How Many Reasons Can You Give?

How Many Reasons Can You Give?

“The sun comes up; it’s a new day dawning; It’s time to sing Your song again. Whatever may pass and whatever lies before me; Let me be singing when the evening comes.”

Those words begin a song written by Matt Redman describing the reasons to give thanks to the Lord. We know that each day is a blessed day. (Psalm 118.24) We know, as Christians, God will take care of us throughout our lives. If He takes care of the birds of the air, He will take care of us. (Matthew 6.26)

How many reasons can you give for offering praise to God?

In an interview with Worship Leadership Magazine, Matt Redman said these words about the song, “10,000 Reasons”:

“The point behind the song is this, if you wake up one morning and you cannot think of a reason to bring God some kind of offering of thanks or praise, then you can be sure there’s something wrong at your end of the pipeline, and not His. We live beneath an unceasing flow of goodness, kindness, greatness, and holiness, and every day we’re given reason after reason why Jesus is so completely and utterly worthy of our highest and best devotion.” 

As you reflect on your life, how many reasons can you give to praise the Lord?

The song, 10,000 Reasons, is based on the words of Psalm 103. In that psalm, David says, “Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.” (Psalm 103.2-5)

Are you praising the Lord today?

 Just a thought,

Here is an acapella version of 10,000 Reasons from The Acapella Company.

John Wesley’s Rules for Singing

John Wesley’s Rules for Singing

Singing is powerful aspect of our worship that motivates one to a greater attitude and a greater desire to worship. Music has a tendency to transport the mind into a higher realm.

In 1780, John Wesley published his rules for singing as a part of a hymnal he produced that same year.. The list is fascinating and the points apply to this year even more than the year they were written. The list is contained below:

 

  • Learn these tunes before you learn any others; afterwards learn as many as you please.
  • Sing them exactly as they are printed here, without altering or mending them at all.
  • Sing all. See that you join with the congregation as frequently as you can.
  • Sing lustily and with a good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep.
  • Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation.
  • Sing in tune. Whatever time is sung, be sure to keep with it. Do not run before or stay behind it. Take care not to sing too slow.
  • Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing.

A few years before the hymnal was published, Mr. Wesley wrote his views on a new song in a journal entry dated, July 3, 1764,

“I seldom relish verses at first hearing. Till I have heard them over and over, they give me no pleasure, and they give me next to none when I have heard them a few times more, so as to be quite familiar.”

I find it interesting that emphasis John Wesley put on singing. He knew there are something about worshipping God in song that brought delight to the worship of God.

Just some thoughts,

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Being Preoccupied with God

Being Preoccupied with God

A few days ago, I found some notes on my computer containing some words from Karen Burton Mains. Mrs. Mains wrote these well-phrased admonitions about worship in the preface of the hymnbook, Sing Joyfully:

“Worship has been defined as being preoccupied with God. How do we learn to become preoccupied with God? By cultivating intentionality. By deliberately turning our minds toward divine preoccupation. By developing worship habits and working on them. Intentional worship means a worshipper is not going to church expecting that worship will just happen; but intentionality means that a worshipper is going to church determined to make worship happen.

A church bulletin aptly (said): ‘Too many Christians worship their work, work at their play, and play at their worship.’ We must learn to work at our worship so that preoccupation with God becomes delightfully habitual.

We must remind ourselves, over and over, that the focus of Sunday worship must be upon the living Christ among us. In truth, if Christ were bodily present and we could see him with more than our soul’s eyes, all our worship would become intentional. If Christ stood on our platforms, we would bend our knees without asking. If He stretched out His hands and we saw the wounds, our hearts would break; we would confess our sins and weep over our shortcomings. If we could hear His voice leading the hymns, we too would sing heartily; the words would take on meaning. The Bible reading would be lively; meaning would pierce to the marrow of our souls.

If Christ walked our aisles, we would hasten to make amends with that brother or sister to whom we had not spoken. We would volunteer for service… If we knew Christ would attend our church Sunday after Sunday, the front pews would fill fastest, believers would arrive early, offering plates would be laden with sacrificial but gladsome gifts, prayers would concentrate our attention.

Yet … Christ is present.

I would say these are very interesting thoughts from Mrs. Maines.

Just some thoughts,

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