Midweek Message: The Gift of Music

Colossians 3:16 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. (NIV)

                             One of the most enjoyable aspects of worshiping on Sundays is the inclusion of music. Whether it is played on the organ or piano, is sung by the choir or the congregation, or even played on instruments by adults or children, music is a centerpiece of how we cheerfully and sincerely praise God. The lyrics we sing and the harmonies we create, bring us together as a family of faith and connect us to Christian communities across the Earth, as well as with the angels who are forever singing before the throne of God. Without the inclusion of music, our worship would be empty and dull; with the gift of music, our worship becomes inspirational and meaningful.

                             I like today’s highlighted verse from Colossians. It reminds us that we have been singing God’s praises for thousands of years. The Apostle Paul emphasized the singing of hymns and psalms as a special and holy means to teach the Christian faith to the young church at Colossae. The words and music helped his people draw closer to God in both cheerful and sorrowful times. Similarly, throughout the centuries, many Christian communities have sung sacred songs to strengthen their resolve and overcome their problems. For example, the hymns and spirituals of the nineteenth century enabled enslaved people to persevere; the protest songs and community choruses of the 1960s inspired churches to fight for civil rights.

                             I hope that you enjoy the music on Sundays, too, and understand how important and precious the gift of music is for everyone in our congregation. As we sing our hymns, listen to the anthems, and reflect on the special music, may we all experience the presence of God’s Spirit and deepen our relationship with the Lord, as well as with one another.

                             May God bless you and all your loved ones.

Pastor John

Unforgiven - Colossians 3:13

Colossians 3:13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. (NIV)

            Do you know what it feels like to be unforgiven? Is there some past mistake in your life that you regret but can never fix? Are you carrying a whole dose of guilt because someone else still feels wounded? Are you sometimes sad because you were completely misunderstood or unfairly misrepresented and cannot change that misperception? Me, too.

            It’s an awful feeling to be unforgiven and it gnaws away at your soul, especially during times of vulnerability, isolation, and sadness. You revisit events in your mind and a shadow of remorse covers your soul. You can’t do anything to change things, so in order to cope, you just pack it away into a corner of your mind and leave it there until it re-emerges at an unexpected or inopportune time.

            As Christians, we are called to be forgivers. Jesus talked about it constantly and in today’s highlighted verse the apostle Paul echoes Christ’s message by reminding the church folks at Colossae to forgive their grievances against one another in the same manner as Jesus forgave their sins. In other words, it was expected of Christ’s followers to show forgiveness, otherwise their faith was shallow, insincere, and ineffective. However, if the Colossians truly forgave one another, then the church would actually be practicing what Christ required, barriers would be brought down, and wounds would be healed.

Point to ponder

Do I feel unforgiven? How much does it trouble me? Am I willing to forgive those who won’t forgive me?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, we all make mistakes and sometimes we hurt or disappoint other folks so much that they will not forgive us. Although we cannot change the past, allow us the ability to forgive ourselves and do all that we can to mend broken fences and wounded souls. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made most welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Pentecost drawing called “Spirit Fest.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Spirit.