Music Notes

With all of the snow we had last month, I know there were quite a few people without power for a while. The snow caused havoc for roads and schools (although the kids enjoyed a week off, as did my wife). But as I was home, looking out the window one day, I saw a few birds flying around amid the flurries. I wondered to myself how on earth they would be able to find any food in all these feet of snow. So, I decided to take it upon myself to get them some. I went and got a bird feeder, and now I have an aviary in my back yard, which I am enjoying along with the satisfied birds.

On mornings when I am home, I can hear them singing, and their songs sound so wonderful. I kind of imagine them singing songs of thanks for the food that they have. I see wrens, cardinals, blue jays, and sparrows. I am reminded of God’s promise that He provides for these tiny creatures, and that He is concerned for them. In describing this, the Bible encourages us by saying that God is all the more concerned for us, as His children. If these tiny birds can sing joyful songs of thanks, even in a cold and dreary time, then we certainly can, too. And we should, all the more, for the gift that we have been given. We often think about gifts at Christmas, but during Lent we truly receive God’s ultimate gift of love – the sacrifice of Jesus. As Jesus prepared to pay that price, his eye was not only on the birds and sparrows of His Creation, but his thoughts and heart were turned toward us, and the love He had for us. So even in Lent, though a solemn time of reflection, we can still sing songs of thanks and joy for the sacrifice made for us.

As we enter into February, two things about this season come to my mind. One is love, and the other is Lent. We don’t always think of these two together. Lent is a time of penitence, reflecting our mortality and sinfulness, and our need for a Savior. Love is often thought of as a feeling – an emotion that two people share, creating a deep connection. The great thing to realize, though, is that Lent is all about love – God’s love and grace. It’s about more than a feeling or emotion, though. It’s about an action.

It is so good to know as we enter into Lent that as we come to God, reflecting on our sinfulness and unworthiness, that God bestows love on us. As David cried out in song to God to create a clean heart in him, and not to take the Holy Spirit from him, he recognized his own neediness in the face of God’s glory. And although there were consequences for David’s actions, God did not banish him or disown him. Instead, God has promised through Isaiah to wash us as white as snow, even though our sins and lives are as red as scarlet. As far as the east is from the west, God removes our sins. That is some pretty amazing love. Love that put itself on our own place, taking action, and taking our own punishment. This love that David understood as he sung to the Lord through his despair also caused him to praise God with all he had. Whether we find ourselves lonely, in despair, or in a time of refreshing during this season, may we lift our hearts to God in song, offering ourselves to Him in worship.

As always, Christmas has proven to be a wonderful time at SUMC, especially for music. In spite of a pretty nasty ice storm, the children did a marvelous job in their pageant this year, “The Unfriendly Beasts,” thanks to the direction of Sara Lamb with help from Maggie Wilkinson. The contemporary worship team incorporated a number of great Christmas tunes into the early service, the bell choir sounded wonderful, and the chancel choir sung phenomenally. As I sit and think on the past month of music at SUMC, I thank God that I have been able to be a part of it.

As we look to the new year, I am always reminded of a fresh beginning. We read in the Bible that it is not only at the new year that we can have a new beginning, but each day. God’s mercies are new every morning. There is grace enough for all that we encounter each day, and all that God has planned for us in this coming year. What an amazing God we serve – not a God of just a second chance, but a God who gives us hope renewed day by day. I hope that in this new year, we will be reminded of God’s grace to us each and every day as we live our lives worshipping Him.

As I sit and write this, I can hear the sounds of my four-year-old nephew playing downstairs. He and his family are visiting for Thanksgiving. As many of you may know, he has a rare autoimmune blood disease, and Pastor Russell has mentioned him in prayer on numerous occasions. It is wonderful to see him, and to see that in spite of intense chemotherapy treatments, he is just as active as any four year old boy can be. And although I do not have children of my own yet, and cannot fully appreciate the role of a parent, it certainly pains me to think of him suffering with this illness.

