Clear The Stage

My son and I were texting about hearts and protecting hearts and holding hearts. He then reminded me of the song Clear The Stage by Jimmy Needham and how we have a chance to live out the lyrics to this song during this pandemic.

Clear the stage and set the sound and lights ablaze
If that’s the measure you must take to crush the idols
Jerk the pews & all the decorations too, until the congregations few, then have
Revival
Tell your friends that this is where the party ends
Until you’re broken for your sins, you can’t be social
Then seek the Lord & wait for what He has in store
And know that great is your reward so just be hopeful

Take a break from all the plans that you have made
And sit at home alone and wait for God to whisper
Beg Him please to open up His mouth and speak
And pray for real upon your knees until they blister
Shine the light on every corner of your life
Until the pride and lust and lies are in the open

Then read the Word and put to test the things you’ve heard
Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken

Some of these words are ridiculously relevant as we Social Distance and Shelter at Home. Churches are going on-line putting aside the big Easter plans, the big songs, the big sermons, the big egg hunts for the kids

The idols are being crushed

Families are putting aside plans of family dinners, Easter dresses, little boy suits, bow ties and patent leather shoes

The idols are being crushed

We are being forced to clear the stage that we have created and continue to create because it’s what we usually do and because it’s what we want to do. But it’s forced – not by choice, to keep ourselves, families and others safe and healthy.

And it’s hard. It’s more than patent leather shoes – its weddings and child dedications, baptisms, spring break trips, operations, jobs, businesses… it’s hard stuff.

What about our hearts?

Like I said we have a chance to live out these lyrics because we don’t have to. We do have to stay home and stay 6 feet apart, but we don’t have to “beg Him to open up His mouth and speak” and we don’t have to “pray for real upon our knees until they blister”.

We could easily miss this time of crushing idols and just change our hearts to different idols

My prayer is that we will

Then read the Word and put to test the things you’ve heard
Until your heart and soul are stirred and rocked and broken

And my prayer is that we will

Then seek the Lord & wait for what He has in store
And know that great is your reward so just be hopeful

And my prayer that the idol crushing will continue so that we will

Clear the stage, make some space for the One who deserves it

 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Jeremiah 29:13