Our Daily Bread Designs Forum Bible Verse Thursday Challenge #69 - From Whom All Blessings Flow

Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, 

 and all that is in them, saying:

“To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
    be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!”

 ~Revelation 5:13

This week I picked a hymn to go with my scripture!  This hymn is familiar to most, if not all, Christians and is often referred to as "The Doxology."  Many churches end their services with it today.  It was written by Ken Thomas D.D., a Presbyterian bishop who was imprisoned by King James in the Tower of London for his refusal to read the Declaration of Indulgence.  He is known for authoring the Morning, Evening and Midnight Hymns the first two of which have found their way into nearly every English collection in the last 150 years.

Like most hymns, this one is based in scripture but unlike many, it is associated with many different verses (all of which say basically the same thing).   I chose Revelation 5:11 to study this week.

Good Show!  There are always those who want church to be nothing but a good show.  "The buildings, the windows, the great choir, music from two organs, and sermons by wonderful ministers -- Humph! It's all just a show.  So what's wrong with a show -- if it is a very, very good show?

I hesitate to speak for God, but I can't think of any reason why God should be opposed to a Sunday morning show, unless it's not a good show.  We're putting on a show for God.  Why do you think we get all dressed up and the candlesticks at church are polished and the linen is pressed and the organ is tuned?  We're doing it for the benefit of a God who enjoys our prayers, our hymns, our trumpets and "loud clashing symbols"(Psalm 150).  If God didn't seek and enjoy our praise, thanksgiving and petition, we wouldn't build churches.  I once heard a minister say "here is a Sunday morning theater in which God is the admiring audience and we -- choir, preacher, musicians, congregation -- are on stage doing our best to make it a show worth watching.  But we're at a show in a twofold sense. For we are not only performing for God: God is also performing for us."

The Germans have a word for worship: Gottesdienst. It means "God's service" in the twofold sense of the service we render to God and the service God renders to us.  There are many Sundays when you are busy singing, praying, listening to God only to find that (surprise!) God is listening to you.  You go to church depressed and leave exhilarated.  You wander in, plop down in the pew, only to sail forth with new wings by the end of the service.  You go, anxious because of the silence in your life, and leave reassured by a clear word.  God has been serving you.  You come to serve God so that God might have a better opportunity to serve you.   And I hope it will be a good show!

Which brings me to this week's verse from the Book of Revelation. We are coming up on the great celebration of Christ's resurrection - Easter.  What a glorious time to acknowledge what our Lord has done for us.  But what happens afterward?  Do you suffer from the post-Easter blahs?  Has the wonder gone out of your Easter?  "Oh, it was great here two weeks ago. But now it's back to business as usual."  What difference does Easter make?   Well, here's a song for the post-Easter doldrums. "Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering in the thousands, saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!"   And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all therein, saying, "To him who sits upon the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might for ever and ever!"  And the four living creatures said, "Amen!" and the elders fell down and worshiped."  (Revelation 5:11-14).

My question for you is are you putting on a good show?

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Your challenge this week is to use this scripture or another verse (or hymn!) that reminds us to put on a good show!  Serve God so that God might have a better opportunity to serve you.  When uploading your project, please use keyword ODBDBVT69 and then hop on over to Our Daily Bread Designs Forum to share it with us!

Blessings,

Honored to have this card selected for the Top 3 at    Word Art Wednesday!