I can’t begin to imagine how God must have felt sending His only Son here to earth at Christmas. True, it was a joyous occasion, where angels sang and Heaven met Earth in a way that had never or will never happen again. God became a baby—helpless and fragile. God became one of us, sending Jesus to live as a man. I’m sure it pained him, as God knew what would lay ahead for Jesus. The pain, agony, and torment that Jesus would have to endure, and even moreso, the separation they would experience when Jesus died on the cross. The amazing thing about it is the reason all of this occurred.

God did it for us. Christmas is all about recounting and celebrating the love that God had for us in sending His most prized thing – His son. I’m sure it pains parents terribly to see one of their children suffering, and it was truly a sacrifice for God to send us His Son. Yet the ending of the saga has not yet finished. As we recall the first Advent, we know that God will once again come to earth, but this time not as a helpless baby to live and die a brutal death, to be raised again in a miraculous way. This time, He will be coming as a mighty King, and the pain and suffering that we experience in this life will be forever removed, and we will forever be in God’s presence. That is truly something about which we can sing, as the angels did long ago, “Glory in the Highest!” So this Christmas, let us not just look for Jesus in the manger, but let us anticipate His coming once again in all of His glory.

As I reflect on a season in which we are reminded to give thanks, my thoughts are drawn toward worship. Many of the Psalms are filled with songs of thanks, encouraging us to “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, His love endures forever.” (Psalm 137:1). In passages like these we are reminded of things not just tangible and material for which we can give thanks, but the blessings of a relationship with God.

Worship is really an act of thanksgiving, whether we are singing a song of praise, praying, or just sharing an encouraging word or thought with a friend. Just as we give thanks, or send a note of thanks to someone who has given us a gift, worship is an act of response. We love because God first loved us. We respond in worship because God has blessed us and desires to be in a relationship with us. He loved us and loves us more than Himself, which is why Jesus came to die in our place – not because we deserved it. That’s the good news of the gospel. It is that good news that should elicit a response from us in worship and reverence – not just in a song or prayer, but in how we live our lives – a response to God’s gift to us. That is something for which we will be thankful and praising God not just during this season, but eternally, as we stand before His throne in Heaven.

If you are able to come to the contemporary service at some point this month, you will notice two new songs that we are singing. I think they both really point to where we should be in our worship of the Lord. The first one is entitled Draw Me Close to You, and it is really a prayer in song. We will sing about how we need God, God’s presence, love, and healing in our lives. The chorus states “You’re all I want; you’re all I’ve ever needed.” So often we go after other venues and other things to find fulfillment and meaning, when all along, the One whom we needed is just waiting for us to turn to Him and welcome Him into our lives.

The second new song is entitled “Every Move I Make.” It is a great, fun song, reminding us that no matter what we are doing, we should do it all with God and for God. Every move we make, every decision and choice in our lives, should be considering what God wants us to do, and how we can show His love and grace to a world that is so much in need of it. A key verse we’ll focus on is Acts 17:28, where Paul states: For in him we live and move and have our being. We include God in our decisions not out of patronage or convenience, but because we belong to God; we have our very being in Him.

Whether praising God through contemporary worship songs, or through great hymns of the faith, it is always important to take a moment to reflect on what we’re singing. In order to worship God with all of our heart, mind, and strength, we should know what we are singing. I challenge you this month, in either service, to take some time and really look at the words of the songs. What is behind them? Are you worshipping with your whole mind as you sing? Try singing something as a prayer to the Lord, and let your heart speak to the heart of God.

September marks a unique milestone for SUMC. We celebrate our 125th anniversary on Sunday, Septmber 13th. To mark the occasion, we will have a number of musical highlights in the program, including the gifts of individual members, the chancel and children’s choirs, the bell choir, and music from our contemporary service worship team. It will truly be a grand service.

It reminds me of various points in the Bible when God encourages people to remember and commemorate things. Particularly with the people of Israel in the Old Testament, God set up various holidays and days of remembrance when people could focus on the wonderful things God had done. One of the ways the people were called to remember these occasions was through singing. One such occasion was after God had brought the Israelites through the Red Sea. Moses and Miriam led the nation in a song, declaring, “I will sing to the Lord for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea.” (Exod. 15:1) Not only did the people sing this song and celebrate God’s victory at that time, but the song was a way for them to carry on the memory of God’s mighty acts to future generations.

