Have you ever caught yourself singing a song during a corporate worship service only to realize you have no idea what you are singing? I think we’ve all found ourselves “going through the motions” from time to time feeling as if we are in an everlasting musical trance.
So can you imagine being a part of the St. Burchardi Church in Halberstadt Germany where the sanctuary will be full of music for at least another 627 years –NON-STOP? Why is that? The church organ has been programed to play an incredibly slow recital. In fact, the songs are being played so slowly that chord changes typically happen in intervals of weeks!
The name of the 639-year organ recital is appropriately named “As Slow as Possible.” It is a tribute to the late composer, John Cage who once said, “If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four… Eventually one discovers that is not boring at all.”
That reminds me of a phrase that the Bible seems to indicate will be repeated eternally in Heaven. When Isaiah catches a glimpse of Heaven’s throne room, he discovers angels crying out, ““Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3). And in Revelation 5:4, the Bible indicates that there are four living creatures who never cease to say, ““Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
Will all of this repetition in heaven become boring? Absolutely not. You see, the cries of all creation will be motivated by the unending awe that we experience each moment as we realize more and more of the majesty of God. Because His majesty is infinite, our awe and wonder will never cease. Therefore, the overflow of our hearts will forever be meaningful and sincere. No more “going through the motions!”