Pandora Internet Radio and VH1 Classic are two of God's latest gifts to me. If you don't believe me then type in "David Crowder Band" on Pandora or turn to channel 76 in the Winston-Salem area and catch The Who tribute concert. Unbelievable stuff!
As a kid growing up in the 1970's and as a teenager in the 1980's, music forged a big part of my identity. I wasn't necessarily musically gifted but I loved to listen to music and sing it when no one else was around. My very first concert experience was when I saw The Police on their Synchronicity tour in 1984 and my view of live music has never been the same. Since then I have been able to witness acts ranging the spectrum from Bruce Springsteen to George Strait to Hootie and the Blowfish to Steven Curtis Chapman to 311. Being part of a mass of humanity taking in live music was almost intoxicating to the music lover in me.
The other day when I was working out in my basement I had Pandora on my iPhone going when a live song from a 1990's band came on. When it was time for the chorus of the song to be sung, the singer yelled into the microphone that it was the audience's turn to sing. Without missing a beat thousands of voices screamed the chorus to this song at the top of their lungs and in on-key unison. It was a really cool sound.
All of this got me wondering about something. Do I desire to worship God with that same kind of fervor that I used to have when I attended live concerts? I have fond memories of the many bands and singers that I had the chance to witness, yet none of those concert events left me permanently changed. The t-shirts wore out over time and the saved ticket stubs became tattered. Yet my God and my King has not changed throughout eternity and my salvation in Christ is no less profound and exciting than it was on the day that I surrendered my life to Him.
King David is well known for "dancing with all his might before the Lord" in worship and adoration. The thrill of being in the presence of God and the joy of his salvation overcame David and he did what came natural. Too often I find that myself, and most Christians that I know, are afraid to allow the God in us to bust out and make a scene. Instead we strive for a contrived reverence that looks and acts a lot more civilized than our secular counterparts.
Perhaps it's time that we let loose and shout at the top of our lungs at how great is our God. And we might even need to make some time to dance about it.
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