I sang those words along with a church full of ladies. It was beautiful worship.
I recognized these words. I knew they had come right out of Scripture, which is part of what made it special. I knew that John had had a revelation of heaven, and the praise and worship that goes on there, and that will in the future.
But the thing that impressed me the most, was the silence. In the spaces between the words, in the intervals between our worship, there was nothing. Just peace and stillness.
And you know what I realized, about why we were hushed? That we were silent simply because there was nothing else to say.
Light Expectations 