Hello Central Christian Church,
We are now officially in the second half of 2024 and summer is in full swing! It’s really quite hard to believe. Before long we’ll start seeing signs of fall (I’ve already noticed Halloween decorations starting to show up at Costco).
For my newsletter article this month I wanted to share a condensed blog post I recently came across from a bishop named Bishop Brewer in a sermon he gave about music in 2015. I liked a lot of what he said about the importance of music in a service…below is a short summary of the blog post, but if you’d like to read the full post it can be found at the following link https://cfdiocese.org/bishopsblog/4-purposes-of-music-inworship/ Music serves some distinct purposes in our lives and especially within our Christian tradition.
Let’s examine a few.
1. Music teaches us the gospel. Hymns and spiritual songs take our faith and compact it. In fact, the melody and phrasing of the music makes our faith memorable. Before we hear a word of scripture read or preached in the service, we’ve already taken in page after page through our singing. Hymns and other forms of music instruct us in the Good News, touching our hearts as well as our minds.
2. Music connects us to God in unique ways. The purpose of music goes beyond mere instruction, however. In many ways, it allows for a direct connection with God in ways sermons can’t or don’t. Singing allows a part of our hearts to speak to God in a way that doesn’t happen as we hear the spoken word. Have you ever noticed? Something incredible happens when we sing. You can feel it when you sing alone, but most especially when you sing as part of a community, a congregation in worship. Something awakens not only in the heart of each person but also in the collective heart of the body of Christ, connecting us to each other and to God in the deepest part of who we are.
3. Music allows us to express our love to God with our whole being. Scripture commands us to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5 NRSV). This verse emphasizes the entire body, not through outward actions but devotion and love. Singing is one of the ways in which we express our love towards God with our whole being. We engage every part of our being in worship to God. In other words, when we sing and devote our whole selves to God, something godly happens within us.
4. Music as worship fulfills God’s command. Throughout scripture, we’re commanded to sing. Within the Psalms (prayers set to music, the hymnal of the Old Testament) we read, “I… go around your altar, O Lord, proclaiming thanksgiving aloud,” (Psalm 26:6-7 ESV); “Sing praises to the Lord with the lyre, with the lyre and the sound of melody!” (Psalm 98:5 ESV); and “Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!” (Psalm 100:2 ESV). Music that honors God will cause our hearts to sing. And when our hearts sing, worship happens. We’re transformed on the inside as we’re filled with the Spirit and devote everything we are to worship, praise, and thanksgiving to our heavenly Father.
~From Bishop Brewer