I recently witnessed a “broken hallelujah.” On two different occasions, I watched women overcome by sorrow and grief pour out their worship through tears. It was their doxologies of praise to the One from whom all blessings flow, even when life is crushing. As I led worship and watched them, and saw others standing with them and loving them, I was swept up in the beauty of pure worship. It was a powerful thing, and it touched me deeply.

We worship the Exalted One who dwells in a high and holy place but also with those who are crushed in spirit to revive them.[1] Our broken hallelujahs touch the heart of God, and He is drawn like a magnet to them. When we gather to worship, He moves within and among us reviving, comforting and inflaming our hearts with His Presence.

We each come to corporate worship from different life circumstances. Sometimes our worship is a shout of joy to the Rock of our salvation. Sometimes it issues silently from a heavy heart bowed in humility, and sometimes it’s through tears of deep love and gratitude. The blending harmonies create the beauty and power of corporate worship. It floods us from an overflow of the Spirit of God and we pour it back over Him. Sometimes the flood nearly bursts my heart.

This morning as I ran, I listened to worship we often miss – birdsong. There are nearly 20,000 bird species in the world, and God planted unique songs in their throats for His listening pleasure. Today, I heard chickadees, robins, finches and sparrows to name a few. I listened to a male hummingbird chitter as he enjoyed a cool drink and took a dip in my water fountain. I love the poignant call of the Golden-crowned Sparrow, the resonant song of the Red-winged Blackbird, the complex melody of the Song Sparrow, the gentle cluck of a hen and, of course, the familiar chick-a-dee-dee-dee. I think God had fun creating all those songs and declared them all good.

It’s good to worship our Sovereign God together and unite in our diversity to declare His worthiness. He’s infinite in attributes and unceasing in His transforming work in our lives, so there will always be a new song and a new reason to worship Him. His love and goodness reach beyond the heights of our praise and into the depths of our broken hallelujahs.

[1] Isaiah 57:15