He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and hear and trust in the Lord. – Psalm 40:3

Music is powerful. It may not tame the savage beast as they say, but it can have a profound impact on our emotions.

Ludwig van Beethoven was a dark and brooding man. Easily offended and moody, his personality was a turnoff, to say the least. But he was also an unadulterated genius. He was one of those musicians that turned the very course of music history.

His genius was recognized early on in Vienna where he went to study with Haydn. He would be invited to lavish parties in hopes that the young virtuoso would play. The parties were thrown by the aristocrats. Ludwig was always insecure because he did not come from aristocracy, but from a much less genteel background. And he soon understood that he was being invited to their parties, not because of his charming personality, but to be the entertainment. He soon obstinately refused to play when he was at a party.

Once, though, a friend tricked him into playing. The host had just received a brand-new piano and the friend started to play, and asked Ludwig if it was in tune. He came over and began to tinkle on some keys. Soon he sat down and began to play. The room grew quiet in anticipation. Within moments, the air was filled with some of the most magical sounds the earth has ever known. He became completely lost in almost 2 hours of improvisation that to those present seemed to come straight from the throne-room of heaven itself.

One guest later wrote that during that divine impromptu performance, no fewer than a dozen times did the guests begin to openly weep because of the overwhelming beauty of the performance.

The people in that room had an extraordinary experience that day. They were in rapt awe at the presence of true genius. They responded emotionally. I’m sure there was not a whisper in that room as it began to unfold.

As amazing as that must have been, we as the people of God have something even more extraordinary that happens each week. Every week we come together to experience the presence of God; the One Who created Beethoven and gave him his musical gifts.

The Bible tells us that as we gather in His name, He is there in a special way. But we often miss it.

What should be incredible week after week can become mundane. How do we remedy this? For the people at the party-they stopped and paid attention. They understood that they were in the presence of something sublime. For us coming to church each week, we should come full of expectation, quiet our spirits, turn our undivided attention to Him, experience His transforming love, and give Him our love in response. God will meet us in that place, and regardless of the quality of the service, we can encounter someone worthy of our awe and devotion.

Questions for Thought

1. What was your favorite concert ever and what was your experience like?

2. On a 1-10 scale, would you say you come to worship services with great expectations of meeting God?

3. What would it take on your part to raise that number?