Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Around the Throne

One favorite worship song?  One? Just one?  Okay, you get the picture; choosing one is hard.  I took yet another road trip.  I am in Jacksonville FL.  To get here, I drove 10 hours on Sunday.  I guess not the best way to spend the Lord’s Day but actually, I had some really good time in the car with the Lord.  I find windshield time is very productive that way.

I’ve mentioned my eclectic taste in music before.  I have the same eclectic “taste” in worship.  I was struggling on how to reply to the question of the week.  On this trip, as I was belting out How Great Thou Art with the radio, it hit me.  No, I won’t say that is my favorite.  But it does make a list of mine.


I know that we cannot imagine what the worship will be like in Heaven.  We get glimpses of it in Revelation.  Our imagination goes wild with expectations of the wonders of heaven.  I’ve heard people say they’ve seen or heard a glimpse of it and it is indescribable.  They say there are new colors, and sounds that we have never heard.  Continually the sounds of heaven are released to the worship warriors of each generation. 


But I think there are hymns and songs that we will sing in heaven.  As I finished my solo in the car of How Great Thou Art I thought, yes, this is a song we’ll sing in heaven.  Shortly after, while flipping channels, I hear Great is Thy Faithfulness – I love the verse “Pardon for sin and peace that endureth” – I love the creation imagery of “Summer and winter, and spring time and harvest.”  Yep, that’s on the list.


Of course, we’ll sing in every tongue “O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing.”  I have no doubt Amazing Grace will be sung… those of this generation will sing My Chains Are Gone as the tears are wiped away from our eyes.   We’ll sing hymns yet composed as well as Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty (hymn or modern version) and All Hail the Power of Jesus Name Let Angels Prostrate Fall – we’ll be prostrate before the King with that one.

On and on, newer songs like All Hail King Jesus and How Great is Our God… the list goes on and on.  But there is one song, that we may or may not sing in heaven.  One always brings me to tears and knees.  It’s old now, but I remember the first time I heard it.  My father had just gone home to be with the Lord.  I was an Army wife living in North Carolina with two small children, one sick.  Someone invited us to an all night sing at a high school.  A young Vestal Goodman sang this song.



It's a good thing we'll have eternity to sing His praises - I have a very long list of songs I want to sing in worship around the Throne.  It will take eternity to sing and worship. I Can Only Imagine.  What do you want to sing around the throne?

5 comments:

Liz Kay said...

Joyce, I love all the songs you've mentioned! I would also add, The Old Rugged Cross, His Eye Is On The Sparrow, In The Garden, When I Survey The Wondrous Cross, It Is Well With My Soul... the list could go on & on... just love the classic hymns.

I imagine the harmonies in heaven would be beyond breath-taking.

Tracy said...

There is something so very wonderful about songs of worship. I love the old hymns as well.

Tony C said...

Wow! That list of songs really hits home with me.

It was up to either you or me to post a Gaither's video...thanks for taking the lead. Great stuff!

David-FireAndGrace said...

I actually have a punk rendition of this tune that I like. it was a favorite over at the Chatham Baptist Church along with I Will Change Your Name.

Andrea York said...

I loved your pick - it's all about Jesus. Amen!