Space and Time for Praise

Douglas — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 13:25:59 +0000

If you attend a church where the lyrics for contemporary worship songs are shown on screen, you’ve probably seen it. You may even think it’s glorious and awesome. What I’m referring to is that amazing imagery of deep space from the Hubble Space Telescope. It’s becoming quite popular to show artsy panoramas and animations of starscapes based on these images behind the lyrics of songs such as City-on-a-Hill’s “God of Wonders”, Chris Tomlin’s “Indescribable” and Lincoln Brewster’s “God You Reign”:

Christian astronomical awe

Here’s the popular video for “God of Wonders” from YouTube:

And check out those videos by Louie Giglio that correspond to the “Indescribable” Passion Conference tour (there are five 9-minute videos if you want to hear the whole message).

And this video snippet by Francis Chan, which he references in his delightful book Crazy Love (click “videos” then “The awe factor of God” to run the snippet).

Big space = awesome God

Last week at my church, the elder who gave the communion meditation immediately following our singing of “God of Wonders” was full of praise and delight as a result of the stunning Hubble Telescope images that were displayed with the song. The vastness of the universe is truly awesome, amazing and humbling, especially as we reflect on what it tells us about the greatness of its Creator. And even more especially as we reflect on the juxtaposition of God’s transcendent greatness with his loving intimacy and incarnation in Christ. Wow, indeed!

But what about time?

Yet, I am saddened and somewhat dismayed when I think about the fact that nearly everyone worshiping with me in my church is experiencing only half the wonder. They acknowledge the size of the universe (i.e., the physical space) but completely ignore the time that is represented by the same imagery from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Go out and find any astronomer or astrophysicist who has anything to do with studying the meaning of data obtained from the Hubble Space Telescope (and this includes a good share of Christians). Ask him or her if it’s even possible to say anything about the size of the universe or even our own galaxy without simultaneously acknowledging the vastness of time inherent in the reality that we observe through the telescope.

It’s nonsensical to accept the large size of the universe represented by those images on the screen while at the same time denying that the universe is billions of years old. To be more exact, it’s about 13.7 billions years old according to data from the Hubble Space Telescope.

Be amazed, be doubly amazed!

So, be amazed and worship the God of wonders. Be doubly amazed. He’s given us both the space and time for worship.

Your Grace is Sufficient for Me

Douglas — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 00:19:33 +0000

Here are the words to a song that I wrote a few years back. It’s good to remember that nothing in life makes sense except in the light of Christ, who demonstrated that God is love and he is faithful to his creation (see my previous post to understand the particular significance of this statement).

Where can I flee, where can I hide,
Where you won’t be right by my side?
Both far and near your hand will guide
Though I can’t see, you still abide
You know my thoughts, you know my fears
You share my joys, you capture my tears
You know my words before I speak
And your grace is sufficient for me, for me

Have mercy please on me, O God
According to your steadfast love
Blot out my sin and wash me clean
Of each transgression in me you’ve seen
My tongue will sing of your righteousness
And for my sins, your saving forgiveness
You proved it all at Calvary
That your grace is sufficient for me, for me

Renewed inside from day to day
Though outwardly I waste away
I won’t lose heart but fix my eyes
On the eternal glorious prize
I cry for you to take away my pain
And yet these thorns in my flesh remain
It’s all in your will so I can see
That your grace is sufficient for me, for me