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Where music, worship, family and fun collide.
Episodes
Thursday Jun 30, 2022
Thursday Jun 30, 2022
JUNE 25 = PHILIPPIANS 1
THE CHRISTIAN MUSIC INDUSTRY
The city of Philippi was made up mostly of Roman military families and retired soldiers. Consequently, it was a mostly-Gentile church, and the topics that Paul addresses are somewhat different. And as a result, those of us who are Gentile believers might find this letter to be of special interest. Indeed, there are lots of practical and theological moments throughout the book. It is a short book. You might have noticed that the New Testament epistles of Paul are arranged by length! The longest one was Romans, and we are getting to the shortest ones now.
Now, you might be wondering why I would be talking about the Christian music industry in the first chapter of Philippians. Music isn’t even mentioned, nor an industry. But there is an interesting correlation between what Paul says and the Christian music industry. Here it is:
“It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice,”
This may be a little side road in the letter, but years ago I heard our youth minister speak about the Christian music industry, using this passage, and I found it to be tremendously helpful. So let me take a crack at it and see what we can glean from it.
I’ll try a paraphrase that applies what Paul says to the music industry:
It is true that some produce Christian songs and worship music out of ambition and greed. But others write and sing with pure motives. They make their music available out of love, knowing that God has called them to honor him. The first group I mentioned produce and market music out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can become famous, or rich, or both, in the name of Jesus. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is honored. And because of this I rejoice. Yes, and I will continue to rejoice.
It probably should not be that a song written for the Lord can make millions of dollars. It probably should not be that people who do the production and distribution and marketing of that song aren’t necessarily believers. I know of some of the best-known writers who don’t believe in what they write, but they have found a formula, and that formula works for those who do believe. I also know many worship leaders whose lives and faith are very inconsistent with their Sunday morning persona. And that worship far too often will manipulate people’s emotions in the pretense that it is the Holy Spirit.
But even if all of those statements are true, it seems fair to respond to it all the way that Paul does. Whether from false motives or true, Christ is honored, worship happens, and people have opportunities to grow closer to God through it. Music speaks to the heart in ways that mere words cannot. And a good worship song can make more change in the church worldwide than a thousand sermons. With that blessing can come lots of money. Which, in turn, can be given to the poor.
I should clarify that it is not at all a problem to receive money for doing God’s work. Paul sometimes took payment for his work, and he is the one who quoted that you shall not muzzle the ox while he is treading out grain. It is fair for those who work for the Gospel to be paid for their work. But motives are not always so pure, and that’s Paul’s point (and mine).
So even if some of the writers on through the end of the distribution cycle have wrong motives, let us pray that they will hear the words of those songs and be changed eternally! Amen.
Friday Jul 01, 2022
Friday Jul 01, 2022
JUNE 26 = PHILIPPIANS 2
RADICAL RELATIONSHIPS
Paul has just said some things about radical unity in the church. By radical unity, I mean more than being polite and not arguing. It’s more like sacrificial acts on the part of each member to do what is best for all. See what Paul says about it, and note the emphasized words:
“Therefore if you have any ENCOURAGEMENT from being UNITED with Christ, if any COMFORT from his LOVE, if any COMMON SHARING in the Spirit, if any TENDERNESS and COMPASSION, then make my JOY complete by being LIKE-MINDED, having the SAME LOVE, being ONE IN SPIRIT and OF ONE MIND. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in HUMILITY VALUE OTHERS ABOVE YOURSELVES, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the THE INTERESTS OF OTHERS.”
Let’s see those words put together and see if it comes through even more clearly:
Encouragement, united, Comfort, love, Common sharing, tenderness, compassion, joy, like-minded, same love, one in spirit, of one mind, humility, value others above self, looking to the interests of others.
Who would not like to have their life and relationships described with words like those? And yet, such relationship come at a cost. We need to commit ourselves to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who did the extreme version of sacrificial love. Or, even more radical than that, the attitude of Jesus was absolute, as Paul goes on to explain. This is what it costs to have all that unity and love among us:
“In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
Christ Jesus was in very nature God. That’s an absolute to begin with. But he did not take advantage of his high position. Rather, he made himself nothing. He took on the role of a servant by being made in human likeness. That is radical. But people are made in the image of God, so maybe even moving from infinite to finite was not absolute. So he went around calling himself the Son of Man, and said that he had come not to be served but to serve. Again, that is far down the list of radical relationships. How many of us make the choice, even though we are finite humans, to serve others so radically? But he wasn’t done yet. He humbled himself by becoming obedient to death. Wow. From God to human to servant to death.
