A God of Wonders

The first time I really remember singing "God of Wonders" was at a Promise Keepers event in Portland. The worship band had taken us through a number of songs and introduced this "new" song - new to me. I remember that as the band tried to end the song and move to the next, the audience took over with the chorus and the words "God of wonders beyond our galaxy, You are holy, holy" kept reverberating from one side of the arena to the other. What a special time of worship that was. This went on for some time and there was such a presence of the Lord - and his pleasure - it made me think of the day to come when people of all nations will gather around the throne singing the praises of the One who is worthy.

We've had the opportunity for the second Sunday in a row to worship at an International Fellowship in our new city. I understand that on any given Sunday there will be more than twenty different nationalities worshipping together. Both weeks is has been a wonderful rainbow, or as a brother from Venezuela said, a beautiful flower garden, of God's children. We sing a few (couple?) songs that I've found familiar. ("No, we didn't sing God of Wonders.") Many more were sung that I've never heard, in fact, many of them have been written by the song leader.

I've been struck by the diversity in God's kingdom. There are people of every hue. There are more languages than I can count. We've seen brothers and sisters involved in many different, and creative, lines of service for the kingdom. Just today we met a young woman from Australia working in a BAM program (Business As Mission). When we allow God to be the leader (conductor?) of his great symphony, and follow his direction, the world will be filled with the glorious music of the his kingdom.

Worship has become very special. Far from being a service with certain obligatory components, worship is a way of living where one continually walks in wonder that the "God of all creation" has chosen to relate to us in love and compassion. That he would call us friends and, even more, sons or daughters should leave us speechless. Yes, we see some of his glory revealed through nature (and it is spectacular here). How much more can we see his glory revealed, along with his character, through the giving of his Son on the cross to make this relationship possible!

Glory and honor, praise adoration now and forevermore be Thine.