More Than A Song - Endless Alleluia by Cory Asbury

Endless Alleluia - Cory Asbury

In the morning when I rise to meet You
In the morning when I lift my eyes
You're the only One I wanna cling to
You're the first thought on my mind
 
Let our voices rise
All creation cries
Singing out an endless alleluia
From this moment on
Join with Heaven's song
Singing out an endless alleluia!
 
In the moments where You go unnoticed
In the ordinary day to day
Countless miracles of life around us
Point like arrows to Your name
 
Let our voices rise
All creation cries
Singing out an endless alleluia
From this moment on
Join with Heaven's song
Singing out an endless alleluia!
 
Only a moment to live this life
Like shooting stars burning up the night
Till Heaven's opened and we arrive
In Your presence, Lord
In Your presence, Lord
 
Let our voices rise
All creation cries
Singing out an endless alleluia
From this moment on
Join with Heaven's song
Singing out an endless alleluia!
 
There's nothing better
There's nothing better
There's nothing better
Than this right now now
There's nothing better
There's nothing better
There's nothing better
Than this right now, now
 
In the evening when I lay my head down
In the evening when I close my eyes
You're still the only One I wanna cling to
You're the last thought on my mind
 
Publishing: © Bethel Music Publishing
 
Writers: Cory Asbury, Brian Johnson, Rian Johnson, Ricky Jackson
 
I’ll be honest. I can readily weep EVERY.TIME.I.HEAR.THIS.SONG. Okay, there I said it. It’s out of the way and in full disclosure, I can get weepy pretty fast with certain songs. But this one…oh man. I’m just a mess.
 
If you know the story of Cory Asbury you probably know his song Reckless Love which has become the uber-worship hit of the year; perhaps even of the decade. In all seriousness, Reckless Love has become an anthem I believe the church has needed. An anthem broken and beaten-down Christians have needed. And a testimony to the world that needs to believe in a Savior Who leaves the 99 to pursue the 1 who is lost. Talk about reckless. I did a blog feature earlier this year about the song and the concept that we could consider God’s love as reckless (The Reckless Love of God). I totally would encourage you to read it if you haven’t.
Within the 10-song release of the same name (Reckless Love), the title track and the track Endless Alleluia bookend the whole album. I had heard Endless Alleluia as the buzz around the rest of the project was building. When I first listened to it, I remember being immediately stirred and finding myself in a place of pure worship. That’s what great worship songs do and when it’s authentic, the Holy Spirit’s anointing is all over it.
 
I don’t want to go too far down an emotive path today. I know people can be moved and stirred by certain things and that emotion can seem rather subjective from one individual to the next. I know others will hear Endless Alleluia and think, “Hmm, it’s just an ok song with ok lyrics, yada yada…”. And that opinion is totally fine. I get that art is subjective but one thing #morethanasong means to me is that no matter how you connect to it, there’s more going on under the surface.
Let our voices rise
All creation cries
Singing out an endless alleluia
From this moment on
Join with Heaven's song
Singing out an endless alleluia!
 
As I hear those lyrics, I get a picture in my mind of something. Often, worship music will stir an image within my brain. For me, the image here is rather abstract because neither myself nor anyone else has ever seen it. Mr. Asbury hasn’t seen it. But we’ve read it and we’ve taken hold of something believing it to be true because of Scripture:
 
And they were calling to one another: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory." Isaiah 6:3
 
Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under its wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty,' who was, and is, and is to come." Revelation 4:8
 
I attended a worship leader conference last year with members of my church worship team. In a session with other worship leaders, a leading well-known worship pastor said that what we get to experience on Sunday morning and whenever we gather, is a “pinhole glimpse into heaven.” The assembled throng around the throne of God. Holy holy holy. The awe and presence of His glory. We point to it…we speak of it…we sing songs about it. But none of us has actually seen it.
 
So why is Endless Alleluia so powerful? I think for me, it centers me; it brings focus. It leads me to a place where I recognize what I need to be about and where I am headed. “In the morning…You're the first thought on my mind…In the evening…You're the last thought on my mind.” In all honesty, my life doesn’t reflect that, even if I hear and sing it. But it needs to. God needs to be ever-present in my life and I need to be ever-aware of Him. The spiritual realm: the things we cannot see, taste, touch, smell, or hear are just as real as what is physically before us. And I need to recognize that. This song reminds me of that.
Beyond that, Endless Alleluia tears me up because I know this life is short. I know we have these few moments, these few years of existence and then “poof”, it’s over. I can’t slow down time. I can’t hit the pause button. I can only move forward and live today as if it’s the last day of my life. By the time the bridge swells in, I’m a puddle on the floor as the reality of all of it hits me:
 
Only a moment to live this life
Like shooting stars burning up the night
Till Heaven's opened and we arrive
In Your presence, Lord
In Your presence, Lord

So beyond just a song this week, there is a charge. There is homework guys; sorry my kids are already back in school so we’re all in that mode haha! Here’s where you take this song or any song that resonates similarly: are you prepared to meet your Lord and Savior and to be in His presence for eternity? If you’re ready, the thought should be one of peace. Your spirit should be at rest knowing, whether today, tomorrow, next week, next year…or in 50 years, you are ready to meet Jesus.

Again just being honest, I haven’t always been there. I’ve clung tightly to this life. I’ve only wanted safety, security, a long healthy life with only the best…and then heaven. But I have come to accept and even have joy in the words of Paul: “To live is Christ, to die is gain.” This life is a blip on the scale of eternity. If this is all we live for and this is all there is, then why waste it on anything other than ourselves? But if heaven is real, if the scene around the throne is real, then that’s the reality I’m living for and planning for. And whenever I pass on, I’ll be in His presence raising an Endless Alleluia.

Guys please check out this song, linked below. Check out the full album of Reckless Love by Cory Asbury…it’s a download you need in your playlist. I love you all and as always, please reach out. I enjoy hearing from you!
 
 
 

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