By Heidi Sapiano
After attending a gospel music conference several weeks ago, I am reflecting on the experience and what God was teaching me. I knew I would learn about gospel music and singing techniques, but what I didn’t expect to take away from this experience was a bigger and better understanding of what worship really is.
While standing among a crowd of other people from many nationalities singing praises to our God, it wasn’t the technique, the style of music, the choir, the band, or even the infectious energy of our conductor that made that moment so exciting. I realized that this experience was a tiny, less glorious version of what we would be doing when we get to Heaven! God showed us a little window into what it will be like as we gather around the throne and worship Him. We sang, clapped, shouted, hollered, and swayed as we expressed what a great God and Saviour we have. We are created to worship and one day we will be in Heaven worshiping our God without worldly distractions. Sometimes God takes us out of our daily or weekly routines and shakes us up a bit to remind us exactly how awesome He is and what a privilege it is that we can pray to and worship Him here on earth while we await His return. It’s a glorious, uplifting, refreshing, reminder that we are kept and cared for by a great God who will one day take us up to Heaven to dwell with Him forever.
As I sang in that choir at the finale, I remembered with great joy this scripture from Revelation:
After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” (Rev. 7:9-12)
That is when the concert became a moment of pure joy and praise and no longer felt like a concert but like a very sweet gift from the Lord. I pray that when we take our quiet moments with God and when we gather again as a church, we all remember what it is to worship, forgetting the worldly distractions, so we can totally surrender in worshiping our Lord and Saviour, as we were meant to.
“What a time, when we all get to Heaven.
What a time, what a time, what a time!
When the saints of God are gathered round the throne.
Oh, what a time, time, what a time that will be!”
(one of the songs we sang)
By Kevin Bond
About the author:
Heidi is a daughter of the King. She loves the Lord, her church, and her family. Heidi has been married for 19 years and is the mother of 3 boys. Her first son entered Heaven at 9 months old and the other two are 12 and 14. She shares her heart for the Lord’s people through her writing, prayer, and singing. She is also a part time vocal coach.