The Songs We Sing
Music is part of our lives. Everyone I know has a favorite song, artist, and/or genre of music. And everyone I know has a song, artist, and/or genre they can’t stand! Music is on most radio stations. It filters into advertising jingles and theme songs on TV. It is part of the movies we watch either in the background or as a featured highlight. And music is part of most Christian worship services.
A common theme I have heard from people during this unexpected time of uncertainty is that they are listening to more music. Many of us have it a point where we simply do not want to be in front of a screen any more. Meetings over various teleconferencing apps, school being online, video calls instead of in person visits with family and friends. All of it adds up to a lot of screen time.
Personally, I have loved the videos of neighbors standing out on their balconies and singing together while apart. Or the many parodies which have been done to bring a moment of laughter to our stressful days. Or the choirs figuring out how to sing together through some sort of online platform.
One of the things music often does for many of us is put words to our thoughts and feelings. I have certain songs I’ll turn to when I’m feeling sad, or when I need an energy boost, or when I’m in a mood to tackle the world head on. I have music I listen to when I need to concentrate and shut out other background noise. And I have discovered that upbeat movie soundtracks are great for when I have a deadline I’m working on.
Music in the church, for centuries, has been one way we learn about who God is and express our faith. It is easy to forget that a largely literate society has only been a recent development in the broad scope of human history. Music was one way a person who couldn’t read could pass of the deep truths of God to others because songs are easier for most of us to memorize than recited text. We use this reality often at camp as we put our theme verses into song (in case you were wondering, Philippians 3:14 fits pretty well into the theme song from the Brady Bunch).
In case you haven’t guessed yet, our next series will be looking at the songs we sing in our churches. We will look at a total of 5 of the most popular traditional hymns and the top 5 current modern worship songs. We will look at some of stories behind the songs and the truth they teach us. I hope it inspires a deeper appreciation for the songs we sing and perhaps helps you find a new song to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God.
