Word For The Week - Sing (and make music in your heart)
May 20th, 2007 at 9:50 am by Dee O'Neil Andrews
This week's fruits of the Spirit word for us all to work on is sing (and make music in your heart) - Eph. 5:19. This will be an easy one for me in most ways because I love to sing. Although I don't have the best voice in the world and have always wanted a much better one.
I sing alto. I always have, but as I've gotten older my voice has gotten lower so that at church I sing tenor about half the time. I come from a family of altos and tenors. There were five of us after my little brother Mark died - me, my mom, my sister Laura, my brother Neil and my dad. Me and mom sang alto. Laura sang (somewhat) soprano and Neil and my dad both sang tenor. Not much of a singing group for four part harmony! Which we all know, is the only way to sing!
I actually love four part harmony. Stamps-Baxter quartet music and the like. I love our tribe's a cappella singing. Absolutely love it. Especially when you get hundreds or thousands of Christians lifting their voices in harmonious praises to God. Or even in lament.
I also love singing with instruments. One of my favorite pieces of music to listen to either when I'm sad or on Sundays, at times, to get myself in a worshipful mood is Mozart's Requiem Mass - his final work, which is one of the most beautiful pieces of music in the world with swelling chorus singing out heavenly anthems to God.
But we don't always feel like singing and making melody in our hearts, do we? Sometimes we feel sad or disappointed or in dismay and singing doesn't seem to be the thing to do. Then we must work at it, but I think we should. There is music for all moods of the soul. Every one. King David found that to be true and wrote them down as Psalms for us to cherish today, still.
Think about these things today, try to remember them during the week and practice them. Sing and make music in your heart.
Dee
I just finished rehearsing w/ our praise team. Our bass showed up late again so I stood in, all but wishing he just wouldn’t show up today! Selfish of me, I know, but there are few things in life that I love any more than singing.
Finally… one I don’t have to *work* at! I love singing, too. Feels funny in the new church, not being one of the folks on the worship team. But maybe one of these days….
I love to sing, too–you’re right, sometimes it IS hard to sing and praise God when we’re down. But often that is a quick way to give myself a “pick-me-up”–to focus on God and what He’s done and is doing, rather than focus on my trials. Worship through song (or other means) reminds us that God is in control, and I need to be reminded of that often!
Great post, Dee! Singing is at the very heart of so many good things in life. Thanks for the reminder. -bill
Thank you for the encouragement!