At our church, there’s a segment of the traditional service called “special music”. I don’t typically get to hear this music because we attend the early (more contemporary) service, but each week, someone is there in that slot singing something. As a praise team person, my time comes around about once a quarter… and it was this week. I dread special music so much. I dread it because it’s a solo, because I’m singing stuff that is not the traditional they are used to, because I always pick music special to my heart (which makes me emotional to begin with) and because I get all the blank stares of the church directly on me for at least 3 minutes.  For that matter, I really don’t see the point of special music. It seems if it was “special” it would not be done every Sunday…. but I digress…

Where I mean to be going is on the topic of Hallelujahs. “Hallelujah” literally means “Praise Yahweh” (the ultra special name for God used by the Hebrews in the old testament) or “Praise the Lord”. I’ve heard it said before that Hallelujah translates the same way in every language which I always found reassuring and just out and out awesome. Then I heard an Amy Grant song the other day I hadn’t heard before. Yep, that’s right, Amy Grant. It was called “Better than a Hallelujah”. At first it struck me as odd, b/c I was like, “What could be better than saying, ‘Hallelujah’ to God?” It’s the highest praise… but is it? Music has been important my entire life. I was saved at a Wednesday night music practice. The lyrics and the melodies carry a message to my heart better than any other. I remember singing in the LRC A Capella choir and how much I enjoyed hearing all those voices blend in Hallelujahs and I couldn’t imagine anything more beautiful or pleasing to God.

After I had Emily, there was a night that I was up at 2 or 3 a.m. trying to get her back to sleep. I was holding her in her room by the crib, in the mostly dark, singing songs to her and I was completely overwhelmed by the love I felt for her, the praise I needed to give God for her and the lack of words I could pour out. I couldn’t come up with one better than “Thank you” out loud or even in my head! All I could do was cry. Upon hearing this song, I saw that moment for what is was, “Better than a Hallelujah”. An honest moment with God. He knew my thoughts before I could speak them and I was being 100% real with him. Oh how I wish I could be that honest everyday!

Here’s the lyrics to the song from this week. You can hear my rendition of it at http://www.blackjackchurch.org/sermons.asp (if not today in a couple of days). While you’re there, stick around and hear the message. Pastor Philip was really bringing it today! As always, I would love to hear your thoughts!

Better Than a Hallelujah (by Amy Grant)

God loves a lullaby, in a mother’s tears in the dead of night
Better than a hallelujah sometimes
God loves the drunkard’s cry, the soldier’s plea not to let him die,
Better than a hallelujah sometimes

(Chorus)
We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody, beautiful the mess we are,
the honest cries of breaking hearts, are better than a hallelujah.

The woman holding on for life, the dying man giving up the fight
Are better than a hallelujah sometimes
The tears of shame for what’s been done, the silence when the words won’t come
Are better than a hallelujah sometimes

We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody, beautiful the mess we are,
the honest cries of breaking hearts, are better than a hallelujah.

(Bridge)
Better than a church bell ringing, Better than a choir singing out, singing out

We pour out our miseries, God just hears a melody, beautiful the mess we are,
the honest cries of breaking hearts, are better than a hallelujah.

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