It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O most High
Psalm 92 v. 1
Today is Palm Sunday and we remember the shouts and cheers that greeted Jesus as he entered Jerusalem. Maybe there was also singing.
As you can see, the choir has moved. We felt that we could not lead the singing with our backs to the rest of the congregation. We will move to the pews during communion. Choir members and Penny would welcome feedback from you – this is for a trial period.
Singing and music have always been an important part of worship. St. Augustine observed that “ to sing well is to pray twice” ( and I don’t think he meant technical expertise when he said “well”). The range of Church music is vast; Gregorian chant, Black Gospel, Taize chant, choruses, Wesley, Watts, Graham Kendrick and Stuart Townend for a start. Music enables us to praise, express and learn religious truths and to respond in spirit, either corporately or on an individual basis. It has the power to move and certainly reaches the parts other things don’t! If you join in with music making and singing you get that wonderful feeling that corporate worship gives. Isaac Watts paraphrased the words from Psalm 92 as “ O may my heart in tune be found”.
St. Martin’s choir is now the only one in our cluster of churches. We may be small in numberbut we feel that our ministry is an important one in helping to lead worship and enabling new songs and hymns to be introduced. We are so lucky to have such a talented musical director in Penny, without whom the range of music used in our services would be very limited. We all have our preferences in terms of the music used in worship and it is good to have a mixture in every service. I’m sure feedback would again be welcome.
I hope you enjoy the music today and that you are able to “make a joyful noise “ as we are encouraged to do.
Come let us sing for joy to the Lord;…..Let us….extol him with music and song”
Psalm 95 v1-2
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment