“Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord…” (Psalm 150:6 NIV)
This innate desire to respond to the Conductor’s cues begins in the womb. The gift of music knows no boundaries, speaks all languages, inspires all ages, and is grounded in love. This heart-to-heart connection with our Creator, explains why worship ministry is as vital as “mother’s milk.”
Having grown up in the 1950s, I learned that praising God was as fundamental as inhaling and exhaling. Sunday afternoons were spent with family and friends, still wearing their Sunday best, gathered around our piano, singing hymns. Father would pick his cherished juice-harp or set of spoons from a basket brimming with period instruments, then pass it around, so no one was left empty-handed. Soon, “everything that hath breath praised the Lord…” Hands clapped, toes tapped, voices harmonized, and occasionally, our eyes would pop as the delicate china on our sideboard would dance ever so slightly. No Sunday was complete without Mother leading her personal favourite, “His Eye Is On The Sparrow.” Lyrics by Civilla Martin. Even today, my heart still bursts for joy when I hear it sung:
Why should I feel discouraged
Why should the shadows come
Why should my heart feel lonely
And long for heaven and home
When Jesus is my portion
A constant friend is He
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches over me
His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me. (His Eye is on the Sparrow by Civilla Martin)
It was during those spirit-filled afternoons that I came to realize that music is the common thread between God’s truth and His love for His children. Music knows no boundaries. It speaks all languages, inspires every age, and has the power to heal any heart condition. Like the tiny sparrow, let us sing God’s praises all day long!
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, May our hearts dance at the sound of Your name and sing praises for Your mighty acts, creation, providence, redemption, and grace. Thank You for the gift of music. Hallelujah! Amen.
Lois Macdonald