Dec 07 – Reading: Psalm 89:1-4
Psalm 89:1 I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.
I miss singing in church on Sunday mornings. From the pulpit, I could see everyone in the pews and notice how some hymns deeply affected the church folks. Some of them sang loudly and cheerfully when it came to singing great hymns like “Praise My Soul the King of Heaven,” or “Guide Me, O Thou Great Jehovah.” Others were deeply moved by quieter and solemn hymns like “Were You There?” or “Be Thou My Vision.” I miss all of that and look forward to a time when we can safely be together to sing as we please.
Singing is a gift that God has given many creatures on Earth, including human beings. Think of the amazing song of whales in the deepest oceans or of birds singing in the highest mountains – each of them sings to communicate with one another, but I also believe they praise God through their songs. At this time of year, we do that, too, when we think of angels singing and cheerfully sing carols to celebrate the angels announcing the birth of Christ in hymns like “Angels, We Have Heard on High,” or “Angels from The Realms of Glory.”
We all miss singing in church and other places, but let us keep praising God from our hearts until that day when we can worship the Lord with our exalted and joyful voices in our sanctuaries.
Q: What’s my favorite hymn at this time of year?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, even You sang a hymn with the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane, so song is something that is special to You, too. Keep us mindful of the songs of praise that we have sung in church. Bring us closer to a sacred time when we can sing joyfully and gladly be together. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.