WATCHWORD:
1 Praise the Lord! How good to sing praises to our God! How delightful and how fitting! 2 The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem and bringing the exiles back to Israel. 3 He heals the brokenhearted and bandages their wounds. 4 He counts the stars and calls them all by name. 5 How great is our Lord! His power is absolute! His understanding is beyond comprehension! 6 The Lord supports the humble, but he brings the wicked down into the dust. 7 Sing out your thanks to the Lord; sing praises to our God with a harp. Psalm 147:1-7
Meditation:
Sing Out Loud!
One of hard parts of this pandemic, if you are fortunate to be able to attend worship services following all the restrictions, is that we cautioned not to SING out loud! Familiar hymns and songs, even liturgical responses that are so much a part of our worshiping the Lord, can only be spoken, and seem to fall flat without music.
It is one thing to limit singing because of the spread of the virus, and that probably has strong scientific fact behind it, but in the loss of such music is also to lose a morale factor. There is power in music. Singing those “old favorites” has been shown to boost mood, reduce falls for older citizens, and to lessen visits to emergency rooms, not to mention the need for sedative drugs. I have a friend who, in response to words or music heard, bursts into song, and it is hard not to join in, and in the singing, there is a feeling of peace and joy.
I know that we’re dealing with special circumstances, and we all want to move back to that earlier time that we remember as so much fun, and so normal. But, as they say, wishes don’t make it so. Let us not forget that we are created by God, who created everything around us, even those things we now whine about.
Maybe it would be hard for us to say, “Thank you Jesus” for all this isolation, for these masks that we have to wear, for the distance we have to stand from others, and, yes, for those times when singing is restricted, even in praise. And it is hard to see all of those elements as gifts. Yet, call to mind, Paul’s admonition: “For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: Now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.”
Bulletin Board:
Prayer songs — Sing out loud!
We gather together to ask the Lord’s blessing, He chastens and hastens His will to make known, the wicked oppressing cease them from distressing. Sing praises to His name He forgets not His own. Amen.
Our God is an awesome God. He reigns from heaven above With wisdom, power and love,
Our God is an awesome God. Amen.
Closing Prayer:
Please join me for a short prayer in the precious name of Jesus. Father God, thank you very much for all the blessings that you never get tired of giving us. Even if we are not worthy of your love, you are still there to love us. Lord, we are humbly asking for forgiveness from You for all our sins, whether they are intentional or not – please forgive us. Cleanse our hearts and remove all the negative emotions that we hold. Lord, I lift my future to you. May you straighten the path that I am walking. Cause me to make wise, Godly choices for my life- choices that will honor You. Please be with me on my journey, Lord. You will serve as my guide and refuge. I pray that you will not let go of me, but hold me in your loving arms. Lord, we need you. Pour your love and forgiveness out to the world. Touch each one of us. Make each of us your instrument of love so that other people can know you. Give each of us enough wisdom to reveal your greatness to others. Dear Lord, we will not get tired of worshiping You. From the smallest to the greatest of your blessings, I will be in debt until my death. May the love that first came from you reign in the life of every child reading this prayer. Use us for your plans. Lord, I pray that You will stop this spreading disease – heal our land. This is causing huge damage to our families and communities. Please take care of us, Lord. You are our only hope and strength. Lord God, all the praise and thanksgiving are yours, in the name of JESUS, Amen. I love you Lord .
[Sent to us by Gary Oden from his ministry in Belize.]
