Singing

Readings for today: 1 Chronicles 6, Psalms 36, 39, 77, 78

Music has always been a part of the worship of God. We sing about the character and nature of God. We sing about God’s mighty acts in human history. We sing about God’s power over creation and over the creatures of the earth. We sing of our redemption. The song book of the people of God is the Psalms. They set their prayers to music. Music allows them to express the full range of emotion. I imagine some of the songs they sang were slow and reflective. Others were fast-paced and joyful. Still others were confessional and melancholy. Still others were focused on praise. We don’t necessarily know the style of music they played or the different instruments they used. In my experience, both in Israel and the Middle East, it probably varied based on what was available to them and the quality of the leader. But those things were secondary. What mattered most was their heart and how they expressed themselves to God.

In 1 Chronicles six, King David sets apart a certain group of people to be in charge of musical worship. They will lead God’s people in song. They will lead God’s people when they come before Him to make their sacrifices. They will lead God’s people during the prescribed feasts and festivals. They were not only in charge of leading God’s people but I imagine they were also charged to create new songs for them to sing. New songs to describe the wonder and glory of God. New ways to describe all He had done for Israel throughout her history. I have to believe it was an amazing job. To spend your life pondering and reflecting and creating music for the people of God to sing as they come to worship. It’s why I admire those I serve alongside at my own church for the many ways they create and design and shape our worship services week over week. Introducing new music to go alongside the classic hymns from our past that we all love. Introducing new liturgical elements through prayer and testimony to draw us all closer to the Lord. It is a great privilege to work alongside such gifted and talented people.

Ultimately, however, the excellence of the music doesn’t matter if our hearts aren’t right before the Lord. If we harbor sin. If we hold onto bitterness or resentment. If we refuse to extend forgiveness and seek reconciliation with others in our community. If we enter into worship with pride, seeking only to serve ourselves. God wants our hearts. He wants us to approach Him with humility and open hands. An authentically contrite heart, He will never despise or reject. As we gather for worship this Easter weekend, my prayer for all of us is that we come open and expectant and ready to meet the Lord. My prayer is we come honestly and authentically before Him. My prayer is we come in humility as we approach the throne of grace to receive the help we need. Most of all, my prayer is we come with a desire to worship the Lord. To make worship about Him and not us. Christ is risen! He is risen indeed! May the miracle of His resurrection bring us to our knees in awe and wonder yet again!

Readings for tomorrow: No devotionals on Sundays

Songs of Salvation

Readings for today: Luke 2-3, Psalms 113

I love to sing. I’ll sing just about anything, any style, from any era. I have a deep appreciation for music which I learned from my mother who taught elementary music school music for forty years. Perhaps that’s why I love worship so much. I love to sing the great hymns of our faith. I love to sing the praise songs currently being written. I love to sing Gregorian chant, the Psalms, and other meditative, prayerful music. I love the pipe organ. I love praise bands. I love brass and woodwinds and percussion. I love the human voice most of all. I’ve sung sung songs in small groups, sanctuaries, cathedrals, even stadiums. I’ve songs in different languages around the globe. All of it fills my heart and stirs my soul.

One of the features I appreciate most about Luke’s Gospel is all the singing that accompanies the birth of Jesus. He records four separate songs from four separate people, all of whom are responding to the birth of the Messiah. Traditionally, these songs are known as “canticles” from the Latin term which means “little songs.” They are the Benedictus of Zechariah from Luke 1:68-79, the Magnificat of Mary from Luke 1:46-55, the Gloria in Excelsis Deo of the angels from Luke 2:14, and the Nunc Dimittis of Simeon from Luke 2:29-32. All of them praise God for what He has done. All of them express the wonder and awe at the great plan of God that is being fulfilled. All of them marvel at God’s steadfast love and faithfulness towards His people.

There is something about singing that taps into the deep places of our hearts. Something about music that moves our souls. I’ve sat with people in advanced stages of dementia or Alzheimer’s who can still remember the songs they sang when they were little. It’s miraculous to listen to them sing the Doxology or Gloria Patri or a hymn like Amazing Grace. It brings incredible comfort to those they love who stand vigil as they pass from this life to the life to come. And I’m quite confident that when they finally reach those heavenly shores, they will be met by the saints who’ve gone before them with even more singing. They will learn new songs, songs of glory known only to the residents of heaven who worship Jesus face to face. I can’t wait for that day and believe with all my heart that our worship here on earth is just the warm up act for the worship service we’ll join when we too cross over from the dimension of earth to the dimension of heaven.

Readings for tomorrow: Luke 4-5, Psalms 114

The Power of Singing

Readings for today: 2 Chronicles 18-20, Psalms 75

Yesterday, we wrapped up our training conference in northern Uganda. As is our custom, we held a commissioning service to send out our church planters. We prayed for them. We encouraged them with Scripture. We heard testimonies. But the part that always gets me is the singing. These men and women are headed into some of the most difficult to reach places on earth. They will face food insecurity and potential starvation. They will lack access to clean drinking water. They will sleep in the bush. They will leave their families for days at a time. They will be attacked along the way. Persecuted for their faith. Some might be imprisoned. We even had one brother martyred for his faith in the past year. And still they sing. Still they go forth with praises on their lips. It’s awe-inspiring.

It reminds me so much of what we read in today’s passage. King Jehoshaphat is so confident in his victory over his enemies that he sends a choir out to lead his army. “Then he consulted with the people and appointed some to sing for the Lord and some to praise the splendor of his holiness. When they went out in front of the armed forces, they kept singing: Give thanks to the Lord, for his faithful love endures forever.”(2 Chronicles‬ ‭20‬:‭21‬ ‭CSB‬‬) This is par for the course for Jehoshaphat. He’s a faithful king. A godly king. One who places his trust in the Lord. So when he hears news that the nations around him have banded together and brought a mighty army against him, he doesn’t panic. He declares a fast. He calls on the people to pray. They cry out to the Lord and He delivers them from their enemies. All that is left for them to do is sing. Sing of His goodness. Sing of His faithfulness. Sing of His steadfast love forever.

Over the years, I’ve had a lot of people ask me why Christians sing and my answer is always the same. We sing because we know the Lord has delivered us. We sing because the Lord has saved us. When the mighty powers of sin and death and devil came against us, we sing because God has protected us and scattered our enemies. In fact, when Christians in the churches I’ve led start arguing over the singing, it’s a sure sign we’ve lost sight of all God has done for us. When we fuss and fight or withhold our singing out of spite, we are making a mockery of the Lord’s salvation and He is not pleased. God has performed a miraculous work for us. How can we not help singing? How can we not join our voices together and sing of the goodness of God? How can we not praise the Lord for all His benefits? The next time you have the opportunity to sing, sing with all your heart. Sing with all our soul. Sing at the top of your lungs. Sing for joy. Sing for love. Sing for God.

Readings for tomorrow: 2 Chronicles 21-24, Psalms 76 (No devotionals on Sundays)