A Beautiful Noise – The Power of Worship

“A Beautiful Noise” currently playing at the Broadhurst Theatre in New York City is the gripping story of the legendary Neil Diamond featuring many of his hit songs. It is a compelling depiction of a gifted composer and singer who struggled with depression while achieving world-renowned success. It is the story of a man of faith, who left his Jewish roots and embraced his belief in God uniquely and dramatically.

I have been a fan of Neil Diamond for many years, being attracted to his music because in my opinion he is a uniquely gifted writer and singer that often demonstrates his faith. This became more evident to me during the telling of his story as it connected his songs to the phases and struggles of his life. His struggle was characterized as “a dark cloud” hovering over his head that was his constant companion which only abated while he was exercising his gifts of writing, composing or performing.

During the performance his music allowed all present to feel the tangible anointing of God in his work. They were secular songs which evoked spiritual responses of unity, peace and joy drawing the audience into participating with the performance. It was a moving experience that frequently evoked tears from both me and my wife and I am sure many others who were there.

When I returned home I spent some time listening to Mr. Diamond’s music. I noticed his relationship with his faith was casual and indirect in some of his early songs, but became more vocal and direct in his later writings. One of his latest recordings is my favorite and is entitled “Man of God”. In it he boldly sings the following:

“No I am, yes I am, I’m a man of song; Gonna sing it far and near; Gonna make a joyful sound; One that every heart can hear.”

“Singing for Him is like touching the sky; I don’t need to know why; I just know that it is!”

I believe that in the story of Neil Diamond we are seeing a secular demonstration of the value of worship in the faith experience. Worship is “A Beautiful Noise” that attracts the presence of God. I believe this is true regardless of whether the music is secular or sacred, that is, in the commercial world or in a religious context. It all depends on the spirit of the one offering the song. The evidence is in the response of those who are listening. It is one of those intersections of the natural and the supernatural, the place I believe where faith exists.

I believe faith is a valued commodity with different components. Having a faith that is largely informational is valuable but does not represent a complete picture of the value of our faith. I believe our faith is similar to a two sided coin. On one side we have the imparting of information and knowledge of God through teaching, lecturing, sermons and reading. On the flip side we have the experiential side of prayer and worship. Both are valued pieces of the same commodity of faith.

I believe it is through worship that God reveals Himself to us more and more. It is the intimacy of our faith. It is a method of communing with God separate and distinct from prayer, different from learning through teaching and lecture. Worship can be expressed in different ways in form and function. It can be as simple as sitting and watching a sunrise or sunset and recognizing the intricacy of the unlimited elements involved in creating that moment. I have a former college classmate who now lives in Austin, Texas. Many days he will text pictures of the dramatic sunsets near his home of all intricate designs and beautiful colors extolling them as God’s handiwork. This is worship in its purest form by giving credit of creation to our Creator.

All worship is good, but my favorite form of worship is through music. I am basically tone deaf, have hardly any ability to carry a tune and have demonstrated consistently over the years an inability to learn to play any musical instrument. But for some reason worship in song and/or instrument moves me more than any other form of worship. If I fill my space with music that worships God, my soul soars. I go to another place in my mind and spirit that becomes an intimate sensing of God’s presence that often leaves me in joyful tears. I have learned over the years that all forms of music and singing have a spiritual dimension. I find voices like Andrea Bocelli’s to be highly worshipful even when singing in another language or a secular subject. I recognize his talent and others like him as a gifting from God and the sounds produced often bring me to tears.

In worship we have the opportunity to experience an intimacy with God that is coveted by Him as described in John chapter 4 as follows. Jesus’ encounter with a Samaritan woman describes the value of worship in the faith experience. Jesus declares to her “But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and truth.” (John 4:23,24)

These comments follow a brief exchange with the woman in which Jesus confronts her pride in the tradition of her faith and her insincerity about her marital status. Before we judge this lady too harshly, we must honestly recognize that many of us have fallen victim to pride in our customs of faith and resistance to other unfamiliar ways of expressing faith. I know I have. Additionally, many of us have had multiple marriages in the past. What matters is approaching God with a sincere heart of worship that demonstrates to God those things of our past which are no longer a part of us. That is worship in “spirit and truth.” Why does God respond to that kind of heart? Because He is looking for worshippers, as stated in the above-referenced verse “for the Father is seeking such to worship Him”!

 I believe a critical aspect of our faith concerns worship: how we value worship, the way we worship, and the frequency that we worship. Attending a weekly church service is a wonderful thing but it does not capture the essence of having a “heart of worship.” A “heart of worship” may often respond in an impromptu moment and method. One can experience a profound worship experience at home, in a park, in a valley, or on a mountain. It is simply turning one’s heart to God in any manor you feel led at the moment. One does not need a choir, accompaniment, or even a sound to have a profound worship experience. Why? Because “the Father is seeking such” and He makes the experience easily available to us. We only have to recognize the value of worship and step out in faith to experience it.

Many who read this will know what I mean when I talk about the power of worship. If not, it does not mean our faith experience is any less meaningful and/or effective. Worship is just another tool available to us to build our faith in our journey if we choose to use it. Every aspect of faith is optional. It makes no difference to God or change how much He loves us. It is simply another method for us to express our faith. I have found it is a powerful tool to keep my heart open to God’s presence and reminder that He is always working in my life. I believe we all need as much of both of those experiences as we can get.

If you have never tried to simply worship God, give it a try. Get alone and read a Psalm aloud, sing a familiar hymn or praise song, or simply tell God how grateful you are to have Him in your life. See what happens. You have nothing to lose and a whole new faith experience to gain. It is all “A Beautiful Noise” that attracts the presence of God.