Muse Devotions

A significant part of worship is how we experience God’s love. I believe that our view of his love in our life is related to our own sense of gratitude for his grace and forgiveness. In Luke 7 we find the story of a woman who anointed Jesus feet and wiped them with her hair. The Pharisees were upset because the woman was known to be sinful. Jesus says this remarkable thing:

Is Jesus saying that people with a sordid past have an “inside track” to loving God? Is it necessary to fall into the depths of depravity in order to fully appreciate His love?

Since it seems to be a point of emphasis, I thought I might blog on the idea of singing a new song. After last night's practice I sensed that our idea of what Sean is driving at when he wants us to "sing a new song" might need some clarity. To some it might mean a scary free fall of musical mumbo jumbo. To others it might feel quite natural. That's the way it is with expressions of worship. They tend to be either learned or innate. The good news is that singing extemporaneously (singing a "new song") can be something you grow into, even if it doesn't feel natural. Being a choir member means you already love to sing so you are half way there.

Those of you who have a son passing through his teenage years are familiar with the phrase "marching to the beat of his own drum". You can call it a lot of things like, "lack of self-consciousness" or "being unaware of his surroundings" or "still adjusting socially" (My wife even describes me that way occasionally). In some ways it all boils down to the same thing - a blissful self-absorption that keeps him talking with his mouth full, making odd noises at exactly the wrong moment, and generally saying anything that pops into his head. I like to think of it as an inability or (sometimes) unwillingness to see himself in the context of his relationship with other people.

To put it another way, if he was more aware of others he would not be rampaging through the house singing "If I Only Had a Brain" at the top of his lungs while his mom is on the phone. Why? Because he would consider her. He would be able to distinguish what she might like in her environment (peace and quiet) from what he might like in his environment (some kind of lively cross between indoor football, Charles Ives and a pep rally). As parents we try to teach our kids to be "self-aware". What we really want is for them to see others as they are. 

We as a choir are embarked on a new adventure. We are charged with making a style of music not often heard in our church relevant and life giving. Talking about musical styles in the church can bring out hidden passions in people. Almost everyone has an opinion about the kind of music they prefer in a worship service. Some of those opinions run so deep that they can even cause division. Pastor Sean would probably tell you that it is almost impossible to introduce a song without hearing both approval and disapproval from various folks. Our church is pretty contemporary. We love the beat. We love the raw emotion of a contemporary style. It's open and honest. It allows for an easy physical response and it seems to help us draw near to Christ. And that Brings us to Handel....