Recently, I have been taking an interest
in sacred music. The history of sacred music goes back as far as the Exodus
from Egypt. The very first Psalm by God's redeemed people is a song that
declared Yahweh to be a warrior. Yahweh defeated Pharaoh and all the gods of
Egypt. He demonstrated that he is the universal Lord of all. The song
commemorates Israel's redemption from slavery by the strength of Yahweh who
cast Pharaoh and his army into the sea.
I occurs to me that there are many
Psalms in scripture that are not in the book of Psalms. Many of them are
interwoven with various stories and accounts of God's activity on behalf of his
people. In addition to the Song of the Sea in Exodus 15, there is also Moses'
song at the end of his life in Deuteronomy 32, the Song of Deborah and Barak in
Judges 5, the song of Hannah in 1 Samuel 2, the song of David in 2 Samuel 22, a
song of Asaph in 1 Chr 16, the song of Jonah in Jonah 2, the song of Habbakuk
in Habakkuk 3, the song of Mary at Luke 1:46, and various songs in the book of
Revelation.
There are powerful stories associated
with these songs that give them deeper meaning. Some of the songs may perform
similar functions to the festivals of Israel. For instance, the instructions
for the Passover are actual interwoven with the narrative the festival
commemorates (Ex 11:1-15:21). Observance of the Passover and other rites were never
to be an empty ritual performed thoughtlessly. The story of God's redemption
was to be passed on (Ex 12:26-27; 13:8-10, 14-15).
It seems that many of these Psalms along
with the stories they are associated with perform similar functions. They were
to be reminders of God's acts from the past. They were to encourage and
strengthen by recalling who God is and what he has done. Singing the song as a
response helps to etch these stories into the hearts of his people. In fact,
here is what the Lord himself said concerning a song he instructed Moses to
teach the people:
"Then it shall come about, when
many evils and troubles have come upon them, that this song will testify before
them as a witness . . ." (Dt 31:21a).
In the Preface to the old hymnal Psalms,
Hymns and Spiritual Songs, published by Alexander Campbell in the
19th century, he wrote an essay in which he described the hymnal as sort of a
"creed in metre" or a "statement of faith." Not only
are the lyrics and poetry of our repertoire of excellent hymns and songs easily
memorized, they also help to reflect and shape our faith for generations to
come.
Songs are a powerful way to build up
God's people. When you put godly words into poetry and music and not only hear
it but perform it, it transforms in a way that is hard to describe. It
transforms not only your thoughts, but emotions. It strengthens your devotion
and commitment. It strengthens your ties to the brethren you sing along with.
Perhaps you have seen the war veteran
who may get a little emotional when he sees the flag and sings the star
spangled banner with his buddies. Maybe you have felt the deep meaning in a
poignant moment when one sings a favorite song of a dearly departed one. The
reason they are so meaningful is that there is a story behind it all.
There are stories behind the sacred
songs we sing today. It may be the story behind the writing of the song, or it
may be a story of someone's experience with the song. It may be a bible verse
or story that the song illustrates. Whatever the case may be, I believe that it
enriches the worship if we share these stories. Whether they are printed along
with the songs in the song book, or printed in a separate form, I believe that
the stories that enrich the song ought to be shared.
I remember hearing about a popular song
writer a couple of years ago. Many are familiar with the name, Dennis Jernigan.
He wrote many of the songs we sing today, such as the newer version of As The
Deer, Nobody Fills My Heart, You are my All in All, When the Night is Falling,
Thank you Lord, and many others.
I was touched by the story behind the
writing of the song, Thank You Lord, when I heard it a couple of years ago.
Jernigan grew up in a Christian family
and discovered his musical talent at a very young age. It was also at a young
age that he fell into homosexuality. He later declared that even though there
were a number of reasons he fell into homosexuality, it was basically because
he believed lies about his father, himself, and God. He knew that his
homosexuality was wrong, but he didn't know where to turn. He didn't feel he
could turn to those in the church. All he heard was hateful condemnation of
people like himself. People would say, "Ship them to another country"
or "They all deserve to burn in Hell!" Due to this, he believed that
God would not accept him and was disgusted with him. It was sometime after he
went to college that his life hit a low. He finally discovered Christian
brethren who loved him in spite of his struggle. He found those who were
willing to be supportive during his time of deliverance from this struggle. He
discovered that God did not hate him, but loved him intensely. He eventually
married and had a family, and went on to write countless Christian songs to
encourage others.
He realized that part of the problem was
keeping struggle with sin a secret. As long as he kept it hidden, Satan had
power over him. He finally confessed it his struggle to the church, and it was
as if the shackles fell to the floor. Since that time, he has openly shared his
struggle which has emboldened countless others struggling with secret sin to
confess as well. He knew that the world needed to know that there is hope. His
story of deliverance through the power of God from his homosexuality is indeed
a story of hope. It was these events that led to the writing of the song, Thank
You Lord.
Listen to some of the words of the song:
, "Thank you for loving and setting me free, thank you for giving your
life just for me how I thank you . . ." When I heard the story behind the
writing of the song, it became that much more powerful. This is a constant
reminder that no matter what kind of sin we struggle with in our life, God can
indeed set us free. What a powerful story. What a powerful song.
--John Telgren
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