From the Pastor

There is a magic of music. How else do you explain the spell that music casts over us? In Ephesians, the Apostle Paul mentions music in the same breath that he talks about wine, – “intoxicating” music, - “intoxicating” wine. For example, we can listen to a snippet of a song, and suddenly be transported back 25 years to our high school prom, a backyard summer bar-b-que, or even a funeral. Music has that kind of influence on us. You had better believe that advertisers are very aware of this. That’s why just about every tv commercial has music in the background. The advertisers shamelessly tug at our heartstrings by playing the songs that we know so well, in order to sell us perfume, cars, cell phones, or financial advisors. 

Even though we sings hymns and songs every week in church, it is still somewhat outside our comfort zone, isn’t it? Many of us will feel more secure about singing when we realize that according to Paul, — what God actually hears is not what comes from our lips. Paul says that what God hears is what happens in our hearts! He emphasizes the desirability of singing and making music in your hearts to the Lord. Why? It is because music is a thing of the heart that there is such magic and medicine in it. 

However, what sets us free is not the magic or the medicine. It is the message that we sing in the church, especially the message in all those carols and hymns we sing at Christmas. We sing about a God who has come to us as an infant, whose glory we have beheld. We sing about the one named Jesus, the Light of the world, who has unleashed into this world a love that can transform life beyond all of the darkness. We sing, because there will come a day in this world when everything that keeps us from singing, – every pain, every heartache, every frustration, every guilt, and every division, – it will all be done away with. On that day, you and I will simply become another two voices in a great and joyful song, as all of creation joins in the praise of God, the Creator and Redeemer of all that is.

This Sunday, our wonderful Chancel Choir will be leading us in worship with their Christmas Cantata, “The Mystery and the Majesty.” Please join us at either 8:00 am or 10:30 am, as we sing and enjoy music in praise and adoration to our Lord, Emmanuel. And may each of your lives continue to be a symphony of love and devotion to Jesus Christ, this Christmas and into the new year. 

Pastor John