Dear HLPC Family:
There are few things in creation I love more than music. What a gift God gave us in the gift of song and praise! It has such power: to uplift, to move to tears, to bring people together. I cannot describe in words the joy and wonder I feel when I hear the congregation singing together. I am so grateful to be your Music Director.
Music is mentioned and encouraged many times in Scripture, especially in the Psalms. At least 50 of those times, this mention is a command to sing. Each Psalm is itself a song. Paul also says in Colossians 3:16: “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”
We were made to sing! Even if you feel that your voice is inadequate, God still made you for singing! As Keith Getty says in his book, Sing, “Your voice may not be of professional standard, but it is of confessional standard.”
He also says:
“Singing together bears compelling witness to the truth. It says to those watching on and listening in that, just as we sing the same melody together, we share the same faith, the Faith; not a self-made creed for a solo journey toward nowhere, but commitment to our one Lord of all, who transforms the life we live together and will bring us home to eternity.”
We have a unique opportunity each Sunday morning to join our voices in praise and thanksgiving to our God. I encourage you to really listen next Sunday not only to the words you are singing, but to the voices of the family of God raised together!
I’d also like to take this opportunity to let you know that choir rehearsals for our annual Christmas concert (December 15) start this Monday, the 22nd, at 7pm! If you would like to join choir, this is the time! I’m excited about the music we will be singing this fall. That concert will also feature our newly refurbished hand bell set! It’s an inspiring time in the music life of the church!
Psalm 95: 1&2: ” Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.”
Hallelujah!
Elizabeth Weiss