I wake suddenly. Reaching my hand for my husband beside me, I don't find him – and I remember that I am in Rivas, Nicaragua, in a low, narrow bunk bed.
The sounds of night turn to dawn … when a symphony begins. First one timid note. Then another. Then three more together. The sounds of RAIN build on the tin roof above me.
The timpani enters – an ear-splitting crack of thunder … then a long, sustained rumbling, trembling. A pause – followed by the steady rhythm of peaceful, cleansing rain.
I tip-toe outside, and from the narrow porch I watch in wonder as the rainforest comes alive. There is rustling in the canopy, hundreds of birds beating their wings, crying back and forth to one another. Doves, swallows, parrots … they’ve joined in the symphony, too. By the time they’ve reached their crescendo, it’s absolute cacophony.
Sitting in my pajamas and socks, my hair a mess, my heart lifts to join this almost obscene display of worship. I worship – joining in this symphony – and it comes naturally. I’ve always loved the rain (and Houston is in a drought) so these are welcome sights & sounds.
I reflect on worship – how different it is for creation than it is for us.
Psalm 29 (Please don’t skim this part; take time to read it slowly & reflect.)
“Ascribe GLORY to the Lord, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord, over many waters.The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is full of majesty…The voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness …
and in his temple all cry, “Glory!”The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord sits enthroned as king forever "
How often is worship an obligation for us?
Something that’s merely a 10-minute block of church, where we try to force ourselves to focus and give thanks? Compared to this symphony of rainforest worship, the half-hearted singing during church “worship” seems pretty poor.
I watch the rain, and I’m reminded of the thousands of fireflies that danced across a nearby field last night. It almost didn’t seem real – like I had somehow fallen into a fairyland, because the number of fireflies SURELY exceeded that which is allowed in reality. Nothing is allowed to look that magical on earth. Yet it did.
For the birds. For the rain, and her brother the thunder . For the fireflies … they can’t help but worship. It’s reflexive, and it’s right!
It’s a new day! YHWH is on his throne, his voice speaks, and he is full of majesty!
All too often for me, worship is like working out – something I know I should do, yet not something that I allow to bring me joy and life. Not something that causes me to stop … and use every available display I have to shout that THE LORD IS FULL OF MAJESTY. Like working out, the more I worship, the healthier & happier I am – and the more enjoyable it becomes.
…too often, my voice is missing from the chorus. I die, bit by bit, for every day that isn't spent fully exulting in who God is.
And yet it’s never too late to join this song, this symphony. We were created for it, and without us, there’s a specific voice in the orchestra that’s missing – the harmony is incomplete.
What do you think?
Is worship easy, or difficult for you?
What are the things that cause you to worship, reflexively or intentionally?
What does worship look like for you – when do you feel alive in worship (hint: it doesn’t
have to be music) ?
