Praise the Lord!
Easter services have a special energy, something that sets them apart from any other Sunday. The music seems to have more meaning and feel and the choirs and hymns all sound better than ever. The increased attendance brings additional energy as we glean enthusiasm from one another. Emotionally, we come to church in a space ready to welcome Christ into our hearts. We could find numerous explanations for this Easter energy. However, there is one element that is undeniable. On Easter we find a spiritual connection that we miss on other Sundays, but one that could and should be ever present in our worship.
John writes about the explosion of worship by the heavenly hosts: “Day and night without ceasing they sing, holy, holy, holy, the Lord God the Almighty, who was and is and is to come.” (Revelation 4:8) For these heavenly creatures, being in God’s mere presence evokes uncontrolled, uncontained, unimaginable worship. I think Easter is our version of this heavenly praise on Earth. When we come to praise Him, knowing more fully the work He can do in and through us, we find a deeper connection to our faith and a deeper connection to our Lord. We can’t help but praise the Lord. It just bubbles from our pores as we recognize that we are created to praise Him.
Our worship should not run through a pattern of highs and lows like ocean tides. Rather, worship should be an ongoing and on-growing part of our spiritual development. The feeling we find in this closeness to Christ, and the subsequent ability to praise Him more fully, is an addicting and fulfilling piece of our lives. We crave more of it yet still deny ourselves the fullness of this praise.
With just a little bit of our effort, praise the Lord moments can go from occasional brushes of light to burning fires we can’t control. Perhaps we should spend a little more time in God’s Word to keep this fire fueled. Maybe a little more time in prayer connects us more completely to God. A change in music stations while in the car could open our heart to hear God’s call. And, it is quite possible that if we devoted more time to serving God’s kingdom, we might see ourselves praising the Lord with our hands and feet.
We should not let the Easter high subside this week. Stale worship does not do us much good in our spiritual development. It does not bring us as close to God as we could be. It might even be tearing those around us further from Christ’s presence. Easter enthusiastically reminds that He is risen. And He remains risen so our praises today and tomorrow should be as hearty and healthy as those from Easter Sunday.