So it should be in our lives, as well. God has done great things in our lives as individuals, and in our corporate life as a congregation. What could be a better way to remember this than to sing of God’s faithfulness, and offer remembrances of the good things God has done than with music? So our anniversary is not about anything we have accomplished on our own, but about remembering what God has done for our church. We can sing and offer praises because His presence has been with us in the past, is with us now, and He has promised that it will be with us to the ends of the age.

It is hard to believe that the summer is already here. Some of you may be taking the time this summer to come to the contemporary worship service. I just wanted to take an opportunity to update the congregation on what has been going on with this service, and to encourage you to come at some point. At the beginning of the summer, the worship team from the contemporary service had our first retreat together at Fern Hollow Nature Center. It was a time for reflection on our role in leading the congregation in worship through music, as well as a time to think about what we can do to improve our musical and technical skills. We came up with a mission statement, which emphasized the role we have to lead others in worship and share with them the love of Christ as we all grow together in our relationship with Christ. It was a great time of sharing and growth among team members as we explored what it really means to worship.

One highlight I have had from the contemporary service is seeing how the young people of SUMC have responded to the music and are actively involved in worshipping during the service, and even at rehearsals that their parents attend. Some have even approached me, wanting to help participate in leading, which is wonderful. I praise God that we can use music to reach our children, and nurture them as they begin their walk with God. We will be blessed to have four of our children leading the service on July 12th.

It is my hope and prayer no matter what service you attend, that the music ministry at SUMC helps bring you before the throne of God in worship – encountering a loving and faithful God in Spirit and in truth.

The month of June signals the beginning of Summer, and the end of the season for the choir. It has truly been a great year for music at SUMC, and the choir has taken on some challenging music, from portions of Handel’s Messiah, to stretching themselves with a unique procession down the aisle during the international celebration. I have heard a number of comments from those in the congregation about how good the choir has been sounding, and I would like to echo those sentiments. I take very little credit, as I have a great group of committed singers to work with, who take their task seriously, and are always striving to improve. They do a marvelous job.

Our last Sunday singing will be June 7th, at the St. Matthews AME Zion Church. On Ash Wednesday, when St Matthews joined us for a joint service, their choir director and I agreed to do something jointly the next time we met together. So, on the 7th, our choirs will be singing together. Everyone involved is looking forward to this, and I hope that you will be blessed through the music that we provide. I also hope that you will be blessed with a little picture of Heaven. In John’s Revelation, one of the visions he witnessed was a scene in Heaven where people from every tribe, tongue, and nation were before the throne of God in worship. Whenever we come together in worship with those whose cultural background is not our own, we are catching a little glimpse of this. Why wait until Heaven? We can worship God together starting now, and marvel at the creativity and wonder of God.

Today I started my annual Spring Cleaning. I don’t know about you, but I like to clean, and during Spring Cleaning at my house, I like to give everything a thorough cleaning. Some people, including my wife, think that this is a bit odd; but just give me a dusty room, a mop and a broom, and I will have a great day. Windows, floors, even the garage – I like things to be orderly and neat. I’ve also been told that this will no doubt change once I have children. I don’t know if it’s just the fact that I can see results when I am done working, or if it feels like I am doing something productive, but I enjoy the process of cleaning.

I do know, however, that I am not alone in liking things to be clean. In fact, I am in very good company. David, in Psalm 51, cries out in a repentant song to the Lord, asking to be given a clean heart, after having committed adultery and plotting a murder. As we draw close to God in worship, we are often confronted with our own inabilities, sins, and shortcomings as we recognize God’s holiness. The stain of guilt can sometimes leave us feeling dirty, unworthy, and shameful. The great news of the gospel, though, is that God likes to clean, too. Scriptures tell us that God desires to take our sins, which stain us like scarlet, and make us as white as snow – clean! It is God who, through the Holy Spirit, chooses the sinful place of our hearts, and sets up house there.

So if any of you are getting some cleaning done this Spring, know that you, too, are getting a thorough cleaning. As we invite God into our hearts, as we worship with every area of our lives, not just in our singing and music, but even more importantly with our whole mind, body, heart, and soul, He takes those places which are dirty and filled with sin, and replaces them with those things that are good and noble. Talk about an extreme home makeover!