It was a Sunday morning when, although I was fighting a miserable cold, the joy of singing in corporate worship to my Creator was such a joyful experience and privilege.
Until, I started to look around the sanctuary. I was dismayed to see many people not worshiping. There were people standing with their mouths closed. There were people sitting reading their bulletins. There were people sitting … staring straight ahead. There were people standing, looking around the room … oups! That was me too!
I found myself to be very critical of those who I was watching. Until I realized that maybe there were reasons for their non-participation in worship.
Maybe some of them were dealing with sorrows so deep, so dark that they could not open their mouths to sing the words. Or maybe they had been dealing with illness or physical conditions that are so debilitating that they could no longer sing songs of joy. Or maybe there were those who were facing their own private financial crises, with their demise, the demise of their family just around the next corner. Or, maybe they simply cannot sing … now that I can so relate to (well, my family can relate to my lack of vocal abilities).
So, I turned my head towards the lyrics of the song on the screen at the front of the room, and continued my own participation in the corporate worship:
“Blessed be Your name
When I’m found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed be Your name
Every blessing You pour out
I’ll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in Lord
Still I will say
Blessed be the name of the Lord”
And I thought, oh how I love this worship song, because it parallels the biblical story of Job … the man who God allowed Satan to take away all that was of earthly value to him. Job was inflicted with painful sores on his skin, his lively hood was destroyed, his children and wife died. And, through all of that, how did Job respond? “The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised.”
But wait, that means that Job had suffered sorrows, illness, financial crises and earthly loss of family members … just like 
the possible reasons (excuses?) I had guessed that people in church might not be singing.
But wait!
There is one difference … Job kept praising the Lord.
May I not forget that despite all that Job lost of what he loved, despite the pain, the sorrow, the loss and the personal crises that Job faced, he never stopped praising the Lord.
“Give to the Lord the glory due to His name;
worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness or in holy array.”
Psalm 29:2
“I tell you, if they (you … His disciples) keep quiet,
even the rocks will cry out.”
Luke 19:40
Great post! I have seen similar things and catch myself doing the same thing! I lead worship every Sunday in a decent size church, and I know first hand how the blank faces and emotions feel. I sometimes look too far into those things when I shouldn’t be focused on that. We should praise no matter what, yet our human nature trumps our “should”. God knows that, and he’s working in those moments just as he is in the people who are worshipping through expression such as raising your hands and singing. God deals with us differently and I try and remind myself that I am here to magnify His name, and bring others along with me.
Thanks for the read! I enjoyed it!
Bryan,
Glad this post could speak to your heart. May God constantly remind us to keep our praising and worshipping focus on Him. And may you be blessed this weekend by what you offer to Him.
Carole