What Would Worship Be Like Without Music?
By now, hopefully most of you attended and participated in our July 29th "Hymns for Him" worship service. Our goal was to celebrate, honor and glorify our Father, our Savior and the Holy Spirit through the singing of several hymns. Additionally, the public recitation of scripture and the dramatic, historical readings of some of our favorite hymns caused us to reconsider the rich reservoir
of worship resources we have in the Bible and in our hymnals.
It was a day of rejoicing! It was a day of shouting praise! It was a day of celebration! It was a day when music carried us deep into the heart of Christ where we once again experienced his presence and his grace--together as one united, spiritual family.
When I was a young boy, I floated from one church to another (as my dad was Catholic and my mom was Lutheran). I would say, "Are we going to the brown church or the church that serves cake after the service?" It must've gotten confusing to my parents, and I'm sure the vacillation between the two churches (and denominations for that matter) caused them to change their minds. Soon, we were attending a Bible-based, non-denominational church in Dunwoody, GA. There, I learned to value of the green-covered, gold-letter embossed hymnals we'd all share on Sunday mornings: "Hymns for the Family of God." In it were songs I believed were precious "church songs," songs which were available
to us during Sunday morning worship with God's people. I remember the elegant font of the hymn titles, the categorization of certain hymns, and how certain hymns were used at specific times of the year. Because I loved music, instrumentation, and singing, hymns and congregational music was something I relished, looked forward to, and cherished as I aged. Fast forward to my teen years at Roswell First Baptist Church in Roswell, GA, where I participated in Young Musicians choir, Youth Choir, ensembles, youth orchestra, and eventually the Adult Choir (and later, formed an acappella men's ensemble called "Fishers of Men"). By the time I entered my first freshman classroom at Wake Forest University in the fall of 1994, I'm sure I'd sung hundreds if not thousands of hymns. The rich tapestry of God's love, doctrine, and theology, woven into the melodies and harmonies of these beautiful hymns, helped form me into the person God wanted/wants to use for his purposes, even as I joined Chi Rho, the men's acappella ensemble on campus. Since graduation from Wake Forest, I've spent the last twenty years singing, directing and playing some of God's greatest praise and worship music ever written...and most of those have been the hymns we all love to sing and share with the people of God.
It’s amazing--music is God’s gift, within all of us, and we don’t have to sing “on key” to have a heart in
tune with Jesus. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God,” considered
to be the Protestant national anthem of the past 500 years? And when we’re suffering loss,
struggling with life, who doesn't want to hear “It Is Well With My Soul” or “Because He Lives?” How
many of you begin to smile when I mention hymns like “How Great Thou Art,” “Victory In Jesus,” or
“The Comforter Has Come?” Who isn’t moved when hymns like “Old Rugged Cross,” “When I Survey
The Wondrous Cross,” or “Blessed Assurance” are sung joyfully in the sanctuary?
Isn't "The Church's One Foundation" Jesus Christ our Lord? I know "He Lives," and I know "He Leadeth
Me"...how about you? I know it was the "Wonderful Grace of Jesus" that saved me, "Just As I Am." I
am eternally grateful to Jesus for his "Amazing Grace" and for the faith within me because "Christ the
Lord is Risen Today." I am convinced that "Jesus Loves Me," and I know that "When We All Get to
Heaven" what a day of rejoicing it will be!
Let's face it, dear family. Our lives are more full, more spiritually grounded, and more mission-minded
as a result of the music we sing (namely hymns) in our morning worship services. Let's also not forget that contemporary praise and worship songs are also conduits through which God's people connect with the King of kings and LORD of lords. While our church mostly sings hymns, there are times when we will celebrate God through an iWorship song, special music at the piano, or in the joyful singing of the adult choir. By whichever style we are called to worship our God, may we extol our God with a heart of joy, a mind of humility and a voice full of praise! Since we value our traditional worship style, with blended contemporary elements, may we then sing our hymns, and our spiritual songs as though our Savior is coming back for his own today! May we rejoice and lift up our voices so that, whether in good times or bad, we reflect the appropriate praise our God in heaven deserves. After all, it was Job who said, "The LORD gives and takes away; Blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21). Therefore, let us open our hymnals, attend to our music minister's direction, and lift our voices to Almighty God! He is always, forever, worthy of glory, majesty and honor regardless of our personal circumstances. Eternally, while the creatures and elders around God's throne incessantly praise our Creator's name, we must share the same lifestyle. We must live a lifestyle of praise, in all things...especially on Sunday mornings.
Consider this truth from Paul's letter to the church at Colossae: "Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts" (Col. 3:16, NIV). We are to teach one another through music! We are to sing with hearts of thanksgiving! We are to let God's gift of music transport us to that place in our hearts when we found Jesus in a melody, a verse, or a refrain. After all, God is everywhere, and his Word can be found wherever his Spirit wills. Therefore, may we look for him in our hymnals, in our congregational singing, in Alan's piano playing, in the adult choir anthems, and in the voices of our dear children.
Though I don't want to dwell on it too long, what would the worship of God be without music? Some
churches use instruments, some don't. But interestingly, all churches sing. We are a singing people. We are a praising people.
We are a worshipping people.
Thankfully, our worship will always contain music; however, may we remember that the music is only as powerful as the Spirit with which we are transported into the heart of Christ. Music is only a vessel; only God's Spirit, through Jesus Christ, connects us to the Divine Other, our Father God, the One Who was, Who is, and Who always will be. He is worthy of worship, worthy of praise!
So...are we ready to sing at the top of our lungs, praising our Savior who loves us, leads us and lavishes his grace upon us? Thank God for his music in our worship services! Also, let worship music be part of your weekly relationship with Jesus. You'll be surprised how much scripture and truth you'll keep in your heart, especially when the Spirit brings it to mind in a moment of temptation, trial or testing.
Praise God for the melody of his Son, Jesus Christ. Let's sing a hymn of praise to God, the next time we gather on Sunday morning, providing a beautiful harmony with which to reflect God's ever-deserving worship!
Who’s with me, Friends?
Looking forward to opening my hymnbook with all of you on Sundays,
><> Pastor Will <><
John 3:30