As I prepared to lead worship this morning, I found myself thinking about my dear friend, Brent who is now with our heavenly father.  For almost 9 years, I had close interaction with B every Sunday morning (and Sunday night as we co-led Small Groups)…for many of those Sundays, he was my slide man…needless to say, we were very, very close.  The hymn that has him on my mind is one he embodied, and more than that, he embodied the truth it is fashioned out of.

This morning, we planned to sing Lynn DeShazo’s & Gary Sadler’s wonderful modern hymn Be Unto Your Name.  If indeed worship on earth is preparation for our eternal worship around the throne, than these words should help us anticipate what is to come and what we’re supposed to be living for…and I believe worship very much helps us accomplish bringing about “life on earth as it is in heaven…”

The writers craft their lyric based on these words from James 4
13Now listen, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.” 14Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. 15Instead, you ought to say, “If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.” 16As it is, you boast in your arrogant schemes. All such boasting is evil. 17If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.

If we trust in God, then we should have no problem following these meaningful verses with the very powerful chorus that follows.  May these lyrics continually transform us…and B?

It makes me long for heaven a lot more with each passing day.

Verse 1: We are a moment, You are forever
Lord of the Ages, God before time
We are a vapor, You are eternal
Love everlasting, reigning on high

Verse 2: We are the broken, You are the healer
Jesus, Redeemer, mighty to save
You are the love song we’ll sing forever
Bowing before You, blessing Your name

Chorus: Holy, holy, Lord God Almighty
Worthy is the Lamb Who was slain
Highest praises, honor and glory
Be unto Your name, be unto Your name