I grew up in the sticks. My house was at the end of Swamp Road — a slab of dirt roadway that was surrounded by mosquito-filled marsh. We didn’t have cell phone service and driving after sunset always heightened the risk of hitting a wild animal. Everyone who has lived in the country knows the pros and cons of such a lifestyle.
Con: bugs
Pro: privacy
Con: yard work
Pro: bonfires
Con: roaming bigfoots
Pro: searching for roaming bigfoots
The list could go on and on. What I miss most about living in a rural area is the night sky. Very few things compare to beholding the grandeur of the universe unpolluted by city lights and uninterrupted by cars, sirens, and people. When you gaze upon galaxies reaching beyond what can be imagined, you experience something ‘otherly’. There’s this overwhelming awareness of how totally ‘other’ the Creator is.
Our Creating God
This is the feeling I get when I hear and sing ‘So Will I (100 Billion X)’— a new song we’re debuting at the Night of Worship. It testifies to the complexities of creation. Soak in the poetical brilliance of these lyrics:
With no point of reference
You spoke to the dark
And fleshed out the wonder of light
And as You speak
A hundred billion galaxies are born
In the vapor of Your breath the planets form
For once You have spoken
All nature and science
Follow the sound of Your voice
And as You speak
A hundred billion creatures catch Your breath
God is a creating God, but he’s not creative like we are. We create from what exists. He creates out of nothing.
Creation and Worship
Creation is not an end itself. Creation is a shadow, dimly reflecting a greater glory. The song reminds us that in creation we actually see attributes of who God is. These two lines center us on this truth when we sing:
Every burning star a signal fire of grace
Every painted sky a canvas of Your grace
The created order is not neutral. It’s more than atoms, electrons and molecules. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.” Everything that was, is, or will ever be has one purpose—to shout, “God is glorious!” This is the purpose of ALL created things, which means that it is also the purpose of you and me.
The song title says it all. If all creation is meant to worship, then our right response to God is, “So will I.” We declare this truth in the bridge when we roar:
If the stars were made to worship, so will I
If the mountains bow in reverence, so will I
If the oceans roar Your greatness, so will I
For if everything exists to lift You high, so will I
If the wind goes where You send it, so will I
If the rocks cry out in silence, so will I
If the sum of all our praises still falls shy
Then we’ll sing again a hundred billion times
The ‘otherly’ feeling that shoots down my spine when I get lost in the night sky is the reminder that God is worthy. He’s worthy of our time, our resources, and our lives. Mostly, He’s worthy of our worship. Guess what? We don’t have to manufacture worship! We just have to join in on what everything else is already doing!
I cannot wait to sing this song with you next Friday. I cannot wait to lift my hands with you and shout praises to our Creator God. But even more so, I cannot wait to be a part of the cosmic choir. Because if everything else is worshipping, so will I.
