Then sings my soul!

I had a really great day!  I went to church and sang today for the first time since my sinus surgery.  I am in no way the most fabulous singer, but I love to sing anyway, especially hymns.  With apologies to our outstanding preacher, I have to say that the song service is often the most moving part of worship for me.

At our church, like at many, most of the music we sing is contemporary, but we have at least one traditional hymn each service.  You can call me old-fashioned, it wouldn't be the first time, but I love the traditional hymns.  I enjoy lots of contemporary Christian artists and their music.  From Newsboys and Sonicflood to Twyla Paris and Amy Grant, there are many groups and singers who have contributed wonderful songs to the modern "hymnal", but for pure inspiration, I turn back to the hymns that have been with us for generations.

Think about it.  Is there anything more powerful than the voices of a congregation swelling together to sing,

Then sings my soul,
My Savior, God to Thee,
How great Thou art!
How great Thou art!
(Link to complete lyrics)

accompanied by only a piano, or even better, an organ?  How can your soul not sing in that moment?  The old hymns don't rely on complicated chord progressions.  The melodies are typically simple and accessible to everyone, accomplished vocalist or not.  It is the words that carry the task of inspiration.

Some of my favorites are the hymns that remind us of the glories of God's unending grace -  Old Rugged Cross, Amazing Grace, Blessed Assurance, Christ the Lord is Risen Today, and Love Lifted Me - to name a few.  Hymns like these provide us with the opportunity to sing our praises directly to God.  They are prayers set to music and, even though we are joining our voices with many others, we are communicating our love and devotion straight to Him.

The youth in churches today may not appreciate the classic hymns when they are first exposed to them, but I believe that these touches of tradition should remain in our church services to represent the simplicity and purity of our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Dear Lord,  Thank you for giving us music as a way to express to You our joy, thankfulness, commitment and adoration!  May we always remember that it is the feelings we express through the words we sing, not how well we can sing them, that matters to You.  We will worship You with gladness and come before You with joyful songs!  In Jesus's name, Amen

Psalm 100

1  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.

2  Worship the Lord with gladness;

    come before him with joyful songs.

3  Know that the Lord is God.

    It is he who made us, and we are his;

    we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.

4  Enter his gates with thanksgiving

    and his courts with praise;

    give thanks to him and praise his name.

5  For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;

    his faithfulness continues through all generations.

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