An Unutterable Beatitude
“Come, let us bow down in worship, let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.” Psalm 95:6
Updated Sep 24, 2001
Barry faxed me a devotional thought from his desk calendar today. It comes from the writings of A. W. Tozer:
“When the Holy Spirit is permitted to exercise his full sway in a redeemed heart there will likely be voluble praise first; then, when the crescendo rises beyond the ability of studied speech to express, comes song. When song breaks down under the weight of glory, then comes silence where the soul, held in deep fascination, feels itself blessed by an unutterable beatitude.”
I was introduced to the writings of A. W. Tozer by my former boss at British Youth for Christ, Clive Calver -- a committed Tozerite. We traveled all over the United Kingdom giving church and citywide presentations on the power of prayer and the impact of worship on the life of a city. I was a worship leader and Clive would speak. We saw God move in some remarkable ways, as ordinary men and women forgot about their lives and worries for a while, caught up in waves of praise to the Lord. For me the most memorable nights were when a silence would fall on the worshipers. It was as if we could not move or say a word, because we were on holy ground.
It’s not very difficult to lead rousing worship; people love to sing at the top of their lungs, particularly when there is a great crowd and all are committed to the same purpose. But silence before God is something else. It is as if you enter another room where words would be out of place and redundant. I wonder if sometimes we gather for worship but leave too soon. We are encouraged by the volume of praise; it lifts our spirits, allowing us to lay aside our burdens for a while. But if we would wait, there is more. It is God’s response to the worship of his children. An “unutterable beatitude” or blessing.
I watched one year as The Academy of Motion Pictures gave a special award to a veteran actor. Before he was invited to take the stage, we were treated to a brief overview of his prestigious career. Many of his industry colleagues praised his work. As he walked onto the stage the applause was deafening; he stood for a few moments enjoying the support of his community. Eventually the clapping subsided, but before he was able to make his speech the music played him off. Sorry, time’s up. It was clear that he wanted to respond but the evening had moved on.
I think sometimes we do the same in our worship. We love to tell God how much we adore him, how he has changed our lives. We revel in the tidal waves of song, but then “time’s up” and we move on. If we would just wait on God, let the silence fall, we could be gifted with the response of a loving Father to his children. In that holy moment we could receive a beatitude, a blessing that no human words could begin to frame.
Amen.
“When the Holy Spirit is permitted to exercise his full sway in a redeemed heart there will likely be voluble praise first; then, when the crescendo rises beyond the ability of studied speech to express, comes song. When song breaks down under the weight of glory, then comes silence where the soul, held in deep fascination, feels itself blessed by an unutterable beatitude.”
I was introduced to the writings of A. W. Tozer by my former boss at British Youth for Christ, Clive Calver -- a committed Tozerite. We traveled all over the United Kingdom giving church and citywide presentations on the power of prayer and the impact of worship on the life of a city. I was a worship leader and Clive would speak. We saw God move in some remarkable ways, as ordinary men and women forgot about their lives and worries for a while, caught up in waves of praise to the Lord. For me the most memorable nights were when a silence would fall on the worshipers. It was as if we could not move or say a word, because we were on holy ground.
It’s not very difficult to lead rousing worship; people love to sing at the top of their lungs, particularly when there is a great crowd and all are committed to the same purpose. But silence before God is something else. It is as if you enter another room where words would be out of place and redundant. I wonder if sometimes we gather for worship but leave too soon. We are encouraged by the volume of praise; it lifts our spirits, allowing us to lay aside our burdens for a while. But if we would wait, there is more. It is God’s response to the worship of his children. An “unutterable beatitude” or blessing.
I watched one year as The Academy of Motion Pictures gave a special award to a veteran actor. Before he was invited to take the stage, we were treated to a brief overview of his prestigious career. Many of his industry colleagues praised his work. As he walked onto the stage the applause was deafening; he stood for a few moments enjoying the support of his community. Eventually the clapping subsided, but before he was able to make his speech the music played him off. Sorry, time’s up. It was clear that he wanted to respond but the evening had moved on.
I think sometimes we do the same in our worship. We love to tell God how much we adore him, how he has changed our lives. We revel in the tidal waves of song, but then “time’s up” and we move on. If we would just wait on God, let the silence fall, we could be gifted with the response of a loving Father to his children. In that holy moment we could receive a beatitude, a blessing that no human words could begin to frame.
A rising cloud of song, of music,
soars above the crowd,
lifted by the hearts and souls of those who gather now.
But just beyond the doors of singing
waiting for us all,
the Father’s hands upon our heads would fall.
Amen.
Originally published September 18, 2001.
