Heidi Viars

“New!”
It’s not always my favorite word.
“New” – makes me halt and wonder,
“Why change?”
I was getting crabby, right there in the middle of singing praises to God.
“Too loud!”
“Too new!”
“I like it the old way!”
I heard my thoughts repeat themselves.

Then, as if the earth itself suddenly opened, right there on Sunday morning, 10:15 am, the solid ground underneath my feet disappeared. I stood no longer on the sanctuary floor, but on our planet. I became aware of the “beneath me”, the deep, ancient dirt – our orbiting home.
The ceiling of my closed mind faded. I saw the “above me”, displayed on the retina of my imagination. Endless planets and stars, galaxies, too numerous to fathom – all made for Him, to echo his praise.
I saw the Church, the Bride, spinning solidly fastened in its place, filling His Sabbath with endless praise. Every minute of this glorious day, filled with songs sung and played by every imaginable instrument and voice.

I saw the Bridegroom, like the sun, walking across the sky, taking in this song of ongoing praise – one new song after another. One time-zone following into another, hailing the King of kings. Nature, in all of its glory, bolts of lightning and boisterous thunder, trickling creeks and roaring rivers, mighty winds and gentle breezes, joining in with every imaginable noise.

Here, from my speck in the dirt, I heard His praises, the praises of a NEW song.

Psalm 96 (ESV)

Oh sing to the Lord a new song;
sing to the Lord, all the earth!
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples!
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
he is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
Splendor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength!
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering, and come into his courts!
Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
    tremble before him, all the earth!

Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns!
Yes, the world is established; it shall never be moved;
    he will judge the peoples with equity.”

Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
let the sea roar, and all that fills it;
let the field exult, and everything in it!
Then shall all the trees of the forest sing for joy
before the Lord, for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness,
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.

(I don’t claim to have visions. I am not a prophet nor do I try to add to the sufficient revelation we have in the Scriptures. However, God has given us an imagination, to marvel and ponder, to meditate and wonder. The Word must inform our reality – Truth overarch our emotions. How God is pleased when His children get along, despite how we “feel” about the style of worship!)

(Prose and pictures, Heidi Viars, 2021)