Worship

Where Shepherds Knelt to Worship

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Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? James 2:5 ESV

With our culture’s emphasis on success, the American dream and racing towards our goals, it is easy to lose sight of what really matters. But once a week God gives me a refresher course on the economics of what He values, in the memory care wing of Sunshine Christian Home. There I have the distinct privilege of meeting with a group of very special people. These friends of mine have lost everything that society says is important: their homes, their friends, their health, and maybe most precious of all, their memories. Not even in India have I met people poorer in the things of this world, and yet, every week they encourage my heart, by the richness of their faith. Though it may take a few minutes for them to focus, once they look up, I am greeted with smiles as big and beautiful as you will ever see in church. In today’s verse, the Apostle James points to people just like these friends of mine and asks, “Has not God chosen those who are poor in the world, to be rich in faith?”

By stripping away all the external signs of wealth, they are left with the eternal riches that only God can give. They are rich in faith, because when everything they have depended on all their lives was taken, they found that God was still on their side. There in that tiny room we sing about the kingdom that waits on the other side of the door and the promises of God that stand forever. There the Savior draws close as He once did in a stable where He lay His head on hay, and cattle lowed, and shepherds knelt to worship!

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs

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Addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. Ephesians 5:19 KJV

In this verse, Paul writes about psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, as if they were three friends. Sadly, in our modern age we have chopped these neatly up and then stored them on separate shelves in our pantry. But what a great joy it can be for those of us who call ourselves poets to attempt a reunion and invite all three to our kitchen table.

For example, when we use the word “Psalm,” most of us think only of the one hundred and fifty of them written in the Bible. But the Greek word, simply means a verse of any sort that is accompanied by stringed instruments. Stranger still, the phrase “spiritual song” was not a song as we know it, but more of a rhythmic chant, (a bit closer to what we call a poem). Last of all, the word hymn, meant a musical celebration, and was what Jesus sang with His disciples before they went out from the Last Supper. It might surprise you to learn that many of the hymns we sing today were not initially written as songs. Just to give one example, “How Great Thou Art” by Carl Boberg, was originally written in Swedish as a ten-stanza poem, titled “O Store Gud.” Somewhere along the way it was paired with a folk melody and then later translated into Russian. After that Russian version began to become popular in Ukraine, it was heard by a British missionary, named Stuart Hine. Stuart loved the song so much that he translated the first two of the verses into English, and then added the third and fourth verses which we sing today.

I won’t go into detail, but similar stories lie behind, well known songs such as “My Jesus I Love Thee” “Jesus Loves Me” and “I’d Rather Have Jesus.” One precious memory I have as a nursing home chaplain is of my friend Davonne – now singing with Jesus. Anytime our song service, if I would ask to sing only the first, second and last verse. Davonne would exclaim, “NO Pastor Peter! That song has a story and if we skip any of the verses, we will be missing part of it!” So, maybe it will help you the next time you are laboring away trying to tell a story with a poem, to close your eyes, then imagine the melody of your favorite hymn playing in the background and let it set a rhythm to your words and make a melody in your heart!

God’s Gift of Song – Part 2

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Yesterday we looked at the blessings of worship songs that come directly from scripture and some ways that God promises to bless us as we grow in our understanding and practice of worship. But as we concluded yesterday, worship is not something we do alone in a corner, just us and Jesus. Today we are looking a little deeper into how God has designed us to sing and worship not only with His people, but also together with Him. We sing together because when we do so we support one another, both on a spiritual and a practical level. If one person forgets the words, the others help carry them along. Singing together unifies us because we are sharing a common experience of worship that is precious to God.

Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! Psalm 133:1 ESV

And when God’s heart is moved by His people, something even better happens: He comes and joins in!

But You are holy, Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Psalm 22:3 NKJV

Though it is hard for us to imagine, the Bible says that God comes down to join in with our songs. In fact, one of the last things that Jesus did before He was arrested in the Garden of Gethsemane was to sing along with His friends.

And when they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Matthew 26:30 NKJV

Imagine how special that moment must have been to those disciples later in their lives when they were suffering persecution, imprisonment or even facing death. Each of them could look back and say, “O, I remember when Jesus sang with us!” In the same way, God’s Word that has been planted in our hearts in worship can be our greatest treasure, when we are going through hard times. Those songs that are straight from His Word can be used by the Holy Spirit to refresh our minds, lift our spirits and give courage to our hearts. And in those rare moments when we are worshiping together in unity with our brothers and sisters, He promises to come alongside. If we sing the harmony part He has given us, we just might hear Him sing a melody that will carry us to the end! I hope you will be blessed as we close this study by this wonderful rendition of Psalm 23 from Keith Green and that it will help you think and pray about a deeper worship. This is the worship in both Spirit and truth that Jesus talked about and that we will have in Heaven as we sing not only for Jesus, but you also with Him to His honor and glory, forever and forever. Amen!