I was trying to work, despite the noise around me, yesterday.  To block out as much of the noise as I could, I turned on some piano music, with no lyrics.  I realized quite quickly this wasn’t helpful because I found myself humming or singing along.  I decided to try ‘pink noise’.  Pink noise is like white noise only it has a lower frequency.  It worked! The pink noise was able to drown out all the unwelcome noises in the background, and I found myself focusing much more easily on the task before me. 

Pondering the drowning out of unwanted noise, I was struck by a line in a hymn that I have sung for years but have never really focused on. The line is, “Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns all music but its own.” Singing about the resurrected Jesus (the Lamb slain) sitting on his rightful throne, this songwriter shares that all music that doesn’t belong is drowned out. Only the true and pure song is received at the throne.  All other music, including lyrics, tunes, and expressions of praise, are not heard.

I began to ask myself, ‘What music is drowned out?’  Is music in our lives, even from the church, ever drowned out? What music is blocked, ensuring only that which is welcomed enters?  What do you think is the answer to that question?  What music might be drowned out, at the throne of God, where Jesus sits exalted? 

In Psalm 22:3 we read that “God inhabits the praise of his people” (King James Version). When the praises of God are inhabited by his Spirit, most certainly they will not be drowned out!  We are reminded that praise is much more than that which comes from a musical score with written or printed signs that represent vocal or instrumental sound.  The good news is that God inhabits praise that comes from someone who cannot sing tunefully any music.  God inhabits the praise of someone who cannot articulate lyrics with words, only heart. God inhabits the praise of someone who is feeling strong praising with confidence, but also those who feel weak and praise with caution.  God inhabits the praise of the one who is bowed down and the one whose head is raised high.  It is because Jesus the exalted one lives in our lives, and we are indwelt by his Spirit, that we worship “in Spirit and truth” (John 4:23-24).  Worship,  praise, music, offered through the Spirit is never drowned out!  Every utterance, or expression, lyric or note sung, directed to Jesus, is received. 

Today, there will be praise and music that reaches the throne of God. Today, there will be praise and music that does not.

To help us imagine the grandeur of the welcomed music, that one day our voices will join, at the throne, John shares of the vision he received. Today we position ourselves in this vision, joining the thousands, and thousands, and thousands, that John envisioned.  They said, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!” (Revelation 5:13).

Today, during this ongoing season of Covid19, let’s sing/say the following words of life together. You might want to find this song on the internet, played by your favorite instrument, or sung by your favorite choir, or voice.   Play it loudly and drown out all other noises as you worship!  May expressions of gratitude to Jesus be sung, and may our hearts and minds be lifted, on account of our praise, throughout the day.

358: Crown Him With Many Crowns

1.  Crown Him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon His throne;
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own;
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of Him who died for Thee,
And hail Him as Thy matchless king
Through all eternity.

2.  Crown Him the Lord of life,
Who triumphed o'er the grave,
And rose victorious in the strife
For those He came to save;
His glories now we sing
Who died, and rose on high,
Who died eternal life to bring
And lives that death may die.

3.  Crown Him the Lord of peace,
Whose power a scepter sways
From pole to pole, that wars may cease
And all be prayer and praise;
His reign shall know no end,
And round His piercèd feet
Fair flowers of Paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.

4.  Crown Him the Lord of love;
Behold His hands and side,
Those wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified;
All hail, redeemer, hail!
For Thou hast died for me;
Thy praise and glory shall not fail
Throughout eternity.

We come before your throne, King Jesus, and we bring our praise. With the songwriter we ask you to ‘awake our souls’ to truly sing a song that is not drowned out.  Give us freedom to offer these words of the Psalmist to you; “I will sing to the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praise to my God while I have being. May my meditation be pleasing to him, for I rejoice in the Lord” (Psalm 104:33-34).  AMEN

With care and in prayer,