The penultimate song on Phil Keaggy's debut album, What a Day, is "Hallelujah".
That is also the complete lyric.
If ever there was a "churchy" word that should feel strange on the lips of any non-believer, hallelujah is it. I mean...it doesn't even come out of my mouth all that much except when singing a song or reading a psalm.
It is actually a Hebrew word...a compound word, to be exact...formed by combining hallel, meaning "to praise" or just "praise," and jah, verbal shorthand for the personal name of God, Yahweh. (For a post about Yahweh, click here.)
So hallelujah is more than just a word expressing praise and gratitude to God. It is also an invitation - even a command - to lift up one's voice in recognition of the awesomeness of the creator.
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Truth is...Considering how much Yahweh loves me and forgives me and provides for me and guides me and, and, and ... it's a shame my mouth doesn't form the word hallelujah more often.
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