The Music

I thoroughly enjoy Sunday morning worship at Calvary in Gering.  We are so blessed to worship there, and to have the privilege of joining so many other Christians in praise of our gracious God.  I love the great variety of music that we sing, from the oldest hymns to the most contemporary songs of praise.  I love to hear the instruments that change from week to week and month to month, from piano, organ, and synth, to violin and sax, flute, electric and acoustic guitar, bass, and even drums.  The Bible exhorts God's people to praise Him with every known instrument, so I am blessed to be in a place where the people direct their praises to God, sometimes pensively, sometimes exuberantly, but always fervently, using every instrumentalist that Pastor Phil can persuade to join the worship team.  

I was thinking about this last September, and I began to wonder if I was placing too much emphasis on the music, and not enough on God Himself.  I meditated and prayed about this for days.  I lay in bed at night, only half awake, mulling it over and over, night after night.  And, through it all, a new song started to form in my head, first the words, then the definite beat, and finally, the melody.  When I walked down the hill to Levi's bus stop every afternoon, my footsteps kept the beat as I sang and fine-tuned this new song, and I began to realize, once again, that music is a gift from God that He uses to draw His people to Himself.  What a wonderful gift!

When I was about twelve, I asked Mom and Dad for a guitar for Christmas, never expecting to receive such an extravagant gift.  I was so surprised to receive just what I asked for, along with weekly lessons.  I think my parents hoped that playing the guitar would help me overcome my shyness.  I am convinced that God used the guitar to teach me many things.  I practiced for hours every day, passionate and driven to learn how to play that guitar.  It's true, I got over much of my shyness; I learned to play and sing competently and comfortably in front of a group, especially when I was leading worship.  I was asked to accompany the junior choir and youth group at our church.  A group of friends joined me in singing old hymns in area nursing homes every week for two or three summers.  I became a part of several worship teams in high school and college.  I learned to plan and help implement meaningful worship services.  God used my guitar to give me the confidence I needed to serve Him effectively.

These days, the arthritis in my hands limits my guitar playing to just a few songs at home, once in a while.  However, I was able to pick up Bill's old bass and learn to play it easily and usually painlessly.  Now I love playing the bass for worship.

 

When I was sixteen, my brother, Dan, and I sat down one wintry Saturday afternoon to write a Christian song.   Called "One Way," the song was filled with the popular clichés of that time, but it wasn't too bad for a first attempt.  I played the guitar as we sang it together at home, and occasionally for other people.  I began to explore song-writing in earnest, writing several more songs while I was in high school and college, sharing them with a few family members and close friends.  I typed the words, laboriously, on my dad's old typewriter, and bought a music manuscript book so I could painstakingly write down the notes that made up the melody of each song.  After Bill and I were married, I was still able to write songs occasionally, most often in an attempt to reinforce some abstract Biblical concept for the children I was teaching.  It is a good year when I write more than one song.  This summer, I look forward to transcribing all of my music onto the new Finale program that my family got me for my birthday.

This whole subject is intensely personal for me, so it's not easy to share it.  I hesitate to say that I write songs, because it really seems like God gives them to me, note by note, word by word.  The entire process always serves to draw me closer to the One I praise, through the music He gives.  Now, the question has become, what shall I do with these twenty-one songs?  Have they served their purpose, or can they be used, even more, to glorify God?  It's time for more prayer about that.

So, here are the lyrics for song number 20, called "The Music."  It doesn't rhyme.  It only contains one verse, and a chorus meant to be sung as a round by several people joining together to praise God.  I can't include the musical score right now, but if you ask me, I might sing it for you someday.

The Music

The music bids my spirit soar closer, ever closer, Lord, to You.

Your Spirit bids my spirit join the multitudes in everlasting praise, oh Lord.

The lifting of my hands is a sacrifice of never-ending praise to You,

My Strength and my Song.

So I will sing; I will sing a song of joy in everlasting praise to You, my Lord, 

My Strength and my Song.

So I will sing; I will sing a song of joy in everlasting praise to You, my Lord, 

My Strength and my Song, my Strength and my Song.