Tag Archives: singing

A little quiet please

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Only a keyboard, guitar, and sometimes bass guitar.  Just the sound of clear voices and lilting melodies, an evening well spent.  I wish there were more like that.  I enjoyed the concert by Audrey Assad and JJ Heller (and her husband) so much and one of the biggest reasons was the simplicity and the quiet.  No giant stadium with thousands of people, but a church sanctuary with 200-300.  No electric guitars or drums or booming sound that makes your heart pound, but personal songs easily heard and understood.

I have nothing against loud music, being a big fan of that myself sometimes, but more and more my heart yearns for quietness.  It seems as I grow older I long for it more and more.  I wonder why?  I refuse to believe it’s because I’m not hip or cool anymore.  I don’t think it’s because I have narrow opinions or are old-fashioned.  I think it’s because the longer I live life amidst the clamoring of the world, the more I crave getting away, a reprieve, moments when there is nothing blaring at me and wI can think.  Sometimes, it’s because I’m tired.  When I’m tired I don’t want noise, I want stillness and solitude.

Jesus often went away by himself to pray and I’m sure to collect His thoughts, to process things that were happening and were going to happen, and to stay near God, his Father.  When I hear God’s voice whispering to me to come away and be quiet and I don’t do it, an agitated restlessness starts taking over.  If I try to soothe that agitation with other things, people, or activities it doesn’t work.  For some reason I just can’t give myself permission to stop “doing things” and rest.  That is a problem I need to let Jesus help me solve because it takes its toll.

Today I don’t feel well and I think it’s one of God’s ways of stopping me and forcing me to just be still and enjoy quiet.  Last night was the perfect head start.

The sun is shining outside and I hear one of my porch chairs calling my name.  I think I’ll take a book, in case I want to read, but mostly I think I’ll sit, soak in warm sunlight and stare out into the green grassy yard.  Thank you, Jesus, for quiet. You’re going to sit with me, too, right?

Only in returning to me
    and resting in me will you be saved.
In quietness and confidence is your strength.  Isaiah 30:15  NLT

 It’s useless to rise early and go to bed late, 
      and work your worried fingers to the bone. 
   Don’t you know he enjoys 
      giving rest to those he loves?  Psalm 127:2-3 The Message

Give Me Jesus

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Have you ever eaten lots of “junk” and sugary stuff to the point that the next time you feel hungry you crave real food – meat and potatoes, home cooked, hot, delicious and nutritious real food?

That’s a pretty good description of how I feel (the feeling seems to have grown in the last few years) when I watch some of the Christmas shows and movies on TV or hear some of the songs that are played over the Muzak at work.  Not bad, not offensive, just no real substance.  There is that one song that for some reason makes me want to shoot the speakers with a BB gun.  You may have heard it, “last Christmas I gave you my heart, but the very next day you gave it away. This year to save me from tears I’ll give it to someone special…”  It kind of sets my teeth on edge.

For me it’s not enough to say Christmas is about children, snow, cookies, Santa, shopping, giving gifts, or about family, or about being kind, or about helping homeless or needy people.  Those are all good things but there’s so much more.

I feel a suppressed frustration, almost anger, that the meaning of Christmas has been diluted so much by some in our culture.  To cut Jesus out of Christmas for me is like asking me to survive on a diet of nothing but marshmallow fluff. Continue reading →

I hear Him singing

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There have been many times in this past year when I couldn’t really hear it…times when I almost scoffed at the thought of him singing at all.  Every now and then I thought I heard it, like a brief break in dark, gray clouds that reveals a small patch of blue sky and sunshine that is soon covered by the heavy grayness again.

Sometimes the noise of the wind gusting around me was so loud the melody was faint and far away as I strained to hear it, needing some reassurance or direction.  Sometimes I found myself feeling isolated in a wide and desolate place where the silence is deafening and terrifying.  I asked Him in those difficult moments, “Do you really still delight in me?  Have you forgotten where I am?”

I have to admit there have been times I was angry with Him so I sat down and put my fingers in my ears.  I’m not proud of that, but it’s true.  I was having a hard time believing his song.

He’s proven to me over and over that He never stops singing the song of his unconditional, faithful, and real love.  Nothing lifts my heart and lightens the weight of burdens on my back like the sound of the breathtaking, soaring melody of God’s song as He sings it over me.  When I do hear it, I’m reminded of my place in his family and his heart.  I’m reminded of the undeserved grace He’s given me.  I’m reminded of all that I should be thankful for.