But there’s one more! “Even death on a cross.” The Roman military members who lived in Philippi would recognize this choice of deaths was quite the absolute. The Romans had developed and fine-tuned the single most painful, disgracing form of death ever invented. Crucifixion was reserved for those who received not just a death sentence but the extreme death. Talk about radical!
But this passage is only half done. Paul has created the downward slope of going from God to man to death on a cross. But now he completes the second stroke of the X when he gives the upward slope:
“Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Notice that God did not simply raise him from the dead, or even just give him a high place, or even the highest place. It is more radically extreme than any of those. At the name of Jesus every knee will bow and every tongue confess that he is Lord. And not just every knee of every person, but (to be as complete as possible) every knee in heaven, every knee on earth, and every knee under the earth. Let’s see, any others out there? I didn’t think so.
Paul has presented Jesus as submitting to the ultimate place of humility, who is now raised to the ultimate place of honor.
They call this form of writing a “chiasm,” as in the shape of the letter Chi in Greek. It looks like the English X but it is pronounced “K” and spelled like “CH.” You know, like the beginning of the word Christ?
So you might say that Christ was the ultimate Chiasm. Let our attitude be the same as his. Amen.
Friday Jul 01, 2022
Friday Jul 01, 2022
JUNE 27 = PHILIPPIANS 3
KNOWING CHRIST
In Christian circles, and especially in Christian songs, we talk about “knowing Christ” a lot. Here are two examples: “Do you know my Jesus? Do you know my friend? Have you heard he loves you and that he will abide to the end?” “I want to know you, I see your face, I want to know you more. I want to touch you. I want to hear your voice, I want to know you Lord.”
What does Paul say it means to know Christ? Hint: It has much more to do with the kind of radical, absolute standards that Christ set by his example!
“I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”
You might say, if you want to know Christ, you will need to take the whole Chiasm to get there. You want resurrection? Become like him in his death in order to get it. Have you done that yet? I hope not, because we are still alive here on earth!
“Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.”
So, if we aren’t there, “knowing” Christ in all his glory, what do we do? We press on. We take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of each of us. What do we take hold of, exactly? I’m not sure. Eternal life. Heavenly perspective. Spiritual power. Jesus took hold of me so that I could take hold of what he had. (Notice another Chiasm here?) Have we done it yet? Have we arrived once we are saved? Let’s see what Paul says:
“Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”
So, there is more to press on toward. We may have eternal life in our future, but we have not obtained the ultimate victory yet. So forget what is behind. There has never been better advice than this. Have we failed in the past? Have we fallen short? Is our record tainted? Is there shame? Of course! But forget all that. It is behind you.
Rather than focus on failures of the past, give your effort toward learning and improving and becoming more like Jesus in your character. Paul would say, Strain toward what is ahead. Press on toward the goal. This is not a walk in the park; it is a race, and all-out race to which you must give every ounce of your energy. Elsewhere, Paul talks about running as if it were a competition and only one can win. That’s how we pursue Christ.
There is a prize when we arrive. We win it when God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. May you win the prize. Amen!
Saturday Jul 02, 2022
Saturday Jul 02, 2022
JUNE 28 = PHILIPPIANS 4
PEACE OF CHRIST
By now, you know how much I love the blessing, “Peace of Christ.” It is a shorthand way of saying an entire paragraph of words, delivered in love and raining down blessings on the person to whom it is said. We “pass the peace” before we celebrate the feast, and thus ensure that no one is held back at the table.
So, what does it mean? How do I achieve the peace of Christ? How do we as a church maintain the peace of Christ in our midst? I’m glad you asked! This closing chapter of Philippians has several really well-known verses, and they all point to the peace of Christ.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: BE OF THE SAME MIND
“I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.
These two women had “contended at my side in the cause of the gospel.” But something had come between them, and their tension was becoming known. You know how it works; someone hears one side of the issue and they take up an offense for her. Another person hears the other side and do the same. And so the church becomes divided, just as the two sisters have become divided. The peace of Christ has been compromised, and the church is affected. They need to get on the same page, and they need to let the church know, or the peace of Christ is compromised.
