Sing To the Lord!

For Wednesday, October 9, 2024:

Jeremiah 20:13 NLT: “Sing to the Lord! Praise the Lord! For though I was poor and needy, he rescued me from my oppressors.”

Jesus can rescue you from physical, earthly problems, like being poor and needy. And Jesus can stifle your oppressors and buy you some breathing room. If you trust in Jesus, he can also solve your spiritual dilemmas, freeing you from sin and preparing a place for you in the hereafter. That’s why he deserves our praise and worship!

So let’s wrap up our discussion of worship. Q: Are you singing TO the congregation, or leading so that THEY can sing songs of praise? I was taught to maintain 2 different song lists, one for each of those categories. The songs we LEAD – that the congregation sings – are the ones we use in our church service, like hymns in traditional worship. Songs that we sing TO the congregation are used as pre-service walk-in music, offertory, sermon support and exit music. A sermon support song is about a specific topic, reinforcing the message and scripture for the day.

All our music for church should be the best that it can be. We strive for excellence, but keep in mind that there’s a fine line between striving for excellence and OCD. Some days things will go better than others. That’s gonna happen. The important thing is that everyone tries, that everyone gives 100%. After all, this is for the Lord! If everyone tries their best and the performance doesn’t work out, I don’t chew anybody out. That performance is over – it’s history! After all, they gave their best. But next time we hit the platform, we will again give it our best, and it will go better!

As we’re rehearsing music, making suggestions and corrections, someone always comments, “It’s not a show.” True, but we have a program to lead, and it starts at 10AM! (Insert your own number.) People will be coming in, and newcomers will be getting their first impression of our church, and as the saying goes, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression! As we present Jesus to everyone present, we need to make a strong, positive presentation, creating the impression that we’re happy to be there and that we’ve really got it together. We’re praying that newcomers like what they see, and that they would want to become a part of our church family.

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus In the City Fellowship