This past resurrection Sunday was great! Not just because it was a nice day . . . or because we were able to chill out with some friends over dinner. But it was the gathering of God’s people to celebrate the empty tomb that made it great. More people in our gathering than usual . . . songs celebrating the truth and implications of the risen Christ . . . God’s word preached on the difference a living Christ makes. Yeah, it was great! Added bonus? Our kids sang with the worship team for a couple of songs. About twenty, from 5 to 5th grade, singing at the top of their lungs “He arose! He arose! Hallelujah, Christ arose!” And then they sang a song they had been working on for our Easter service, Sing and Shout by Matt Redman. So how come we don’t shout more?

Oh come, let us sing to the LORD;
    let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation!
Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving;
    let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!
For the LORD is a great God,
    and a great King above all gods.
Oh come, let us worship and bow down;
let us kneel before the LORD, our Maker!       (Psalm 95:1-3, 6 ESV)

Twice the songwriter exhorts, “Make a joyful noise!” Both the NASB and NKJV translate it “Shout joyfully!” Literally . . . raise a sound . . . give a blast . . . cry aloud. Figuratively . . . it has the idea of “to split the ears.” Sounds like shouting to me.

So how come we don’t shout more? Why don’t we view it as a command to obey? To read the Psalms you’d think it was a normal reaction to the greatness of God . . . so, why don’t we shout more?

I know that we’re all wired differently . . . some more emotional, some less . . . some more comfortable with “letting go”, some who naturally keep things pretty subdued . . . I understand all that. But shouldn’t there be times when being in the presence of a supernatural God trumps our natural tendencies? I know that we are to do things “decently and in order” but, from time to time, doesn’t that “order” demand that we sing to the Lord, and “raise a sound” . . . that we should “give a blast” joyfully to the Rock of our salvation . . . that we should strain our voices and lift them to their max volume capacity in order to “split an ear” with His praise? I’m thinkin’ . . .

Maybe the issue isn’t so much about what comes natural to us . . . but the degree to which we pursue and enter the supernatural presence of God . . . the degree to which we truly quiet ourselves and remove the distractions and work at considering Him. Maybe the issue is that we really can’t stop focusing on ourselves and what we’re comfortable with . . . instead of being totally captivated with the LORD’s grandeur, greatness, and glory.

Now don’t get me wrong . . . I’m not advocating an “anything goes free-for-all” . . . just a bit of joyful shouting once in awhile. Not manufactured . . . not staged . . . not Sunday-in-and-Sunday-out . . . but birthed in the depths of souls freshly touched by the great King who is above all gods . . . freshly aware of the One who declares His glory through creation . . . freshly blessed by Him who continues to shower amazing grace through the blood of Jesus. Shouldn’t this be enough to garner a bit of shouting?

Ok . . . so maybe this doesn’t cut it with you . . . “I’m not the shouting type,” you say. So, why don’t we bow down? . . . why don’t we kneel? . . . why don’t we do something that physically indicates our pleasure in worshiping Him . . . something that demonstrates how blown away we are by our indescribably great God? After all . . . it’s biblical . . . and don’t we want to be biblical?

Anyway . . . this little “rant” isn’t intended to judge anybody . . . really more questions to myself as I read Psalm 95 this morning. Oh, that I would view my singing . . . my worship . . . my praise . . . less about what I’m comfortable doing and more about what He is worthy to receive. That I would be so consumed with His magnificent presence that thanksgiving would overflow . . . that worship would be the only “natural” response . . . that I’d refuse to let the rocks have the pleasure (Luke 19:37-40) . . . that my voice would be compelled, from time to time, to lift up with joyful shouts of praise . . . that the song would be as if it were the first time sung . . . that the ears of God would be my target . . . that He would be worshiped in a manner worthy of His majesty.

“We will sing and shout, yeah, sing and shout . . . Open up our hearts and pour Your praises out!” (Matt Redman)