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Singing carries an expression of our emotions and reactions to life. The words and melody of a song add special meaning to any worship or occasion. Even when our flawed, aging memories cannot remember a grocery list, we remember songs we heard at special weddings, funerals, or even the songs we sang as battle cries at our high school football games. I sang "Bless Be the Tie that Binds" with a broken heart at my Daddy's funeral. We sang the "Halleluah Chorus" joyfully on the occasion of my cousin's wedding. My heart brimming over with bittersweet tears on the occasion of each son's wedding rehearsals, we sang "The Lord Bless You and Keep You." So many emotions, feelings and messages travel through a song.
God blessed me with a voice and the ability to sing. And sing we should...to God the Father and Jesus Christ our Savior. I am encouraged by songs. I am taught by songs. I am pricked to the heart by songs. Music stirs my blood and boost my inner person to march into victory. "Victory in Jesus" is a battle cry sang by Christians. When I hear trumpets play the triad of sound after singers shout, "God of our Fathers Whose Almighty Hand...," I square my shoulders and lift my voice to the anthem as my heart fills with pride.
My soul is soothed with King Saul as David the shepherd boy plays his harp. (I Samuel 16:23) Such a calming effect the sweet sounds of harp strings can bring to a stressed mind. But what a thrill it must have been to participate in the celebration when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord! (Erza 3) The priest wore their vestments and played trumpets while the Levites shook cymbals and praised the Lord in song. They shouted and sang "He is good; his love to Israel endures forever." Scripture tells us, "And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid." Wow! all of that for a foundation. Why don't we do that for Christ laying down his life...for us?
"Sing to God, O kingdoms of the earth, sing praise to the Lord,..."
2 comments:
Your post reminds of of the words of John Wesley's "O, for a Thousand Tongues to sing thy great redeemer's praise"
My prayer is for those of us from the C of C acapella background will learn tolerance and understanding the "thousand tongues" singing in various forms. Some in this sect of Christianity have one narrow view of how we should worship our Lord in song. I pray that we will sing great redeemer's praise with conviction in our hearts that we love our Lord and Savior. Whether we do that with instruments, hands that clap or our simple voice, wel honor our God with our worship.
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