How to do that? Different translations word it quite differently (ironically!): “Be of the same mind.” “Agree in the Lord.” “Live in harmony in the Lord.” “Make up your differences as Christians should.” Here’s what I think helps: back up to the point where you are in agreement and acknowledge that you both want the same thing at that level. From there, you may have different opinions about how to achieve it, but you are of the same mind about what each of your plans are accomplishing.
For example: Let’s say one is trying to write a podcast, while the other is reorganizing shelves in the house. They disagree on what to do at any given moment: “Let me finish this sentence so I don’t . . .” (Not sure how that was going to end.) But the other replies, “I am standing on a step stool, sneezing from dust. Bring them right away.” So back up and see what you both want. You want Jesus to be honored in your lives and in your home. So you clear space for hospitality. And you tell others about the peace of Christ. Agreed. Let’s help each other. Who goes first?
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: REJOICE!
Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!
A short command, repeated for emphasis. I will say it again: It is repeated for emphasis. Rejoice! In the Lord! Always! Always! Don’t let the individual responsibilities worry you, or the disagreements among you divide you, or the persecution from outside cause you to give in to fear. Rejoice! It comes from a place of faith that transcends these light and momentary troubles. And you will know the peace of Christ.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: BE GENTLE
Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near.
Be gentle. In fact, be gentle in such a way that outsiders can see it. That family members would agree that it is there. That the church is filled with gentleness, even in the hardest of situations. And if you struggle with it, remember that the Lord is near. He is here to help you see the big picture and to be gentle enough for the peace of Christ to reign in your hearts.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: PRAY
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Anxiety can block peace. What is the solution? Pray, and begin your prayer with thanksgiving, as we have seen that Paul always does. And then word that anxiety as a petition or a request to God. If you can’t sleep because of anxiety, tell it to Jesus, and hand it over to God. He’s going to be up all night, anyway. Give it to him for the night.
And that’s when the “peace of God” will guard your heart and your mind. And if all of us do the same, then the peace will guard all of our hearts and our minds in Christ Jesus. And Paul says that this peace of God “transcends all understanding.” There are things in the spiritual realm that go way beyond intellect and doctrine. So when we give up on trying to find the solution to whatever is bothering us, we find that in the spiritual realm we have a peace we can’t explain.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: DWELL ON ONLY THE GOOD
And now Paul continues in that mode of controlling our thoughts. He says to discipline our minds by only allowing ourselves to think about these eight things:
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.
If all of us will permit ourselves to think only about these things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy, then “the God of peace will be with us.” You are what you think,” you might say.
HOW TO HAVE PEACE: BE CONTENT
Paul says he has learned the secret to being content in any and every situation. Really. Any situation. And he had been in every situation for the cause of Christ.
I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.
But you say, that may work for Paul, but he had unusual resolve and drive. I don’t think I could do what he did. Paul’s answer is simple: You can. Do you want to? Because you can do all things through him who gives you strength.
And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.”
We need peace among us. God will supply that need among us. Just do as he advises and lives out: Agree. Rejoice. Be gentle. Pray. Think. Be content. And the God of peace will be with us. Amen.
Saturday Jul 02, 2022
Saturday Jul 02, 2022
BE BOLD (SONG OF THE WEEK) (Ft. Rich Wideman)
A quarter of a century ago, we were involved in a church plant that was a wonderful experience. In 1997 we did a live recording of some of our worship, including this one. I post it here because it is one of several songs based on words found in Philippians.
Be bold! (echo)
Be strong! (echo)
Stand firm! (echo)
Press on! (echo)
Take hold of that for which Christ took hold of you.
Not that we've already made it
Not that we're already there
But simply press on to become like the One who wasn't afraid to care
Be bold! (echo)
Be strong! (echo)
Stand firm! (echo)
Press on! (echo)
Take hold of that for which Christ took hold of you.
Saturday Jul 02, 2022
Saturday Jul 02, 2022
I CAN DO ALL THINGS (SONG OF THE WEEK)
A second song of the week, because these lyrics are also based on the book of Philippians. Recorded in 1997 at Community Christian Church in Northern Kentucky.