In Zephaniah 3:17 it says,

For the Lord your God is living among you.
He is a mighty savior.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
With his love, he will calm all your fears.
He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.

In these last few weeks I’ve heard Him clearly – loud, triumphant, a fierce love in His voice that is unmistakable.  It bowls me over and then lifts me up.  He really is delighted to lavishly love us and take care of us, to save us.  He really does sing over our lives without ceasing, sometimes faintly and tenderly, sometimes strong.

I hear Him singing…

It’s beautiful

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As we walked into Crossroads for worship this morning a little late I saw a room practically full and once I sat down several more came in after me. I looked around and saw a lot of young faces belonging to high school and college students and young adults. I don’t know why but it made me smile to see the teen boys who shuffled in and sat down in front of us with their hoodies, shaggy hair and tennis shoes. All of us listening to God’s word, truth being spoken into all the listening ears and hearts. After the message we stood to sing and soon I was overcome. The voices behind and beside me were loud but off-key. I happened to be among some enthusiastic singers who can’t hold a tune but today it didn’t throw me off or bug me, it blessed me. They were singing their hearts out.

Several times our lead worshipper would step back from the mic and then we could hear the sound we were making together (I love it when he does that). I know, no matter who was on pitch or not, that it was a sweet sound in God’s ears.

As we kept singing and after worship while I looked around at all the college kids standing to visit and leave, my heart swelled. I wonder if God will give me a place to serve where I can love on and minister to college students because my heart is drawn to them. I don’t know most of the kids that were there today but I felt love for them.

Some of my happiest moments this past year have been when my college daughter and a whole slew of her friends came over to our house several times to eat and hang out. We make sure to take a moment to pray for them before they go back to school. I’m looking forward to meeting some more friends when my 2nd daughter, who’s in college this year, brings some of her peeps home soon.

God loves people at every stage of life but today I was bowled over by His love for young people. Give me moments when I can encourage them as they follow You, Jesus. Give me opportunities to love them. Thank you for the life and energy behind all those voices, God, and for allowing me to stand in the midst of it today.

High Points

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When I was a youth leader years ago, we used to open our time together, after playing a silly game, by sitting in a circle and taking turns telling our high and low points from the day.  It was a neat way to get a glimpse into what was on each other’s hearts, good and not so good.  Well, I’d like to share a few high points.   No need to talk about low ones – I think if I don’t give them any attention they’ll fade from my memory anyway, right?

When my youngest and I walked in to the church tonight we were surprised to see twice as many kids in the student auditorium as usual and the buzz was electric.  Energy was practically resonating out of the doorway.  High points ahead, I could tell.  I decided to stick around and see what was going to happen.  Continue reading →

Has it really been all about You, God?

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As I sat on the piano bench a few Sundays before our last Sunday at our church as pastors, I felt that nearness to God that often comes to me when I’m singing, making music, and leading worship with my friends.  There’s nothing like music to lift me into God’s presence, to remind me of how beautiful, holy and amazing He is, to open and soften my heart.  There is definitely nothing like music that enables me to express praise to God, to celebrate Him, to love Him.  It’s just the way my heart and soul are wired, I think.  Music is huge to me – always has been.  I wonder what the spiritual connection really is when we sing for and to God?  I believe God made singing/playing music spiritual and not just pleasing to the ears.

As I sat on the piano bench that Sunday a sadness crept up and over me as I realized this time of leading and singing with these particular friends and in this way was about over.  Even as we sang, my heart was praying, “God, I don’t want to give this up.  Continue reading →

It’s Still Good

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I’ve been thinking a LOT about the nature of the Church in America, how we do some things right, how we do some things seemingly wrong, how we miss the mark so often by getting distracted and becoming like social clubs, how it seems we’ve failed in being life-saving stations.  I’ve swayed so far on the continuum that I’ve wondered the purpose of meeting every Sunday to sing songs and have “church.”  What is the point in all this that we do week after week, God?  Is this accomplishing your mission for us??

This morning God showed me that it’s still good.  Meeting for worship with other believers, other “sheep” is still a very good thing.  There’s nothing wrong with it – it’s just not all there is.  When we meet we encourage one another, we get help shifting our focus back to God, we hear from God’s Word, we gain new insights and direction, we hopefully hear testimonies of how God is at work in other people’s lives, we celebrate how good God is together, we sing, we pray together.  It’s still good!   As a church we just can’t stop or stay there.  Our mission is to get out and share hope and Jesus with everyone who hasn’t believed yet.  How do we do that?  That’s the million dollar question! Continue reading →