Tenuto Volume 2

Random Act of Culture, or Deliberate Expression of Praise?


Acts 1:7-11

Recently, I was shown a "Random Act of Culture" by the Philadelphia Opera Company and a slew of local church choirs, university choirs, and community choirs as they milled around the Macy's Store in Philadelphia..  The store itself is built in the shape of a cross and, for the shoppers, equipped with an enormous pipe organ - no doubt the predecessor to modern elevator music - to be used in the store to enhance the shopping experience.

What was really neat is that as the shoppers and extras are milling around the organ is being played as usual.  At a predetermined time, the organist begins the opening refrain of "The Hallelujah Chorus" by George Frederic Handel.  How awesome it must have been to suddenly hear all the extras begin praising God in the midst of Macy's Department Store.  The bystanders were taken by surprise, and wow, the emotion brought about by the song being sung forth in praise of our God!

This caused me to reflect upon the second coming of Christ when He will return and claim us as His own; how when no one is expecting it, the trumpets will sound and we will all be taken home. The Bible says that we will not know the time or the place of His return:

"He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by His own autority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witness in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.'" Acts 1:7-8 (HCSB)

We are also told the manner of His return:

"After He had said this, He was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.  Whil He was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, 'Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen Him going into heaven.' " Acts 1:9-11 (HCSB)

It is this that we look forward to, the second coming of Christ, the time when He will establish the Eternal Kingdom of God, the New Jerusalem. All will be judged, those who have been saved and those who have not been saved.  The part that should bring us the desire to worship is that those who have been saved really deserve the same judgment and condemnation the unsaved will receive; however, because of the grace of God and the free gift we have received, we stand without condemnation.  How awesome it is going to be when we hear the trumpet sound and are raised to meet Him in the air!

Now, when reflecting upon this "Random Act of Culture," I believe that he God of the Universe orchestrated this moment to creat a DELIBERATE EXPRESSION OF PRAISE.  Don't forget to worship God in all you do, not just during this time, but throught the entire year.