I can do all things
All things
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength
Though ten thousand fall around me
I will not give way to fear
This one thing I know, my God is in control
And I can do all things in Him
I can do all things
All things
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength
I can do all things
All things
I can do all things through Him who gives me strength
Monday Jul 04, 2022
Monday Jul 04, 2022
JUNE 30 = COLOSSIANS 1
BEFORE ALL THINGS
The letter of Paul to the church at Colossae is another one of those New Testament books with so many well-known quotes. It is written to a city to which Paul had never been. He had been in Ephesus when he invited a man named Epaphras to go back home to his home town, about 100 miles to the east, and bring them the good news. Later, Epaphras himself was also arrested and sent to Rome, where he told Paul all that was happening in the area around Asia Minor.
We will find some mentions of the Judaisers and some other dangerous heresies in the book. But overall, we hear from Paul some powerful declarations of the high position of Jesus the Messiah. So let’s get to it!
The first chapter contains this famous and powerful doxology, which could be considered one of the Christ hymns of the infant church. DOXOLOGY means “words of glory.” Let’s break it down and see what Paul says about Jesus.
“The Son is the image of the invisible God,
God is spirit, said Jesus. So how do you make mankind in your image? It’s a spiritual thing, you might say. We are made with an ability to commune with the Maker on a conscious level, which no other being on earth can do. Jesus takes that concept a step further. Not just made in the image of God, but he IS the image of God, who is invisible. So now, what does THAT mean? It means if you want to know the Father’s heart, look at what Jesus did. If you want to know the Father’s thoughts, listen to Jesus’ teaching. Jesus most commonly referred to God as his Father, which was a powerful concept for Jews who would not dare to refer to God that way. Jesus was special in many ways. Being the image of the invisible God is just one.
the firstborn over all creation.
Jesus was called the Lamb of God, slain from the foundation of the world. John says in the beginning was the word and the word was God. That’s how Jesus could be called the firstborn over all creation, because he preexisted before the rest of creation. But firstborn doesn’t just mean the first to be born. It also means that he is the heir, and as the only begotten son of God he is in line to inherit all that his father owns, which is everything, if you weren’t tracking with me.
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities;
Not only is he the image of God and the heir of all creation, but all was created in him. Everything in the physical world and the spiritual realm, all authority given to him to rule it. You say, “But I thought in the Genesis account God SAID things into being.” Yes, and in John’s Gospel, Jesus is called the word, and all things were made through him. Jesus IS the word that was spoken and by it all was created.
all things have been created through him and for him.
Further clarifying the position of Christ being God from the beginning, and thus being creator of all. All has been created IN him, also THROUGH him, and FOR him. As Paul wrote earlier in Romans 11:36, "For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen."
He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Being before all things might mean that he pre-existed before any of it. And being God, that could be true, for time is not infinite, while God is. But Jesus is also “before” all things, meaning more important than any of the creation. What’s more, all things are held together in him. Not only do they have their original existence because of the work of Jesus, but somehow he right now is holding it all together. In case we hadn’t quite caught what Paul is saying, it is that Jesus IS GOD! He has all the power and authority that God has.
And he is the head of the body, the church;
The context of Jesus’ position over all creation puts special weight behind him as head of the body, the church. It truly elevates the church—the very body of the invisible God! Has anyone ever seen the invisible God? Take a look and see His Body, all around the world!
he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy.
Jesus is the beginning of the church, starting with his resurrection. And that’s because he is the firstborn from among the dead, just as he is the firstborn over all creation. As firstborn, he is the leader and heir of everyone who receives resurrection after death. You can’t find more superlative absolutes in a paragraph. Just in this phrase we see “beginning” “firstborn” “everything” “supremacy”
For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him,
We hear again about the Father taking pleasure in something. We can bring him pleasure. But we are not the one who absolutely does so: ALL his fullness dwells in him. That’s what bring him such pleasure.
and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven,
Remember back in Genesis that in the Garden they ate of the forbidden fruit and introduced death into the world. The whole earth, the entire universe, is now subject to death and decay and entropy. But through Jesus everything is reconciled! EVERYTHING! Not just our souls, but all things, on earth, in heaven and everywhere.
by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.”
