Sunday Morning Starters – Worship

Be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:18-20)

Worship In Song

Eve must have had a beautiful voice. Was she the first one to sing or was it Adam? Knowing men I suspect it was Eve. When Cain was born she probably sang soothing songs to him and then to Abel. It is a natural part of being a mother I guess. Music was an early part of the new world. Moses tells of Jubal who created harps and flutes. The world would be filled with music as instruments were created and songs were remembered from generation to generation. The Jews worshiped the Lord with music in almost every part of their lives. Matthew and Mark tell us Jesus sang. That must have been some kind of voice.

When God created man He placed in his heart a majestic ability to praise with song. One of the foundational parts of the early church was singing. The first converts were Jews accustomed to worship with instruments but the first Christian’s never used them. This shows the authority of singing only with the instrument created by God – the heart. When men use instruments they glorify themselves. Singing with the heart glorifies God alone. Singing and making melody in our hearts comes from a love we have from God without the accreditation of the ear of man. I know people who have beautiful voices and what a blessing they enjoy. But the wisdom of God is He never suggests that worship is based upon the ability of the voice. I know people who do not have beautiful voices – at least to the ear of man – but my-oh-my do they have beautiful voices to the ear of God. And that is praise.

God loves to hear music when it comes from our hearts. Today is a day of worship. This is a day we gather with the children of God and lift up our voice and sing. God loves a cheerful singer. He wants to hear our hearts regardless of what the mouth may produce. Please know that singing is a joyful thanksgiving to tell God how much we love him. It matters not what we sound like but what we feel like as we stand before the Almighty and sing. Sing – sing – sing. Praise God with your heart today. Praise God with song today. Let us all lift up our voices with joy in our hearts and sing to our Lord.

What is to reach the heart must come from above, if it does not come thence, it will be nothing but notes – body without spirit. (Beethoven to J. A. Stumpff, 1824, quoted by Marion Scott in ‘Beethoven’)