I Hear Voices

  I often hear voices in worship.  No, I’m not going crazy.  No, it’s not that people are bad at whispering.  It's during the singing.  It’s not, however, the people present. The voices I hear are in my head and some are the voices of people that long since passed.

  Let me explain before you think that ‘I’m not crazy’ is a mistake.  When we sing certain songs, I remember back to the church I grew up in. Some of the members there; some of our song leaders.  It might be the twang as they sang about ‘the blood drawn from Immanuel’s veins’. Or the passion in a voice when they proclaimed ‘sing and be happy’. The voices of people I grew up watching praising the Lord and setting an example that still comes back to me today

Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord

Ephesians 5:19

  Music has a funny effect on memory.  I can’t remember what I came to the store for but somehow I can flawlessly recite some lyrics of a song I have not heard in years.  It’s not any wonder that when God wanted his people to remember something he had them learn a song (Deuteronomy 31:19).  It's not any wonder he wants us to sing to each other today.

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Colossians 3:16

  In a religious world that seems to be making worship more about entertainment than praise, the amount of encouraged participation appears to be on the decline as well. Set there and listen rather than stand and sing.  Yet this misses out on a vital part of why God wants us to sing. When we participate in signing we are setting an example, showing our hearts, teaching and admonishing each other. We are lifting up others as we lift up praises to God.

 Our voices don’t just dissipate away; they linger in the hearts and mind of others.