As I get older, I realize that I appreciate peace and quiet more. I get tired just watching the grandkids run around. This was even driven home when last Saturday, Linda and I decided to visit a church that just moved in near our house. We had driven past it several times on Saturdays, noticing that there was a lot of activity. I decided to look up their website and saw that they had Saturday and Sunday services. Saturday afternoon, after watching the Michigan game, we decided to check it out. I had checked out their mission and belief statement and they seemed pretty much in line with our beliefs. We got there about 10 minutes before the service began. There was a lot of activity, lot of young people and couples with kids. They had designer coffee available to take into the service. When we walked into the auditorium, it was dark with large lit stage, something you might see on TV in a night club. Soon the music started. It was LOUD! Now I have been in a variety of churches with a variety of music; but this was LOUD! I could feel the vibration from the drums in my chest. It was physically disturbing, not from a spiritual point of view; but sort of like when a car, with the large woofers, pull up along side of you at a light. We were the oldest people there, at least it seemed that way, but the young people were excited and they WERE praising the Lord. It was not a rock concert, they were focusing on the words and praising the Lord. I decided that the best way for me was to close my eyes and just concentrate on worshiping in my own way. One of the things that impressed me was that during the singing, the pastor, a young man around 40, interrupted to pray for any one who was sick. They dedicated about 20 toddlers, explaining the Biblical basis and commitment of the church and parents were making to raise the kids to know the Lord. The sermon was above average, but a little short on scripture, similar to a lot of churches I have visited. We might go back to visit; but probable sneak in after the music.
Sunday we went to our church in Ft Myers. In our small group, the leader had written on the board, Psalm 95:1-7:
O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.
For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is his also.
The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands formed the dry land.
O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
For he is our God; and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.
The words “joyful noise” in verses 1 and 2 caught my eye. I have often joked that my singing is a joyful noise” ; but I always thinking about Psalm 100:1:
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
I did not remember that the phrase appeared elsewhere. I glanced at the adjacent page in my Bible and the phrase jumped out at me in Psalm 98:4-8:
Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
I immediately turned to the concordance in my Bible and found the same phrase in Psalm 66:1:
Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands.
And Psalm 81:1:
Sing aloud unto God our strength: make a joyful noise unto the God of Jacob.
Do you get the feeling the Lord was trying to tell me something?
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