I must admit, as a child I was an ardent enthusiast of Professional Wrestling. Every Saturday afternoon I would sneak into my bedroom to watch the stars of The National Wrestling Alliance strut their stuff across my 16 inch black and white television screen.
My absolute favorite wrestling superstar was Ric Flair. It wasn’t so much how he wrestled that intrigued me. He didn’t have huge biceps or anything close to it, but what he did have was a huge personality and ring presence. From his boastful bragging to his over-the-top robes, this man truly personified the image of that which he called himself, “The Nature Boy!” But more than that, what fascinated me most was the way he entered into an arena.
Ric Flair had a theme song, and that theme song fit his persona perfectly. The song was “2001: A Space Odyssey.” In sold-out arenas all over the world, this song would begin to play, and thousands of people would jump to their feet and begin to cheer deafeningly and wildly. In would walk the world-champion Ric Flair with his hands held high and his million-dollar smile. It was truly a spectacle to behold when he walked into the room. I was always amazed at how he captured the entire crowd and held them in the palm of his hand, whether he was hated or loved. But make no mistake, what set the stage for it all was his entry and his theme song. It still makes me want to stand up on my bed and shout, “Whoooo!”
Even today, both the AEW and World Wrestling Entertainment brilliantly market their wrestling characters and personalities better than any other form of entertainment in the world. They somehow take an average human being and transform them into a mega-star, simply through the art of their theme song and entry into the arena. It is amazing to watch these wrestlers walk into the room to their theme song and see thousands of people literally go wild for five minutes. And all this, for a confrontation whose result has been predetermined long before the competitor’s feet even hit the walkway to the ring. Amazing!
The theme song is essential to the success of the wrestling personality. It must match their look, their walk, and their demeanor. The theme song sets the stage for everything. Not only that, it must be played at exactly the right time, which is just before the wrestler enters the arena. The theme song is crucial to announcing the presence of the wrestling character. It sets the stage for his entry into the room. It fires up the crowd and engages them into the entire event. It also makes them more attune to the identity of the wrestler. All of these things must work together perfectly for a successful event.
Imagine for a moment if the audio technician decided not to play the theme song for the wrestler. What if the technician refused to do it out of lack of enthusiasm for the event or the wrestler? What if the technician simply forgot to do it due to an apathetic attitude toward the wrestler or the company? No doubt, there would be consequences for the technician, and he may be out of a job soon. It is his responsibility to play the theme song so that the World Champion may victoriously enter the room!
Wouldn’t it be great if we all had a theme song ourselves? Think of it, whenever we entered a room, a restaurant, or even a class reunion, a loudspeaker would come on and our theme music would begin to play and reverberate throughout the room. Then our presence would be announced and we would burst into the room! Something simple like a trip to Wal-Mart or the Post Office would never be the same again!
But the truth of the matter is that we don’t all get to have a theme song like most professional wrestlers. The only One truly worthy of a theme song is the Lord Almighty Himself. Do you think He has a theme song? If God does have a theme song, what does it sound like? What song would match his persona perfectly? What type of theme song would be worthy of announcing the presence of God the Almighty?
Much to my surprise, upon closer examination of the Scriptures, I find that the Lord actually does have a fitting theme song, and it’s found in Psalm 47. Of course, there are many passages of Scripture that could work, but let’s take a look at this particular one.
Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy.
How awesome is the Lord Most High, the great King over all the earth!
God has ascended amid shouts of joy, the Lord amid the sounding of trumpets.
Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises.
For God is the King of all the earth; sing to him a psalm of praise.
Psalm 47:1-2, 5-7
In Psalm 47 we find that in order to announce the Lord’s ascension into the Temple, or any place for that matter, He is to be accompanied by the sound of hands clapping, people shouting out loud for joy, the sound of victory through the trumpet, and the singing of praises! God has a theme song and it sounds like clapping hands, shouting cries of joy, victorious instruments, and voices singing praise to Him!
You will notice that the characteristics of this theme song all include some type of expressive worship movement. They require us to physically engage ourselves into the worship experience with a response that conveys and displays the attributes of a King and Champion.
Our God is the Champion because He died in our place, rose again, and conquered sin and death forever! He is Jesus and He sits on the throne! He intercedes for us and sticks up for us before the throne of His Heavenly Father. When God’s presence is announced, His people should break loose with emphatic expression! More than any wrestler, if anyone has earned the right for an awesome theme song for His entry, it’s King Jesus!
God’s redeemed people are the ones responsible for playing His theme song whenever we meet for corporate worship! And why is this so crucial? Because God’s theme song declares His greatness in the assembly! It announces His presence! It fires up the crowd and gets them engaged with the character of our Lord. God’s theme song gets us in tune with His holiness and His identity. His theme song sets the stage for the entire worship event! It means everything!
You may not have a trumpet or a ram’s horn, so use whatever instrument you do have to give Him glory. You may not have the greatest voice for singing, but shout out loud to the King of all kings! If it pains your surgically repaired shoulder to lift up your hand, then lift up your eyes and your heart and let your feet join in! Whatever you have, bring it for the glory of the King! But let’s not make any excuses, God’s theme song demands to be played in the worship arena!
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