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| Beautiful voices |
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I was unspeakably blessed this past Sunday by two examples of great contrast and yet incredible similarity. As the worship service began, my enthusiasm was flagging a bit as my heart wasn't quite right. About halfway through the first song I leaned over to see if my young son was actually singing. He was, and I was immediately and forcefully struck by the beauty of his off-key yet determined voice. No, he wasn't giving anyone on American Idol a run for their money, but by lifting words of praise and adoration to the Father to the best of his ability, he was making a more beautiful sound than ever you'll hear on any TV show! My enthusiasm immediately returned, and I gave myself fully to the LORD the rest of the service!
96:1 Sing to the LORD a new song ; sing to the LORD, all the earth!
Later in the afternoon we attended our usual traditional worship service at the assisted living center (also mentioned here). One of the elderly ladies I was sitting next too has severe arthritis in her neck and to a lesser extent in her arms and legs (she's wheelchair bound), in addition to her Alzheimers. As I was helping her hold her book (containing hymns and liturgies), occasionally I would hear her singing voice during the hymns. Again, it was no centerpiece of great talent or skill. In fact, she faded in and out, sang wrong words, missed most of the notes, etc. But as she lifted her voice to the LORD to the best of her ability, it was the most beautiful sound, and touched me deeply. She sang to the Father to the best of her ability, and I am quite certain that the LORD's heart was moved far more than mine! She truly put the best songs of men to shame!
Truly, the new song the psalmists wrote about does not depend on the talents of those who give it voice. The song is all about Who we sing it to and for. When the song is from the new heart of devotion to the LORD, it is the most beautiful sound you'll ever hear!!
19:40 But Jesus answered, "I tell you, if these become silent, the stones will cry out!" LORD, may all who read this join in the song!!
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| good thoughts, really make me think about how blessed I am. I don't want the stones praisin Jesus in my place. |
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Truly, when it comes to my singing voice - I know for sure that God loves me, else he would definitely ask me to stop singing! Yes, yes, I do get the point, just wanted to share that there are some of us who were not blessed with great singing voices! Praise the Lord, until he asks me to stop, I'll sing a new song of praise to him each and every morning.
Blessings |
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lol! MP, you're killin me!
Kid (w/Long Hair), you're really looking forward to Christmas, aren't you?? lol
Beverley -- amen! That new song is sooooo precious! Keep singing!!!!!
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Grant |
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September 11, 2007 at 9:19am |
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| Thank you for the encouragement! I needed that! What a beautiful personal story! |
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Mike,
Thanks so much for sharing your stories, reading them reminds me of all the precious little things, that I sometimes over look.
Pastor Aminata |
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MIke,
I wrote a wisdom principle a couple of years ago that fits well with this testimony.
Wisdom Principle: God Does Not Always Answer Prayer, But He Always Responds To Worship. Sometimes, the effectual prayer is just the simple song from the heart. Thanks for sharing your heart.
DR |
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| One time I heard a ruckus coming from BillyRay's trailer. I ran over to help cause I thought he'd got his finger caught up in something or maybe mashed his leg. Turns out Kathy's mama was singin along with an old Elvis gospel record. It won't purty, but she was praisin the Lord, that was fer sure. |
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Rich, as you always like to say (or is it BillyRay), you ain't right! lol
Dr Thomas, thank you for sharing that principle -- it's a great one.
Pastor Aminata and Grant, thank you for comments, I'm so glad this touched you -- as Voice in DC likes to say, TGBTG! |
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Jen |
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September 11, 2007 at 10:22am |
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| Make a joyful noise... :-) |
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Deb |
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September 11, 2007 at 10:31am |
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| Great blog as usual Mike. Thanks for sharing your insights. |
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Oh this is a wonderful blog to me. I have been studying Dr. Thomas' book on worship, and it has brought such a vigour to my life concerning worshp. I see here that the Lord is speaking to others about worship. It is HIS desire that we worship HIM! God needs us! Why else did He create us??? There is no other reason, but that we should worship HIM!
Fabulous blog Mike! |
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Thank you Jen, Deb, and Shannon (I love your excitement) -- again TGBTG!
