All Hail the Power
Psalm 51 says, “… my mouth will declare your praise.” And there’s nothing like praising God with a good hymn.
All Hail the Power of Jesus name
Let angels prostrate fall
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
Bring forth the royal diadem
And crown Him Lord of all.
Oh, I love that hymn! Hi, I’m Joni Eareckson Tada — your friend who likes to sing! And I have a singing pastime I’d like to tell you about. Well, really, it’s more than a pastime. For me, it’s serious fun because in my travels around the world, I will sometimes find myself in a cavernous European cathedral or a large old church in England, with Gothic columns and huge, stained glass windows. Sadly, these beautiful old churches are usually empty; the Christians for whom they were originally constructed are no more; the believers who filled their interiors with songs of praise are gone. No one sings praise hymns in these great places anymore and to me, that is so, so sad. So, when I wheel into a big, spacious church that’s empty and no one is around, oh come on, I’m going to fill the place with music by singing this glorious, old hymn ,“All Hail the Power of Jesus Name.” And I sing it as loud as I can. And I like to fill the air inside those churches with praises to God as though I were reminding these great places of worship who designed them, who is King of their ancient walls and ceilings, who their stained-glass panels are pointing to, and who is the Lord they were built for.
It takes a little courage to just start singing in a big empty church that is no more than a tourist attraction. Actually, I found my courage to sing in big, cavernous buildings many years ago. It was shortly after I was released out of the hospital after my diving accident, and my friends from high school choir thought that singing together would cheer me up. So occasionally, late at night, when we knew the place might be empty, we drove downtown to the Baltimore railway station. We would fill that marbled building with the most beautiful harmony. Breaking out into song like that gave me courage to do it more. I remember singing “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” in Paris in the Notre Dame Cathedral (yes, even with tourists around.) Then there was the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Our tour guide didn’t think that was too cool, but hey, we were in Jerusalem why not sing praises to Jesus? And then I sang this same hymn in Westminster Abbey in London and then in Salisbury Cathedral in Wiltshire, England.
Here is my point: Everywhere you and I go, everywhere we visit, every place, every square foot of ground, is territory we can claim for Christ for a song; for the God of all nations. So, the next time you’re in a big empty building — or even the “great cathedral” of a big forest — why don’t you declare His praise out loud in a psalm, a chorus, a hymn, a scripture song or a shout! First Chronicles Chapter 16 tells us (commands us) to “Sing to the Lord, all the earth; declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.” Today, friend, declare God’s glory with me because victory is ours for a song.
Song: Public Domain; Written by: Edward Perronet John Rippon Oliver Holden Paul Baloche
© Joni and Friends
