Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Sing a New Song. Psalms 33-34; Colossians 3

May the mumbling commence!

Warm up those vocal cords!  It’s time to sing a new song to the Lord.  OR it’s time to sing an old song in a new way.

This coming Sunday, the church where I minister will be having a hymn sing in lieu of a sermon.  I always look forward to those types of Sundays because I get to sing my old favorite hymns and learn some new hymns that are a favorite for someone else.

Indeed, it’s a time of joyfulness and praise.  Praise the Lord!  Alleluia!  Read from the beginning of Psalm Thirty-three:

  Let the godly sing with joy to the Lord,
for it is fitting to praise him. 
Praise the Lord with melodies on the lyre;
make music for him on the ten-stringed harp. 
Sing new songs of praise to him;
play skillfully on the harp and sing with joy. (Verses 1-3)

Think about the words that you sing, and sing them with unbridled joy.  Too often, we do not see the beauty in the poetry of the songs that we sing.  Their beauty is hidden in the form of the written music. 

It is powerful to see the words of a hymn in their poetic form.  Let the joy bubble forth!

And together we make melodies.  Different notes are utilized.  Harmonies may complement unison.

It is refreshing to sing a new song… let it soak into our heart and soul.  It is also refreshing to sing an old favorite in a new way.  The meaning of the words is given new vitality in a new setting.

We taste these songs with our ears and our souls.  We taste and see that the Lord is good.  Read a verse from Psalm Thirty-four:

Taste and see that the Lord is good.
Oh, the joys of those who trust in him! (Verse 8)

Trust in the Lord and find joy beyond your comprehension.  Makes you want to sing doesn’t it?  It makes me want to sing… well make a joyful noise anyway.

It is the call of the Apostle Paul to the Colossian church.  Read from chapter three:

Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.  You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.  And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love is what binds us all together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are all called to live in peace. And always be thankful. 
Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.  And whatever you do or say, let it be as a representative of the Lord Jesus, all the while giving thanks through him to God the Father. (Verses 12-17)

Singing well cultivates the fruit of the Spirit.  Many of the fruits of the Spirit are seen in this passage.  These fruits bring about harmony in the church body… unity in diversity.

So sing old and new hymns to you with the same joy and thankfulness.  Everything that we say and do is an offering to the Lord and marks us as either a good or poor representative of Christ Jesus.  Wow!

Enough mumbling for now…  

Peace Out

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