Sunday, October 4, 2009

Importance of Music

For weeks now I have been pondering the affect that music has on our lives and on our worship. I have a hard time remembering my phone number and address from four years ago, but I can remember the words to songs from the 70’s. It has been proven that music helps us remember. I would bet that all of us learned our alphabet by learning to sing it. When we sing hymns and spiritual songs we remember scripture and principles of our faith. Music impacts us. Music is important to God as well. Music and singing is mentioned 274 times in scripture. God wants us to sing praises to Him. It is a part of our worship. There are other parts of worship but music definitely has a role. When we started Fusion Church we had to go a few months without any music in our Sunday worship. Though it was a time to focus more on other aspects of worship, I missed the singing. I have to admit that I do not understand people who refuse to sing in church. Some of the most precious singing I have ever heard is from people who sing with their hearts but can’t carry a tune. When Dwayne and I were missionaries in Montana, we were guests at a mission conference in Missouri. As we were hearing a testimony from missionaries from China, the question was asked, “What needs do you have that we can help with?” The answer they gave was to ask the Christians in the States to sing for them. They meet in underground churches and must be quiet. They mouth songs but cannot utter a sound. We should sing praises to the Lord every day. God loves it when His children sing praises to Him. Examine your life, how much has music impacted your spiritual walk? How much praise are you giving God through song?

Speak out to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, offering praise with voices and instruments and making melody with all your heart to the Lord.

Ephesians 5:19

This week I am going to share how God used different songs to speak to me and give direction in my life. I hope that you will think about what songs have changed you and share that on comments. I have opened up the comment section to everyone. You no longer have to have a Google account to share your comments.

6 comments:

Steph said...

Music has a huge impact on not just worship but life in general. I can't tell you how many times I hear a song on the radio and a memory suddenly pops in my head. It may be good or bad but that song has some how stuck to that memory.
One song that I remember that has stuck with me was when I was in Kappa Phi. We did a skit to a song for the CCF (Campus Christian Fellowship). In the skit I was voted to play Jesus....I felt that I didn't deserve such an honor, but agreed to do it. We did the skit to Aaron Shust song My Savior My God. In the skit we had people that were different sins and they attacked one person and she was bearing all this sin and guilt and one by one I took them from her neck and took them as my own and at the end it was me being 'nailed' to the cross. I am a visual person, so to see that acted out and know that it is pretty much exactly like that was amazing. I will never forget that. I included the words to the song just for fun.

I am not skilled to understand
What God has willed, what God has planned
I only know at His right hand
Stands one who is my Savior

I take Him at His word and deed
Christ died to save me; this I read
And in my heart I find a need
Of Him to be my savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

Chorus (2x's)
My Savior loves, My Savior lives
My Savior's always there for me
My God: He was, my God; He is
My God is always gonna be

Yes, living, dying, let me bring
My strength, my solace from this spring;
That He who lives to be my King
Once died to be my Savior

That He would leave His place on high
And come for sinful man to die
You count it strange, so once did I
Before I knew my Savior

Sherry said...

My favorite....and I hope you will link it from youtube for me.....The Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns...

"And the Voice of Truth tells me a different story....And the Voice of Truth says do not be afraid....and the Voice of Truth says this is for My Glory....out of all the voices calling out to me.....I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth"

Sherry said...

Ron cried at the birth of our first three children...but he was not as emotional when Logan (our 4th) was born......but on the way home the day Logan was born he heard the song that Steph posted.....he had to pull over on the side of the road because he was crying so hard and was so overwhelmed with emotion.....God had blessed him with another healthy son and he knew it!

Bryce said...

When we worship together at church through music, that is the only part that is FOR God. What I mean is God is not up there listening to the preacher thinking "man, that is some good preaching." Worshiping through music is how we show our love to God and preaching is how he teaches us his love. So how can we not sing?

Chris Tomlin- I Will Rise

Brook said...

Point of Grace - How You Live

Wake up to the sunlight with your windows open
Don't hold in your anger or leave things unspoken
Wear your red dress, use your good dishes
Make a big mess and make lots of wishes

And have what you want, but want what you have
And don't spend your life looking back

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances and let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Looking back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

So go to the ballgames and go to the ballet
And go see your folks more than just on the holidays
Kiss all your children, dance with your wife
Tell your husband you love him every night

Don't run from the truth 'cause you can't get away, no
Face it and you'll be okay

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances and let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Looking back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

Oh, wherever you are and wherever you've been
Now is the time to begin
So give to the needy, and pray for the grieving
Even when you don't think that you can
'Cause all that you do is bound to come back to you
So think of your fellow man
And make peace with God, and make peace with yourself
'Cause in the end, there's nobody else

Turn up the music
Turn it up loud
Take a few chances and let it all out
'Cause you won't regret it
Looking back from where you have been
'Cause it's not who you knew
And it's not what you did
It's how you live

This song is my reminder to stay true to my beliefs, no regrets just lessons learned.

New Creation said...

The Bible mentions songs that God gives us in the night. Often, this is how He speaks to me. I'll wake up with a sense that a certain song has been playing in mind all night. It'll be a song that expresses something that God is saying to me. Most recently it was Jeremy Camp's song "I Will Walk by Faith."

Donna