Singing Through the Tears
I was sitting on my stool at the front of the church on Sunday, mostly hidden behind my music stand, as usual. The worship team was playing The Wonderful Cross, which is an updated version of When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. The verses are the same hymn I've known my whole life, with an additional chorus.
This particular version of the song calls for the bass, and most other instruments, to play only a D for the entire verse, with other appropriate chords added just during the chorus. I have the verses memorized, and I can play an open D with my eyes closed and my left hand tied behind my back, so I didn't need to look at my music.
At first, I glanced at the rear screen, where the lyrics are displayed for the onstage singers to see, but since I already knew the words, my gaze shifted across the singing congregation. I couldn't help but notice the family standing right in front, some singing, but most struggling to keep from crying. The elderly man on the end was sitting with his head in his hands, obviously grieving the loss of his beloved wife just a few days earlier. My voice caught, as I recognized their obvious emotion. I had trouble singing the next couple of lines.
My gaze shifted across the sanctuary, where my eyes rested on a seated woman who was wiping the tears from her face. She and her late husband had been forced to stay home for many long months, even before the Covid crisis began, as they both dealt with some prolonged, serious, health challenges. She was there now to watch her eight-year-old granddaughter, the one she had led to Christ a few years ago, be baptized. My tears surfaced again, and I had no choice but to stop singing again until the tears subsided.
(Jesus said,) My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27 |
Thank you Janet for your blog post acknowledging how music touches the hear.
ReplyDeleteAfter Jeff died, I think I teared up at every hymn for a year.
Now I have to bring my own hankerchief.
I was sorry I didn’t have a chance to talk to you on Sunday. It was so good to see you there! Thank you for your kind words.
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