Speaking in Song

 

“…speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

—Ephesians 5:19-20

Music is a most powerful language. Some have said it is the universal language. No matter what the culture, the music of that culture always holds great power. Even when we may not know a particular language, the music of that distant land speaks volumes to us about the nature and character of the people there.

Many years ago, when personal computers first came on the scene and I purchased my first “real” computer—a Compaq Portable that was about the size and weight of a portable sewing machine; portable, indeed—I was introduced to my first database program: dBase II. I remember how frustrating it was the very first time I executed the program and a lone dot appeared on the screen. I soon learned this was the unique, but oft talked about in those days, “dot prompt.”

Not too long after that, once I read the manual and then purchased some books on dBase II programming, I became quite proficient in writing the plsin-language code necessary to make useful programs with this $750.00 software. In fact, I was hired to write an entire computerized Job Management System for a division of Ford, Bacon, and Davis that repaired utility natural gas pipelines. The project took me many, many hours. But, it was a fascinating learning experience.

During this time, I read about a training program that several Corporate 500 companies had sponsored to find the best code developers in order to implement various software built on dBase II. They found that the most efficient and effective programmers had a strong musical background. These musicians had a familiarity with translating the notes on a page into music. The same intelligence that gave them facility to make music also allowed them to excel at software development and computer code writing.

Music plays an important part in our everyday lives. It plays an important part in our spiritual lives, too. Notice what the Apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the “Christ’s-ones” gathered at the church in Ephesus, as found in Ephesians 5:19-20:

…speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

In our Christian lives, we communicate with our brothers and sisters in Christ through music. Can anyone doubt that music plays an important role in our spiritual formation? Many great hymns have, over the years, communicated foundational truth. And, the more contemporary Christian music of today continues to express Biblical texts in a genre of more “modern” musical form.

Whether you sing only in the shower, whether you sing loudly during the congregational singing at your church, or whether you participate in a choir or vocal group to the glory of God, you are communicating with God and with your spiritual Family using music.

Imagine what heaven will be like when we sit at the feet of Jesus and hear the choirs of angels sing praise to God. Now that will be quite a day!

 

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