Rachel, thank you for sharing that -- wonderful!! The voices of children singing praise to God is indeed exquisitely beautiful -- much the way our lowly voices sound to God, I would imagine! ...and it's really cool when they hit the notes!
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| Mike...what a great way to remind us that worship is not about our talents but about how much we desire God. Its not about what we do but about a longing for the One for which we do it. God bless you! |
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| You KNOW I'm joining in this praise choir! There is nothing more beautiful to me than the uplifted voices of the young and the elderly. They are both so filled with hope in the things to come! |
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| Thanks for another starworthy BLOG. |
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Glenn |
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September 11, 2007 at 7:48pm |
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I will join you all in singing that new song, thanking the Lord for the new heart to sing about! Young people with a heart for God praising His name always blow me away.
Another great thought to cheer us along our way, thanks Mike.
peace
glenn |
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As I was reading your blog I couldn’t help but think of a couple of quotes that I ran across the other day concerning worship. “Worship is to feel in your heart and express in some appropriate manner a humbling but delightful sense of admiring awe and astonished wonder and overpowering love in the presence of that most ancient Mystery, that Majesty which philosophers call the First Cause, but which we call Our Father Which Are in Heaven.” A W Tozer “To worship God is to recognize his worth or worthiness; to look God-ward, and to acknowledge in all appropriate ways the value of what we see. The Bible calls this activity ‘glorifying God’ or ‘giving glory to God,’ and views it as the ultimate end, and from one point of view, the whole duty of man (Ps. 29:2; 96:6; 1 Cor. 10:31).” J I Packer It sounds like this is what you experienced Sunday. PTL |
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Toni |
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September 11, 2007 at 8:39pm |
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I know exactly what you are talking about, Mike, that reminds me of when I see my 3 yr.old singing and he doesn't even know all the words. but he really is pouring out his heart to the Lord. Also just like today, my daughter was singing a lot of her Action Bible Songs that she knows word for word, she has video tapes with these songs on them and she loves it, I also came across a video called the Mother Goose Gospel, it is pretty neat. Talk to you later. Toni |
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Hi Toni! That's precious. I don't know what I'm gonna do when our kids grow up. That's gonna be so hard! Anyway, we're sure gonna enjoy them while we have them! (If you read this, say hi to Paul for me!)
Pastor Tim, those quotes are out of the park! Especially the Tozer quote. You are one well read dude! (And I mean that with the utmost respect!)
Glenn, Soozanne, Dave, and Zach, thank you for sharing your enthusiastic joy! Singing a new song is so much more enjoyable the more voices you have singing with you!! |
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Thanks Sue! In your AI post, I thought the focus was actually tilted a little towards the folks onstage, but I admit it's been awhile since I've read it. Either way, the worshipers' hearts are the most endearing part to the Lord.
And thank you Lisa! Yes, singing in cars counts. That is usually when we are the least self-conscious. We all know that's the best time to sing, when it's just you and the Lord! |
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Rosie |
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September 17, 2007 at 4:09am |
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| I'm glad that the Lord wrote in His word....MAKE A JOYFUL NOISE UNTO THE LORD.....i think that pretty well covers it.............i do not think i sing well but others have told me i do...i don't hear it ......but i pray before i sing Lord bless their ears and let them hear what you hear.......yesterday my two grand daughters sang with me at church Kendra 6 Brookie 3 and to me it was beautiful those little voices singing Jesus Loves Me and Oh How I Love Jesus......... |
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| Rosie, amen! That's awesome -- aren't those little voices beautiful?! And if they're beautiful to us, how much more so to the Savior who said "let the little children come", and "to enter the kingdom of heaven you must become as one of these." Thanks Rosie! ~mike |
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Kathy |
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September 17, 2007 at 8:03am |
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| Thanks, Mike! I suspect an imperfect voice that praises Him reaches His ears with more perfection than the most polished of voices raised for any other reason! He inhabits our praise! |
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I do love this blog because it is so true. Singing from your heart to the Lord is beautiful...no matter what is sounds like to our ears. The sound that comes from the heart is beautiful.
Blessings,
Forgiven |
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| Forgiven, thank you so much for dropping in and leaving a comment (and a star?)... ~mike |
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