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

Short Devotion: Running Ahead - Mark 6:33

 

Mark 6:33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. (NIV)

 I wonder, if we knew where Jesus was going to be one day, somewhere in Knoxville, would we leave everything we were doing and run ahead to the place to greet Him? Would we look forward to seeing Him in-person to listen to His stories, perhaps watch a miracle or two, and wonder at His deep understanding about life, the universe, and everything?

 I hope that one day, we will all get that opportunity to be with Jesus in-person. For most of us, if not all of us, it will take place in the Heavenly realms beyond this life. However, every week we get the opportunity to meet with Jesus in-spirit when we intentionally gather to worship Him, to hear His teachings, and to pray to Him. We call that gathering place ‘church’ and it occurs on Sunday mornings to commemorate and celebrate the fact that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week after the Sabbath – which is now called ‘Sunday’ by us.

 In the past, some African-American preachers used to get excited about worshiping Christ in church.  At the end of a heavy, burdensome, and troubled week, they would remind their parishioners that “Sunday’s Coming!” to let them know that no matter what they were going through or had even recently endured, the hope of Christ would once again be resurrected in their hearts to lift them beyond their despair and prepare them for a time when everyone would be embraced, accepted, and loved by God through Christ.

 So, Sunday’s Coming and Christ’s Spirit will be among us at church – are you ready to run ahead and joyfully meet Him there?

 Prayer: Lord Jesus, we want to welcome and greet You into our lives, so we look forward to being with You in-person and in-Spirit. In your Holy Name, we cheerfully pray. Amen.

 John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Check out our website at www.erinpres.org.

 

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called ‘John1’ which is based on the Gospel text.

If you would like to view a larger image, please click this link: John1.