Human beings love to be wowed, to be awestruck, to be rendered speechless, to be overcome by magnitude, precision, dexterity, creativity, sportsmanship, as in a fireworks display, a finely built piece of machinery, artisanship, athleticism, musicianship, wordsmithing. For me, to attend a performance by a symphony orchestra with a guest pianist causes my soul to swell with a kind of wondering admiration which lingers for days afterward – a wondering admiration that makes me gossip about it, even to those scarcely interested. I often can’t prevent my intrusions on others’ space, such is the felt urgency. C.S. Lewis understands me:
“ . . . all enjoyment spontaneously overflows into praise . . . The world rings with praise – readers their favorite poet, walkers praising the countryside, players praising their favorite game . . . We delight to praise what we enjoy because the praise not merely expresses but completes the enjoyment. . .” C.S. Lewis, Reflections on the Psalms, 1958, pp, 94,95.
John Piper, in his controversial book, Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist (1986), had the inspired audacity to fiddle a bit with the Shorter Catechism like this, (p.15):
The chief end of man is to glorify God
BY
enjoying him forever.
Scripture is clear in commanding us to worship God (as in recognize His worth-ship). When we do, and are confronted with His indescribability, we are led to search for words bigger even than the seven-syllable word taking up so much room in this sentence. Piper again: “Worship is basically adoration, and we adore only what delights us. There is no such thing as sad adoration or unhappy praise.” (p.19). And worshiping God alone is not at all restrictive. On the contrary, it turns our focus to the One Who will be our Song for endless days. As we worship the Desire of all nations, the One in Whom is perfect delight, our delight is expanded, perfected. The worship of millions for thousands of years cannot fully express God’s worth, the delight found in Him.
When Jesus came, expressing his oneness with the Father, he was sharing the boldest of truths about the glory of his Father and his Father’s Kingdom, such bold truths in fact, that the immensity of his sharing bypassed his disciples’ understanding. I suspect we will spend eternity in praise of our Redeemer. Some have suggested, with startled, wide-eyed apprehension, that this sounds like an endless church service, but my hunch is that we, in our glorified bodies, will find this activity endlessly exhilarating and full of the greatest of delights. So, are we enjoying Him yet? See y’all tomorrow at 10 AM, 2 PM UK, 3 PM FR.* PD
*we spring ahead tomorrow here in the US!
