Music

On the drive home today from work, JtM and I were talking about music in worship -- how the style of music isn't necessarily as important as the way it is presented in worship.

He had emailed me a wav file of a song that someone else had sent to him earlier in the day. Here is part of the chorus:

If there is no fire from heaven
And if there is no human passion
Then the music won't matter at all
And we'll go down into the quicksand
Fighting battles no one wins
Over whether to sing Bach chorales
Or ditties on the wall

(Ken Mederna)

I'm not someone who believes that worship is judged by the emotion it conveys, but I do believe there are times in worship -- usually memorable ones -- when God is so obvious to us that his presence is palpable. Often, music plays a role in that awareness.

Amazing grace sung at Ichthus with over 10,000 youth participating in communion...The same song sung on an Emmaus walk....The Days of Elijah sung at a team meeting....The Voice of Truth in the car....The final line of a hymn in worship pointing directly the presence of God in our lives, and in the room....It is Well with My Soul played and sung at Annual Conference....Music in church kitchen as I worked solo to prepare a meal for a grieving friend's family....Listening to our youth sing surprisingly well....

It's not the place. It's not the style. It's the awareness of God that makes worship really worship. God does it. Not us.

Image: Tulip in my office. REALLY ready for spring.