Musical Musings

I bought my third guitar yesterday.  It was one of those spontaneous spending sprees that was prompted by seeing a guitar staring at me when I sat down in an antique store.  It was really not very expensive and I did not know I wanted a guitar until that one saw me.  My first guitar I bought when I went to college and later sold it to a friend when I bought my roommate's old guitar.  When I retired I gave that second guitar to a young boy in my church who was more interested in playing it.  So, after thirteen years of not having a guitar, I am back in the music playing business.     

Of course, I say playing music lightly.  I only played well enough to entertain me.  And, maybe my mother.  But, the truth is I have always loved music, loved to hear it, and enjoyed singing very much.  One of the perks of being a preacher and worship leader was being able to stand in front of a singing congregation on Sunday morning when the seats were full and the hearts were brimming over with a desire to sing praise to God.  In those moments I loved to sing.  No one could hear my poor singing and all that good singing in the sanctuary just washed over me like a surging river that filled my soul to overflowing.   

The gospel writer, Mark, lets us in on a bit of Jesus trivia when he wrote about a moment after the last meal, "When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."  (Mark 14:26)   Jesus was a singer, too.  Of course, the book of Psalms is a section of Hebews hymns.  So many of them have become the inspiration for hymn writers through the centuries who sought to enrich the worship life of the church.  And, then the book of Revelation enables us to know that there is singing in heaven.  "When we all get to heaven, What a day of rejoicing that will be!"