Lent Day 12 - Sunday

“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord all the earth.” (Psalm 96:1)

  With no offense intended to any preachers and speakers….my primary means of personal worship has always been through music. Music has been, is and will always be my primary means of giving back to God and is the medium through which God blesses me. From the time I cannot even remember, my mom says that I would go sit at the piano and tap at little nonsensical melodies and rhythms….never banging, just intentional playing. So, when I hit second grade, I began piano lessons. From the first Tuesday when I entered Mrs. Stephens living room and sat down at her piano, I fell in love with music. Through the next few years, I learned popular songs, classical and jazz, but my heart responded and my fingers fell into the natural rhythms of God’s music. Of course, in those days, hymns reigned supreme and the most daring of contemporary Christian music belonged to the Imperials and Pat Terry.

  When I was 13, I began to fill in at my church, and when I was 15, I went to my first church as their full-time pianist. Except for three years in college, I’ve served as a church musician for about 45 years. One of the most excited times of my life was when I was the pianist for a contemporary Christian group and we were asked to sing at the National Quartet Convention in Nashville along with the great names of the Gospel world...the Goodmans, LeFevres, Speers, and on and on. I was dragged, kicking and screaming, into the contemporary music when it began to permeate our churches, and learned a whole new way to worship in music. I still prefer the traditional, but can certainly see the good in the new styles and blends. After all, it is all about the worship for God, isn’t it?

  Music is what I have playing when I write, read, walk or sleep. Music is playing when I work and the style of music usually is determined by the mood of the day. Sometimes country & western, other times classical, gospel, jazz, show tunes, and celtic. Music has a massive effect on my spirit and attitude.

  What is your worship trigger? Music, sermons, prayer, Bible study? What draws you closer to God in your personal time? In your corporate worship time? I know of folks who are always late to the worship service because they don’t care for music (in general), but just want to hear the preaching. Well and good, but I feel sorry for them missing out on part of the whole worshipping experience. I emphasized the word late because they were late in meeting God….who was already there through the music. You don’t need to sing, just sit or stand and feel it. Hear the words of praise. Feel the rhythms in your soul. Even tap your foot.

  Think today about how you worship. What inspires you the most? Also, consider how all parts of a corporate worship service are designed to draw you closer to God. Don’t get hung up on the traditional or contemporary words…it’s okay to have a preference, but it is all God’s music.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy. Blessed be the Name of the LORD!