Wordless Worship

December 19, 2021

Praise the Lord! 

Praise God in His sanctuary; 

Praise Him in His mighty firmament! 

Praise Him for His mighty acts; 

Praise Him according to His excellent greatness! 

Praise Him with the sound of the trumpet; 

Praise Him with the lute and harp! 

Praise Him with the timbrel and dance; 

Praise Him with stringed instruments and flutes! 

Praise Him with loud cymbals; 

Praise Him with clashing cymbals! 

Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. 

Praise the Lord!

—Psalm 150:1-6

In case you missed it, repetition gives it away: the theme of this psalm is “praise the Lord!” 

This morning in worship, these words came to mind as the worship team led the congregation in praise. We were singing some of the traditional Christmas carols alongside the more modern “Little Drummer Boy,” which is among the least favorite of my Christmas songs. During the singing of this song however, I stopped singing, allowing the lyrics to fade away, and as I listened to the harmonies which were echoing through the sanctuary, I began to worship.

Later, as the band played “What Child is This,” I again stopped and listened—this time to the bass arpeggios Leslie laid down in the background. It wasn’t fancy or intricate; just a steady minor key walking bass line that to me, added so much to the simplicity of the song. The words at this point didn’t matter; the music itself was an offering of praise that nearly brought tears to my eyes. The worship team was praising God, not only with words and voices, but with instruments—maybe not lutes, but with stringed instruments, cymbals, drums, and keys. 

Years ago, I read of someone who had a vision of heaven. He said the music was such as he had never heard—glorious and harmonic, with a richness and depth he couldn’t begin to describe. The odd thing about this music was how it rose and fell, swelled in a crescendo that gradually diminished in a cascading decresendo. But there was no discernible rhythm; no beat…because time had passed away. 

I don’t know what heaven’s music will be like, but I believe I experienced a foretaste of it this morning, and am deeply grateful.