Worship in a Cloud

One of my favorite portions of the Old Testament is the end of 1 Chronicles and the first few chapters of 2 Chronicles. Here's a synopsis:

• 1 Chronicles 28 King David brings together all the officials and tribes of Israel, and in a speech of succession, he tells them that God has told him that he is not the one to build the Temple in Jerusalem. God has chosen his son Solomon.
• 1 Chronicles 29 David recounts all of his preparations for building the Temple, all of the materials he has brought together, and offers one of the great prayers of praise to God. They anoint Solomon to be the new king of Israel, and David retires after reigning over Israel for forty years.
• 2 Chronicles 1 God grants Solomon's request for wisdom, along with great wealth, honor, and power, which he had not requested.
• 2 Chronicles 2 Solomon prepares to build the Temple.
• 2 Chronicles 3 The building of the Temple.
• 2 Chronicles 4 The furnishings of the Temple.
• 2 Chronicles 5 The first worship service in the Temple.

All of these chapters are rich in content, history, and imagery for anyone who plans and leads worship today, but it is chapter five that brings me back to this passage so frequently. King Solomon has assembled all of the elders and leaders of Israel for the occasion. The Levites — that's us, folks, the musicians and worship specialists — carry the ark of the covenant out of the tent that David had prepared to house it. The ark, remember, contained the holiest of all objects in Israel, the two tablets given by God to Moses, "put there at Horeb, where the Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel after they came out of Egypt." In front of all Israel and King Solomon, the Levites carry the ark to its new place, "in the inner sanctuary of the house, in the most holy place, underneath the wings of the cherubim."

The priests had gone into the holy place to sanctify themselves. They had gone in with regard to their divisions — I suppose something like local pastors, deacons, elders, district superintendents, and bishops — but they now came out "without regard to their divisions," without distinction by class, status, or role. And the priests (clergy) are ready to worship.

The Levites ("levitical singers") are also ready, dressed in fine liturgical robes, with cymbals, harps, and lyres, standing east of the altar, with 120 priests who were trumpeters. It was the job of the musicians and trumpeter-priests to "make themselves heard in unison in praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, and when the song was raised with trumpets and cymbals and other musical instruments (guitars? keyboards? handbells? synthesizers?) in praise to the Lord, 'For he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever,' the house, the house of the Lord, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud; for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God."

Years of preparation on the part of David, Solomon, and all Israel had gone into this high moment of worship. Undoubtedly they had made plans for great preaching, pomp and pageantry, high liturgy, marvelous ceremony, and fantastic music. But note what happened. God's glory showed up in a cloud and filled the place — "so that the priests could not stand to minister." We can't be certain what that means, but I'll bet it means there wasn't much in the way of preaching, pomp, pageantry, liturgy, ceremony, or music. I'll bet it means they were overcome by God's presence to the point where all they could do was to experience that presence and to know God.

How do we measure the success and vitality, the truth and beauty, of our worship leading? "Fine sermon this morning, preacher." "The choir sounded great today." "Oh, weren't the children cute?" "The poinsettias were so beautiful!" "Did you hear the applause after the organ postlude?" "There wasn't a dry eye in the house after the solo." "The praise team sure has lots of energy."

We've all heard these comments, perhaps even worked to elicit them. I wonder if, when we lead worship and comments like these are the result, can there ever be a cloud like the one in Chronicles? Can musicians, artists, and worship leaders become the vehicle through which people experience the presence of God in worship, as they were in Chronicles? And if so, how do we do that?