And that was the moment. He made peace through his blood. When the blood was poured out, we were made at peace with God, and the curse was nullified (sort of. We still die. But we are not hurt at all by the second death, according to Revelation.)
Monday Jul 04, 2022
Monday Jul 04, 2022
JULY 1 = COLOSSIANS 2
LEGALISM 101
Would you like to know how to be a legalist? We can begin by following the example of the Judaizers of the first century. They had been converted to be followers of Christ, their messiah. But law was written on their hearts and permeated their culture, and it was not easy to believe that grace was so powerful that we didn’t have to somehow “earn” God’s favor. You know, offerings, sacrifices, rites and rituals, feasts and promises, prayer shawls and scroll boxes, the whole deal.
About a decade before this letter was written, Caesar had kicked all Jews out of Rome–one of many diaspora that Jews have endured. So Jewish people from a city that had not yet heard the Gospel had come to this previously-Gentile city of Colossae. And what do you suppose they did to the culture of the church? Of course! They brought their culture with them, and their worldview began to work its way into the lifestyles of the new Gentile believers there in that city.
I think this is a hard topic for evangelical Christians, because we have certain forms of legalism coloring everything that we do, as well. We might lust, but we don’t admit it, and we preach against sexual sin in every form–at least, those forms that are easier to measure. We might be greedy, but we parade to the front of the church with our tithes. We might drink or smoke, but we would not do so on church property, and we hide the evidence when the preacher comes calling. Over the years, Christians developed a certain list of about a dozen things that they would rail against, many of which are not actually sins, but they can border on sin. Playing cards. Smoking. Drinking. Sex outside of marriage. Cussing (near-misses were acceptable substitutes). Wearing casual clothes, especially to church. Running or loud voices in church. Eating leftover Communion elements. Males wore suits and ties, with polished shoes, and women wore fashionable hats and white gloves and conservative dresses. We were well down the road of legalism, but we didn’t recognize it, because it was our culture.
Legalism happens when God says to avoid something, or my personal conscience tells me where the line is for me. So I make a rule to stay away from it. And then we add another layer of something that would NOT be a sin, but because it is associated with the sinful thing, we make it to be sin.
As an example, God says, “Do not burn your hands on the stove.” Good parents instruct their children on this: “Don’t touch the stove.” “Why?” “Because you could burn your hand on this hot burner, don’t you see?” “But what if I touch it here?” “Well, today the oven isn’t on, but if it was, you might burn your hands there.” And so the rule is Don’t Touch the Stove. But our child is ignoring it, so we put up a little fence around the stove, and we say, “Don’t climb this fence. In fact, don’t touch the fence.” Now do you see what has happened? We have created new sets of laws for our child that is well-intentioned, but not the actual safety rule we need to follow.
Here’s how Paul unfolds it to the Colossians:
“Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Self-imposed worship. False humility. Harsh treatment of the body. But lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. How so?
Self-imposed worship, because like the fence around the stove we have substituted our own cultural standard as something that pleases God, rather than the things that God actually said.
False humility, as in “I haven’t touched the fence this year. Not my brother. He’s always touching it. I’m a better child than he is.”
Harsh treatment of the body? Paul told Timothy to drink a little wine for his stomach’s sake. Medicinal wine is good for the body. But John the Baptist was held to a higher standard, to never drink even a little wine eat grapes or touch strong drink. We go for the higher standard, and imagine God is the one who set that standard for everyone.
And yet, it has no value in restraining sensual indulgence. I don’t go in bars. But I go to the candy store without thinking about gluttony. I avoid porn magazines. But I have an inappropriate friendship with a lady at work. I don’t own a slave, and I protest at abortion clinics. But I don’t walk across the street to help my neighbor because I’m too busy reading my Bible and listening to Christian radio.
Can you see the gray line of legalism? It’s hard to see in my own life, but I can usually see it in the life of Christians from other denominational traditions.
May the Lord reveal and deliver you and me from self-imposed worship, false humility and harsh treatment of our bodies, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
JULY 2 = COLOSSIANS 3
PRAYING TWICE
This entire chapter is one of the very first ones for every Christian to memorize and meditate on daily. But since verse 16 talks about singing, maybe it’s best for me to highlight this one today.
