Since its formulation, Methodism has been a movement involving song. “For the early Methodists, hymn singing was an act of praise and joy – a way to express their theology.” (https://www.resourceumc.org/en/content/connected-in-worship-and-song). Charles Wesley, one of the founders of the Methodist movement along with his brother, John, was a prolific hymn writer. Today some of our most treasured hymns continue to be those that he wrote – “O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing,” “Come Thou Long Expected Jesus,” “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” and “Christ the Lord is Risen Today,” just to name a few.
Today, our hymn book includes hundreds of other songs by other authors as well. Over the centuries, our singing has grown to include not only the hymns of yesteryear, but also more contemporary music as well. Now we might sing to a piano, organ, praise band, or accompaniment recording. The music used in our churches has now become quite blended in type and style, but nonetheless, we sing! We glorify God with our voices, no matter how well we, personally, might be able to hit a note, stay in harmony, or keep the right cadence. Regardless of what we sing, we sing from the depths of our hearts to recognize what God has done and continues to do for us.
Psalm 108:1-3 proclaims: “My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast; I will sing and make melody. Awake, my soul! Awake, O harp and lyre! I will awake the dawn. I will give thanks to you, O Lord, among the people, and I will sing praises to you among the nations.” (NRSV)
This Sunday, we will do exactly that. We, along with the choir, will sing of the glory of God, of what God has done and continues to do in our lives. We will sing some traditional hymns and hear some more contemporary arrangements, but nonetheless, we will sing! As we prepare to do so, perhaps we should all ponder our “sung theology.” What hymns proclaim your faith? What hymns help best capture what God means to you? What Jesus has done for you? How the Spirit continues to empower you? We are a people drawn to music, so let it move you in the same way that it did for David when he wrote so many of the Psalms.
Always singing,
Pastor Steve