Singing hymns

Singing in Memory Care

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Some folks probably wonder why I bother to write two separate blogs. The reason is that, Walking With Lambs is devoted specifically for people whose lives have been touched by long-term-care, whether you are on staff, have a family member or friend in a facility or are a volunteer, these posts are meant to be an encouragement as well as a forum to add your own experiences. Today’s post is a reminder that, while those in the memory care wing of one community I visit are the least visited, they do still have a capacity to worship and praise Jesus. In fact, if you listen carefully, you will hear many happy voices praising God as we sing. I think that God loves to hear those folks more than any worship team of earth. They are the little ones who our Father is pleased to spend His time with. Why shouldn’t we do the same!

“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’ Matthew 25:40 NLT

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If you have ever wondered if it is worth it to visit memory care, then this is a perfect video for you to watch. If you listen just a bit, you will hear many happy voices singing along with me. They may not recall where they used to live, or the name of family members, but they remember these songs and the name of Jesus. What a delight it is to sing with them and in my humble opinion, I think Jesus likes the sound of their voices better than any recording artist on earth! Today’s song session includes: Isn’t the Love of Jesus Something Wonderful, Oh How I love Jesus and He Keeps Me Singing. I pray that He will keep you singing as well and that you will live for Him every day!

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Dorothy

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Even to your old age and gray hairs
    I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
    I will sustain you and I will rescue you.
Isaiah 46:4 NIV

Dorothy sits with folded hands, staring straight ahead with a peaceful smile singing quietly along with every line of the hymns. Those folded hands, resting on her lap on occasion still pass over the keys of the piano in the corner of the room. Though her eyes can no longer see the keys she still amazingly finds every note. Dorothy reminds me of today’s verse, as I see her calm, unshaken faith. Hers is a faith…. For the rest of today’s story go to Walking With Lambs

Hymns Connecting Generations

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Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord - Ephesians 5:19 NKJV

It is almost Thanksgiving, which in my calendar means slowly switching from the hymns to Christmas Carols. But before bidding adieu to In the Garden, How Great Thou Art and Amazing Grace, I wanted to take a moment to write about the connecting power of hymns. First of all, I did not grow up listening to hymns. To be sure the choir sang something at the Congregational church where I attended with my family, however I had no idea what they were singing. The ancient stone building echoed so that I assumed they might have been singing in Latin. The first time I heard a hymn I could understand was when I was nineteen years old. As a child of the 60’s I grew up listening to the Beatles, Stones, Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, Simon and Garfunkel and Joni Mitchel. So, when I gave my life to Christ at a Pentecostal church, I was amazed to hear their camp meeting hymns along with the early praise choruses that eventually led to the contemporary Christian music of today. The most delightful thing of all was that everybody sang. Old folks and young folks all looked like they were having a great time. The music helped to connect generations and some of the rowdiest of the bunch were often the old timers! A hearty HAAAALEEEELUUUUJAH! would sometimes suddenly arise from the sweetest old lady or grey-haired saint, right in the middle of a verse, causing the hair on the back of my neck to stand up!

I remember we had two song books in those days. There was a large, hard covered hymnal as well as a small soft covered chorus book. When the worship leader would call out, “Please turn to number 439”, I always marveled at the number of songs between those covers. Today, I realize that just counting Charles Wesley and Fanny Crosby, there are thousands to choose from, and when you sprinkle in America the Beautiful, Christmas carols, Easter hymns and Amazing Grace, it makes you realize that what we hold in our hands is only the tip of the iceberg of what has been left to us through 2,000 years of church history. And these songs connect us, not only to the generations who sit in the seat next to us, but also to everyone who has ever put their faith in Christ. We are reminded that Martin Luther, John Newton, Saint Patrick and Isaac Watts are still living and singing with us in the unseen choir loft of Heaven. More importantly these precious words and melodies of our “Rock of Ages cleft for me”, who is “Perfect in power in love and purity.” also connect us to Jesus Christ. They remind us that “We have decided to follow Jesus” and that we must “Surrender all to Thee my precious Savior!” and will joyfully “Crown Him with many crowns!” They tell us about “What a day that will be, when our Jesus we will see!” and that forever “He will walk with me and talk with me and tell me that I am His own!”