Skip to main content

Play Skillfully... Hitting the High Notes


Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.  Praise the LORD with the harp; make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre. Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy. (Psalm 33:1-3)
            This is a time of year in which hymns are more familiar. Most people have heard "Silent Night."
Silent Night
Holy Night
All Is calm
All is bright
Round yon virgin
mother and child
holy Infant
So tender ... and mild
Sleep in heavenly
peace
Sleep in heavenly peace
            This is how if often sounds to me when we sing it. All the phrases are separate from the others. I understand. This is how we've learned to sing it so that everyone is singing together, and everyone can breathe frequently enough to sing, especially that first peace.
       Today's passage is about singing joyfully and playing skillfully in praise to God. I know some people can sing joyfully, but when it comes to skill with either voice or instrument, well, they can't carry a tune in a dump truck (forget about the bucket.) God has granted to each person a variety of talents and skills. On skill I think we tend to neglect when it comes to hymns is to pay attention to details, or, put more correctly, to read the words or to hear them with understanding. The way we sing it (above) is very different from what is there, which would go something like this: Silent night, holy night, all is calm, all is bright round yon virgin mother and child, holy infant so tender and mild. Sleep in heavenly peace. Sleep in heavenly peace. There are only two people mentioned in this verse. "Virgin" is an adjective here, not a noun. The child is the holy Infant who is so tender and mild. "Round" is a poetic version of "around." It does not refer to Mary and her "baby bump" or her weight. That one took me an embarrassing amount of time to figure out what I was singing there.
         If we think about what we are singing in praise to God, our praise will be more skillful even if we can't hit the high notes.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Right Road

          Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. (Psalm 139:7-12)                  For years before GPSes existed, I told people I wanted something in my car that would tell me, “Turn left in half a mile…turn left in a quarter mile…turn left in 500 feet… turn left in 100 feet…turn left now …You missed the turn, Dummy!” The problem isn’t necessarily that I get lost so much as I’m afraid I’ll get lost. I don’t want to have to spend my whole trip stressing over the next turn. I have the same problem with my spiritual journey.   
Post a Comment
Read more

Died as a Ransom

                 For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance—now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant. (Hebrews 9:15)                  This is something I’d really rather not think about but here it is and it’s important. I was reading in Bold Love about seeking revenge.  The author wrote of seeking justice when a supposed Christian does something sinful, harmful, and/or horrific, like sexually abusing a daughter.  And the thought that came to mind was of God asking if Jesus’ death was sufficient payment to me for the sin committed against me.                I have no specific longing for revenge, vengeance, or justice. I’m sure there are some lurking somewhere in my heart, but this wasn’t a response to one. It was more a question of principle. Jesus’ death was sufficient payment for to God for our sins.  That’s the standard Sunday Schoo
1 comment
Read more

Out of the Depths

  Out of the depths I have cried to You, Lord. Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the sound of my pleadings.   If You, Lord, were to keep account of guilty deeds, Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, so that You may be revered. I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and I wait for His word. My soul waits in hope for the Lord more than the watchmen for the morning; Yes, more than the watchmen for the morning. Israel, wait for the Lord; for with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He will redeem Israel from all his guilty deeds . (Psalm 130)             I like Mr. Peterson’s interpretation of the first line. “The bottom has fallen out of my life!” Of course, the problem for some of us is the fact that we’re drama queens, and/or we’re weak. Any time anything happens that disturbs our sense of mastery and control, the bottom has fallen out of our lives. If the past couple of days have taught me anything, they’ve t
1 comment
Read more