I will praise you with singing

Why does music move us the way it does? In a movie, the background music sets the tone for the scene. If something scary is about to happen, the music tells you and you begin to fidget in your seat even though nothing has happened yet. While I am writing these blogs I like to play instrumental music and it helps me feel inspired.

I guess the topic of music today, comes from thinking about the time of worship at church. My favorite part of church is singing before the Lord together with the body of Christ. I find it to be such a powerful and moving time. There are some songs that I just get lost in. The words speak to me so deeply and I just close my eyes, lift my hands and offer it all to God. Some songs inspire me to dance, some make me want to cry or fall to my knees.

Since I have moved and worshiped at a new church, I have not been able to worship to my favorite songs. I always get frustrated at all of these songs that I don't know. It is hard to get deeply in a place of worship if I am staring at the screen for words and trying to pick up the melody. I don't want to complain about my preference in songs, it is just something I am struggling with. I hope that soon I will get to know and love these songs that are new to me, so that I can offer my worship the best I can to the Lord.

But I do miss the songs that I have fallen in love with. Yes, I do sing them when I am at home with my guitar, but nothing beats the loud music filling the room and feeling everyone's love for Jesus pouring out. There are times when I can just feel God moving in a place. I have been in worship that has been so powerful that anyone who wasn't a Christian, thought we all looked like fools, falling to our knees, lifting our hands, shouting words that were not in the song, crying, and laughing. But that is where I feel the power of the Lord the strongest.

God seems to like singing and music. A large portion of the Bible is full of songs. Songs or praise, thanks, desperation, hope and love. Emotions seem to flow more easily with music. I am not one to easily cry, but when the music touches me I let the tears fall unashamedly. I love to move about and dance before the Lord when I am in song. I do not claim to be the best dancer, but music makes me move. And when I sing songs such as "Undignified" how can I hold back as I sing "I will dance, i will sing to be mad for my king. Nothing Lord is hindering this passion in my soul." If I am telling God that nothing is holding me back, I better not be holding anything back!

One of the most moving songs for me is the song "How He Loves" by John Mark Mcmillan. The imagery that is in that song is so powerful and it puts me right at the foot of Jesus.

He is jealous for me,
Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden,
I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realise just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.


And oh, how He loves us so,
Oh how He loves us,
How He loves us all


Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.


We are His portion and He is our prize,
Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking.
So Heaven meets earth like a sloppy wet kiss,
And my heart turns violently inside of my chest,
I don’t have time to maintain these regrets,
When I think about, the way…


He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Oh how He loves.
Yeah, He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves us,
Whoa! how He loves.

This is a song that I like to sing in a small room with a group of my friends... It begins with a simple acoustic guitar and voices singing the melody, and as we continue more instruments might get added and the voices begin adding more layers. We may do the chorus five times, sounding different every time, and each time getting louder and wilder. Then we sing it one last time quiet and together. It makes me excited for heaven, because I imagine that the singing up there feels similar to that.

So this was a little shorter than my last two posts have been, but I have a shorter amount of time, because I have to go to church this morning. I now feel in a place ready for worship and ready to except the words that God has for me today. Even though I go to church alone and sit by myself, I feel like I am a part of something with the body of Christ all around me. God, thank you for giving us the gift of music as a means to get closer to you and feel your power and love. Give me complete focus this morning, so that I don't miss anything you have for me. I love you.