[Worship] WQOTW - Silence and Song

[CARLSTAM@aol.com]

Today’s WORSHIP QUOTE is from the quill of Saint Augustine. In contemplating 
the transcendence and immanence of God, the author is torn between a worship 
response of awe-filled silence and one of exuberant song.


WORSHIP THROUGH SILENCE AND SONG?
What are you, my God? What are you, but the Lord God himself? You are the 
highest, the most righteous and the most powerful being. You are the most 
merciful, and yet the most just. You are the most mysterious, and yet the 
most present. You are the most beautiful, and yet the strongest. You are 
stable, yet incomprehensible. You are unchanging, yet changing all things. 
You are never new and never old, yet you are constantly renewing all things. 
You are always working, yet always at rest. You create great riches on earth, 
yet you need nothing yourself. You support, nourish and protect all. 

You love, and yet you are without passion. You are jealous, and yet have no 
fear. You recoil at our sin, yet you do not grieve. You are angry, yet remain 
serene. You alter your plans in response to our actions, yet your law and 
purpose remain firm. You take as you find, yet never lose. You have no needs, 
yet you rejoice in all goodness. You have no envy, yet you require us to 
multiply the talents you have bestowed. You pay debts, yet owe nothing; you 
forgive debts, yet lose nothing. 

What shall I say, O my God, my life, my holy joy? What can any man say when 
he speaks of you? Silence offers the greatest eloquence, yet woe to him who 
does not sing your praise.

— Saint Augustine (354-430), Bishop of Hippo in Northern Africa. This 
selection was taken from BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH: PRAYERS AND REFLECTIONS 
THAT CELEBRATE AN INTIMATE GOD, compiled and edited by Ken Gire. New York: 
HarperCollins, 1997, p. 134. ISBN 0-06-063046-9


[If you are interested in some further reading from Augustine and others of 
the Church Fathers, you might want to take a look at www.ccel.org/fathers2.]


Have a great week.


Chip Stam
Director, Institute for Christian Worship
School of Church Music and Worship
Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Louisville, Kentucky
www.carlstam.org
www.sbts.edu/icw

======================================
To join WQOTW, send an e-mail message to:
list_mgr@wqotw.org
with the message:
JOIN WQOTW
(subject line doesn’t matter)
======================================
To leave the WQOTW email list, please send an email 
message to list_mgr@wqotw.org with these three lines 
in the message: 
LEAVE WQOTW 
LEAVE WQOTW_1 
LEAVE WQOTW_2 
LEAVE WQOTW_3
One of the three will work, and you will no longer 
get the WQOTW. The subject line does not matter.
======================================
WORSHIP QUOTE OF THE WEEK and ARCHIVES found at:
http://www.wqotw.org/ 
======================================
A COMPLETE INDEX (by author) is available at:
http://www.wqotw.org/WQOTW_index.htm
======================================

**************************************************
       Looking for praise and worship music resources?
                      Visit our list sponsor at:
                  http://www.worshipmusic.com

      Any questions about your subscription or the list?
                Contact worship-help@praise.net
**************************************************