The context of what we sing has to do with our attitudes toward Christ and toward one another. We are setting our hearts on things above, where Christ is. And we are clothing ourselves with virtues, especially love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. We let the peace of Christ rule in our hearts. And we are thankful. And that’s the context in which we sing.
“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.”
Do you know how to let the message of Christ dwell among us? Do all the things in the first 15 verses, and talk about it. Now, do you know how to let the message of Christ dwell among us RICHLY? Do all those things, and SING about it. As someone has said, “He who sings prays twice.” There is something about setting words to a tune that makes it easier to memorize, for one thing. But singing also drives those words straight to the heart.
Turning prose into poetry can cause us to dwell on each syllable and glean insights on a much deeper level. Adding melody to those poetic words magnifies the meaning all the more. And one more benefit to singing the message of Christ is that everyone in the room can join in on proclaiming it together.
Have you heard about the time when the backslidden king of Judah Saul came upon Samuel and a group of prophets who were singing along the way? He was overcome by the Spirit and lay there on the ground prophesying the rest of the day! And so went the saying, “Is Saul also among the prophets?” (See 1 Samuel 10 and 19) Song can cut through even the resistant heart of a rebel and bring him to repentance, if only for a day.
Having said all that, let’s take note (so to speak) of what we sing, and to whom we sing.
We sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Now, we think we know what those words mean by our modern use of the terms, and those three categories could work for us today. Psalms could be the Old Testament book of 150 poems we know today. Hymns could refer to songs of human composure set to meter and rhyme, or to the poetic expressions found in the New Testament from time to time. Spiritual songs could refer to contemporary worship songs or praise choruses.
The point is not the exact definition, but the breadth of poetic expression created even in those infant days of the church. Sing what is at your disposal. Sing what works in your culture, in your generation, in your musical heart language. What’s more (and this is essential), sing the music of everyone in the room. One generation likes the psalms, while another is more into hymns. People from a different cultural background prefer those spiritual songs. Remember back in 1 Corinthians, how Paul said that everyone in the church would be coming prepared with a psalm or an instruction, and so forth? Be sure everyone in the gathering has had their own musical/poetic expression at some point before they leave, and that we all submit to one another’s preferences, that all may be built up.
Speaking of which, did you notice that when we sing, our song goes two directions at the same time. He says we are to teach and admonish one another. Look around the room and encourage and strengthen the others who are there. No one should leave the assembly feeling left out. Music has the power to unite us, but it also has the power to divide, when only one kind of music is used. What’s more, we are teaching as we sing. And sometimes we are admonishing. In any case, we are all aware of everyone in the room.
The other direction we sing is “to God” with gratitude in our hearts to him. So in addition to singing songs that teach and admonish, we sing songs that worship and praise God directly. And we sing with gratitude in our hearts. So I am ministering in song to my own spirit (gratitude), to one another (we teach and admonish), and to God (praise and worship).
This is our moment to shine, church! It is the moment when everyone in the room speaks truth to one another. It is our time to show the beauty of our unity, as everyone’s voice blends together with the rest, and all are equal in the sight of God. We wait for one another, we sag in pitch together, and in the end we sound better when we do it as one.
May the Lord hear us all praying twice at our next gathering. Amen.
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
Tuesday Jul 05, 2022
0702B AMAZING GRACE IS MORE THAN JUST A SONG
(I wrote the first version of this song about a decade ago, and rediscovered it in my files more recently. It fits in with the themes covered the last couple of days, so I did a quick demo of it and am including it here. Thanks for listening.)
Well I've wandered past the borderlands of God's intended will
Where the wilderness of grace has just begun
And I'm drowning in an ocean deep of mercy and of justice
I'm going down and can't escape the love
And I'd like to do my part and start to meet You halfway coming
But I cannot take a step without a fall
And I'd like to think I'll pay You back as if it's just a loan
But addictions and amusements and accoutrements will garnish every wage I'll ever earn
And I find that I have nothing on my own
So here I stand with nothing in my hand
And here I fall before Your glory
Here I rise by Your death and through Your life
For I believe
Oh, I believe
I believe that I'll receive the deed of love You offer me
Written there upon the cross in blood
And I will kneel before the place where justice kisses mercy
And believe that love is more than just a word
And amazing grace is more than just a song