Pure joy. Exuberant community. Those two phrases may help one understand what Charley LeBlanc was looking for when he said “Clap Your Hands” in 1988. Finding an image that really does justice to such an occasion – think of a sports pep rally, or when someone returns from a great victory (see the triumphant David in the work of art by Mateo Rosselli) – might actually be difficult. And, it’s gotta be more than just a snapshot, but a full-length video that just doesn’t end. A person might need to experience something like this up close, in person. It’s a group experience, meant to be a foretaste of what’s to come, so perhaps Charley was trying to imagine this like never before, even angelically. Can anyone really picture the future scene that John painted while in a trance-like state on Patmos in the first century – Revelation 19: 1-8? There will certainly be a lot more than hand-clapping going on then, but you really cannot fault Charley for trying to spur on a crowd with this idea of celebration, because the victory is already won. Yes. That’s worth at least a WOW!
Charley LeBlanc and his wife, Jill, must have their own favorite, exquisite memories to draw upon – something that fires their engines. That is the sense of what comes across when reading from their official website. It’s impossible to miss, including when you note that they’ve designated their overall ministry name with something that begins with these two words – Joyful Word. They haven’t shared specifically on that site why a song like ‘Clap Your Hands’ materialized in 1988, but maybe that’s because their entire enterprise is infused with the attitude they hope to generate with that music. It really doesn’t require much insight to see what they are after, and you can actually hear it in Charley’s voice when he’s coaxing a crowd to join in as they sing the song (hear the rendition of the song at the link below). Join in everyone! No one is left out – that’s his intention. And, the album’s name on which the song appears also indicates that this is for everyone – it’s called Lord of All. That they emphasize this group joy, even in the midst of their own grief when their son Beau died in 2009, says so much about them and the fortitude of this life attitude they have. They say on their site that Beau ‘blasted off into Heaven’, rather than muttering that it was so unfair and premature. They lean on what Paul tells believers about the heaven journey -- If I live, it will be for Christ, and if I die, I will gain even more (Philippians 1:21). So, summing up what Charley says with his lyrics sounds like this: Everybody celebrate the big win! God’s behind all of this, and Jesus is Lord for all of us! Not enough exclamation marks for this! It’s something that overcomes even death.
Think of your most exciting in-person or video-viewed experience – see if that may give you a taste of what Charley and the apostles John and Paul have been trying to coax from your insides. I like to click on a link to one of my favorite celebratory scenes (even if it is a little blurry, because of the quality of the video), because I sense that it really captures something rare. You can see the fans already waving towels and cheering before the play even happens, as they try to spur the team on to victory. Then, when the big, clinching play happens, the stadium erupts – 60,000 to 70,000 fans (root word for fanatics) yelling and jumping up and down as one, until there’s a final crescendo when the player crosses the goal line and jams his index finger in the air. Awesome…no other word suffices. Got it? Now be the fanatic for Him who’s got your victory party waiting for you. Yeah!
See information about the LeBlanc couple here: www.charlieandjill.com and About – www.charlieandjill.com and Personal Bio – www.charlieandjill.com
Hear a rendition of the song, as performed/lead by Leblanc here: Charlie LeBlanc- Clap Your Hands (Medley) (Hosanna! Music) - YouTube
Public Domain status of the picture: This work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer. (author - Matteo Rosselli (1578–1650)) https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rosselli_Triunfo_David.jpeg
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