Singers Wanted!

On Wednesday I did a neme for 2nd cup of Coffee and one of the questions was what song woul describe you when you walked into a room. I had a hard time with that question……and then I found this true story about a woman who bought her daughter a really nice Baby Grand Piano for her birthday. A few weeks later, one of her friends asked her how her daughter was doing. “Oh,” she said, “I persuaded her to switch to a clarinet.” “How come?” asked the friend. “Well,” – she paused - “with a clarinet, she can’t sing.” Let me tell you….when I chose my answer…it was a song with words….I love to sing…and sing all the time….my poor dear Frank gets it in the car all the time….I feel release when I sing. I love games about singing, I love to sing in the rain (for real), I love to create my own songs about situations that are happening….yep…I know you are all sitting there feeling sorry for Frank….and that is ok….but he has gotten used to the singing….and sings with me in the car…and sometimes rolls his eyes when I make up a song. Bless his little heart. Something that I have learned over the years is that when it comes to the issue of singing in worship there are usually two kinds of people.  1. There are people who just love to sing and they’ll sing all day long in worship,  2. And then there are others who’d just rather you gave them a clarinet.
No matter which kind you are God commands His people(and that means you) to sing and make music. Ephesians 5:19 says: “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord” Ephesians 5:19. In Psalms 32:11 God declares to us: “Rejoice in the LORD and be glad, you righteous; SING, all you who are upright in heart!”
Psalm 105:1-4 proclaims: “Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. SING to him, SING praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice. Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.” So obviously God wants His people to sing. But why? Why should we sing? Well, I don’t know about you guys but personally…..I sing for joy, I sing His praises and I sing to rejoice in the blessings God has given us. We sing because we serve a God who makes us joyful. One of the most greatest singers in Scripture was a shepherd boy named David. He grew up to be the King of Israel and is celebrated as the “Man After God’s Own Heart”. He could sing, and he could play a harp, and all of his music glorified God and rejoiced in His blessings. David was a man after God’s own heart, and he cemented his relationship to God through his singing and playing music. Singing was the way David declared his joy in God. He sang because he had a song. Donald Hustead once wrote: “Somehow about 40% of churchgoers seem to have picked up the idea that ‘singing in church is for singers.’ The truth is that ‘singing is for believers.’ The relevant question is not, ‘Do you have a voice?’ but “Do you have a song? (Leadership, Vol. 3 no. 1) Let me tell you, God says SING and SING you must! He does not say….Sing if you can sing, sing. He simply says…..SING! Sing because you HAVE a song of joy. Sing because IT CAN GIVE you a song of joy. Sing because singing can give you the power of God in your life. And what should we sing? Ephesians 5:19 tells us about 3 kinds of songs – psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs – and that is what I am going to do….sing….sing when I am sad, glad, mad, down, feeling fine…..I serve a King and he wants me to SING…so sing I must. Find your song this weekend…..and claim it for your very own.  Here is mine.  I am going to Sing a Song of Hope!