Today is Sunday.
Today I was reminded that I seem to have developed a habit of paying very little attention to the words of the songs that we sing in church. I suppose that when one does not really know what one is singing it quite possibly is not considered worship.
Several months ago a friend of mine who had just returned to the USA after spending a number of years in Asia pointed out that the home churches are still singing the same songs that were being sung years ago. She also pointed out how when the number is called everyone dutifully picks up a songbook, turns to the correct page, and studies their book while singing. She wondered why after all these years we don't have these songs committed to memory. Why do we even need the song books?
Today after the aforementioned reminder that I've developed this bad habit of paying no attention to the words I am singing I begin to wonder if this could possibly be one reason that I still need a song book. (In my defense let me also add that in the current church I attend they do tend to sing different songs than the church I grew up in, so in the last couple of years I have encountered quite a few songs that have been unfamiliar to me) I also am not going to point to others and question whether they have a heart of worship when singing in Church, nor am I going to question why they need a song book. Maybe songbooks helps one to sing with confidence, maybe some people need the book for reading the music, maybe songbooks give a sense of security. These questions really hold no value in the grand scheme of life.
I like to sing. Actually I LOVE to sing. Generally my love for singing comes when no one else is around. And somehow those times feel more like worship than the times in church when I don't really pay attention to what I'm singing.
Ok, I'm rambling really badly and you are quite possibly wondering where I'm going with this. (I'm beginning to wonder myself)
But here is something I've noticed, if a song means enough to me I memorize it. At least enough of it that I can sing it very loudly while driving down the road or when I'm home alone. I remember from the time I was pretty young that if I didn't know all the words to a song I either learned them or made some up. (also from a pretty young age I broadcasted my singing while driving four-wheeler up mountains and down, through fields and around the neighborhood at a pretty high volume. That is until I realized that the sound of the four-wheeler didn't actually drown out my voice but only made me sing louder to the enjoyment of anyone within hearing distance) Anyway I learned that one of the annoying things in life is not being able to remember all the words to a good song.
I've heard debates, lectures, etc. on what types of music should be listened to and what types of songs should be sung. I am not completely sold on the ancient hymns (although I think they have great value for their time and place) and I'm totally for the writing of new songs. I am also realizing that sometimes my solid arguments for or against something may fail me and I might actually change my mind.
Here's an example: I have harped about some of the popular hymns from church. Songs that use words we'd never use in every day life and sometimes words that mean absolutely nothing to me. In the past one of my favorite songs to harp about was the one which included the words "here I raise my Ebenezer". Now quite honestly I had no idea what an Ebenezer was, so I was never quite sure what I was raising. Therefore I decided that I would just discredit that song from having any personal meaning to me, and I would continue to use it in my arguments for newer songs with personal meaning to me
Now move ahead to this summer - when I decided to to do a little Pintrest project. The words "bind my wandering heart to thee", made perfect sense to add to my project because I'm well aware of the fact that my heart does seem to wander. It wasn't until I was nearly finished with the project that I realized that the words I had chosen came from the very same song that called me to raise my Ebenezer. Maybe this song is worth learning after all?
Recently I've been thinking about this binding of my heart to my Saviour and again realizing how prone my heart is to wander away. And this morning as I was driving to church I found myself singing the words to the hymn and I'm realizing - I really need to commit all the words to this song to memory because I really need it! (and because it's annoying to try to sing a song when I don't know all the words)
Now what I am going to do about my bad habit of letting my mind wander during the church services? I don't know. But this I do know - I'm going to keep on asking Jesus to bind my wandering heart to Him.
Today I was reminded that I seem to have developed a habit of paying very little attention to the words of the songs that we sing in church. I suppose that when one does not really know what one is singing it quite possibly is not considered worship.
Several months ago a friend of mine who had just returned to the USA after spending a number of years in Asia pointed out that the home churches are still singing the same songs that were being sung years ago. She also pointed out how when the number is called everyone dutifully picks up a songbook, turns to the correct page, and studies their book while singing. She wondered why after all these years we don't have these songs committed to memory. Why do we even need the song books?
Today after the aforementioned reminder that I've developed this bad habit of paying no attention to the words I am singing I begin to wonder if this could possibly be one reason that I still need a song book. (In my defense let me also add that in the current church I attend they do tend to sing different songs than the church I grew up in, so in the last couple of years I have encountered quite a few songs that have been unfamiliar to me) I also am not going to point to others and question whether they have a heart of worship when singing in Church, nor am I going to question why they need a song book. Maybe songbooks helps one to sing with confidence, maybe some people need the book for reading the music, maybe songbooks give a sense of security. These questions really hold no value in the grand scheme of life.
I like to sing. Actually I LOVE to sing. Generally my love for singing comes when no one else is around. And somehow those times feel more like worship than the times in church when I don't really pay attention to what I'm singing.
Ok, I'm rambling really badly and you are quite possibly wondering where I'm going with this. (I'm beginning to wonder myself)
But here is something I've noticed, if a song means enough to me I memorize it. At least enough of it that I can sing it very loudly while driving down the road or when I'm home alone. I remember from the time I was pretty young that if I didn't know all the words to a song I either learned them or made some up. (also from a pretty young age I broadcasted my singing while driving four-wheeler up mountains and down, through fields and around the neighborhood at a pretty high volume. That is until I realized that the sound of the four-wheeler didn't actually drown out my voice but only made me sing louder to the enjoyment of anyone within hearing distance) Anyway I learned that one of the annoying things in life is not being able to remember all the words to a good song.
I've heard debates, lectures, etc. on what types of music should be listened to and what types of songs should be sung. I am not completely sold on the ancient hymns (although I think they have great value for their time and place) and I'm totally for the writing of new songs. I am also realizing that sometimes my solid arguments for or against something may fail me and I might actually change my mind.
Here's an example: I have harped about some of the popular hymns from church. Songs that use words we'd never use in every day life and sometimes words that mean absolutely nothing to me. In the past one of my favorite songs to harp about was the one which included the words "here I raise my Ebenezer". Now quite honestly I had no idea what an Ebenezer was, so I was never quite sure what I was raising. Therefore I decided that I would just discredit that song from having any personal meaning to me, and I would continue to use it in my arguments for newer songs with personal meaning to me
Now move ahead to this summer - when I decided to to do a little Pintrest project. The words "bind my wandering heart to thee", made perfect sense to add to my project because I'm well aware of the fact that my heart does seem to wander. It wasn't until I was nearly finished with the project that I realized that the words I had chosen came from the very same song that called me to raise my Ebenezer. Maybe this song is worth learning after all? Recently I've been thinking about this binding of my heart to my Saviour and again realizing how prone my heart is to wander away. And this morning as I was driving to church I found myself singing the words to the hymn and I'm realizing - I really need to commit all the words to this song to memory because I really need it! (and because it's annoying to try to sing a song when I don't know all the words)
Now what I am going to do about my bad habit of letting my mind wander during the church services? I don't know. But this I do know - I'm going to keep on asking Jesus to bind my wandering heart to Him.
Ebenezer - One definition I found says "stone of help".
For further information read 1 Samuel 7.
I can relate to what you said! I just recently sang that song with Ebenezer and was wondering what it all meant but was obviously to easily distracted, or lazy, to look it up. And when I was a kid at home I used to belt out Simon and Garfunkel while I was mowing lawn, not realizing that all the neighbors were a captive audience to my rendition of Bridge Over Troubled waters every time I mowed. It's probably good I moved away.
ReplyDelete