Have you ever had a hymn stuck in your head? For me, it’s usually a particular melodic segment or turn of phrase that just grabs me and repeats over and over. There is something about putting words to music that is simply magical. You know, I could speak all sorts of wonderful things to you in the most memorable way possible, but if I sing them to you in sweet melody they somehow have a new staying power. For example, all I have to do is just mention the words “Amazing Grace” and the tune starts up in your mind. “…that saved a wretch like me…”
Singing what God Speaks
When Martin Luther reintroduced the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world, he also began a strong emphasis on Biblical education. That’s why we have his Small and Large Catechisms along with scores of other resources to learn the Bible. This emphasis also led Luther to write hymns. These hymns weren’t supposed to be pretty little ditties or lofty austere motets but rather Bible education in song. Have you ever noticed how much Bible is stuffed into our hymnody? We sing what God speaks and it sinks deep into our hearts.
Tunefully Integrated
At Bethel we are blessed to walk together through the Bible. We are now finishing the book of Acts together. What a wild ride we have taken as a congregation! I know I have grown in my faith in the process and it seems like you have too. I love how integrated GodSpeak is. We read the Bible together, our worship surrounds our reading and the sermon is based upon what we read. Well, it’s time to take GodSpeak to a new level. I would like to introduce “GodSing.” It’s still everything we love about GodSpeak, only now we’re taking a good look at our faith in song. Let me tell you how this is going to work.
GodSing
Beginning the first week of October, we will all have the same tune on our lips. We’ll begin with “Amazing Grace.” This hymn is filled with references to scripture! So, our GodSpeak readings that week will explore the Bible passages that make “Amazing Grace” such a powerful hymn. The next week we’ll look at the Christian contemporary song, “In Christ Alone.” This song is so chuck filled with scripture that we would need to take 3 weeks to read it all! Don’t worry, we’ll hit the highlights in one week. GodSing will take us through Reformation Day, All Saints Sunday, Stewardship Sunday and into Advent and Christmas. I pray it will be a blessing for all of us at Bethel as we Sing what God Speaks.
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. – 1 Chronicles 16:9
Blessings,
Pastor Seabaugh