When the Music Fades?

Praise & worship is a confession commanded by God to strengthen the Church: “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification [of the body, not the individual - the context of 1 Corinthians 12-14]...be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs...let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs” (1 Corinthians 14:26; Ephesians 5:18,19; Colossians 3:16). Praise & worship is vitally horizontal by the decree of God Himself – may we be just as careful to make sure our lyrics are scripturally accurate as we are opinionated about melody or musical style!

Our Psalmist today does his part, teaching the Church this confession through the choir director: “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken” (Psalm 62:1,2).

Out of the worship-confession of the congregation the Psalmist teaches us to continually sing the confession to ourselves: “My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be shaken” (62:5,6). This is another reason the words matter so much more than our culturally-bound pickiness over style & melody: truth taught to the heart will move us to endure much more than a catchy tune on the lips in the day of difficulty: “How long will you assail a man, that you may murder him, all of you, like a leaning wall, like a tottering fence? They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; they delight in falsehood; they bless with their mouth, but inwardly they curse...men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; in the balances they go up; they are together lighter than breath. Do not trust in oppression and do not vainly hope in robbery; if riches increase, do not set your heart upon them” (62:3,4,9,10).

Sing it to the Church, sing it to yourself: “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, my stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken” (62:1,2). Lyrics matter.

A Clay Pot's Sunrise Meditation on Gathering Day

“But as soon as they believed Philip, which preached the things that concerned the kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized both men and women” (Acts 8:12, Geneva Bible).

Bind us in our words and worship to these things this day, our God and King (1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 15:3).

“For we preach not ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God that commanded the light to shine out of darkness, is He which hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of that power might be of God, and not of us. We are afflicted on every side, yet are we not in distress: we are in doubt, but yet we despair not. We are persecuted, but not forsaken: cast down, but we perish not. Everywhere we bear about in our body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus might also be made manifest in our bodies. For we which live, are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh...and because we have the same Spirit of faith, according as it is written, ‘I believed, and therefore have I spoken,’ we also believe, and therefore speak, knowing that He which hath raised up the Lord Jesus, shall raise us up also by Jesus, and shall set us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that that most plenteous grace by the thanksgiving of many, may redound to the praise of God. Therefore we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed daily. For our light affliction which is but for a moment, causeth unto us a far most excellent and an eternal weight of glory: While we look not on the things which are seen, but on the things which are not seen for the things which are seen, are temporal: but the things which are not seen, are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:5-11,13-18).

On these days of the Gathering when I’ve been feeling particularly “earthen” and aware of the slow perishing of the “outward man,” I remember the message of the Kingdom and the Name. I don’t have to be powerful, strong, and confident: it is powerful and strong and unstoppable. It’s not about me. The leadership of Christ’s Church does not require me to be the Charismatic Leader. It requires the message of Christ the King and Savior.

And I suddenly remember (being so stupid – along with Agur in Proverbs 30:2 – that I repeatedly need to be reminded of it) that He does this...He often humbles me and burdens me in heart, mind, and body for days leading up to the Gathering of His Congregation. And I am reminded that they are His, I am His, and He is in charge of this thing, regardless of my self-doubt. I am earth, He is astounding glory, and He will shine through His vessels (the proclaimer and hearers both).

“As the providence of God in general reaches to all creatures, so, in a more special manner, it takes care of His church, and governs all things to the good of His church” (1689 Baptist Confession, 5.7). This governing to the good comes especially through His primary means of grace, the preaching of “the kingdom of God, and the Name of Jesus Christ” by a lowly, weak clay pot.

Bind us in our words and worship to these things this day, our God and King (1 Timothy 1:17; Revelation 15:3).