Praising God with Music

Readings:
II Chronicles 5
Acts 17:16-23

Focus:
II Chronicles 5:13 & 14: "Now the trumpeters and the singers joined in unison to sound forth praise and thanksgiving to the Lord, and the song was raised with trumpets, cymbals, and musical instruments, in praise of the Lord, because 'it is good, for his love endures for ever'; and the house was filled with the cloud of the glory of the Lord. The priests could not continue to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God."

I am a church musician (an amateur one), and I love these verses. It is wonderful to me that God responds to the music that we make in praise of him. Music in worship is a mystery. I don't know why it is special, but there is a place for it in worship. It is another way for us to speak to God.

I am in a community chorus that is preparing to do a Beethoven mass in May. When I'm practicing, I spend a lot of time thinking of the right notes, the right dynamics, and so forth. But I also want to think of the words and what the meaning is that I'm singing. When I sing "Holy, Holy, Holy Lord", I'm not just singing syllables; I'm singing praise to God. And God responds to that kind of praise. In ancient Jerusalem his response was visible. It's not visible to us now, but we can feel it if we open our hearts to him.