What makes a good song?
One of the great joys of church is standing with others from all ages and stages to sing together songs that remind us of the wonderful things that God has done for us and to help us trust in the awesome promises that he has made to us.
That’s why it’s so important that we sing the best possible songs when we gather together.
When I choose songs for church, I try to pick songs that people like to sing!
Some songs are really hard to sing because the tune is complicated, or there’s a jump from the lowest to the highest note that is too large, or maybe the high notes are just too high!
But since it’s also important that the words work well, a good rule of thumb from Bob Kauflin is to determine if the song would ‘work’ if, for some reason, we had to simply read the words and not sing them.
In other words, is it a song that has a depth and beauty to it, even when there is no tune or accompaniment?
Ultimately, as people who love to know God deeply and truly, we want to make sure that the words go ‘with the grain’ of the teaching and the vibe of the Bible.
Good songs will help us grow in our Biblical knowledge of God, and reframe our minds in such a way that we see the world through God’s eyes.
And when a song works well, then it is a beautiful gift from God to help stir up in us a powerful emotion of joy, thankfulness, passion, and sometimes even repentance as “the word of Christ dwells richly among us” as we “sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. ” (Colossians 3:16)
JODIE McNEILL
(Photo credit: michael_swan via Flickr.com)
Coming up this weekend 30 November – 01 December
This week we continue our series on Acts, ‘Launching the Church‘, as we learn about the Courageous Christianity that the Apostle Paul shows as he confronts violent and hostile enemies as he returns to Jerusalem. It will be a fresh reminder to us of the need to trust in Jesus and be bold in his name.
Each week during our services we have a question and answer segment. If you have any questions, let us know via your response slips or by emailing them to office@jamberooanglican.com. Here are this week’s questions:
1 Since God used natural disasters to punish people in the Bible, why doesn’t he still do that today?
2 Did the man who fell out of the window defeat death?
3 Did Paul disobey the Holy Spirit in Acts 21:4 when he chose to continue to Jerusalem?
4 Is Jesus just as powerful as God?
5 Why do we seem to talk about Jesus more than God?
6 If a Christian is convinced that God is giving them a personal revelation of his calling and gifts, then how should they respond to someone who disagrees?
7 How can you find out what God’s will is for your life?
On Saturday evening at 5pm we have our family service with a kids program, followed by dinner for everyone and a youth group for the teens. Our more classic Anglican-style service is on Sunday mornings at 9am, followed by morning tea and hot espresso. If you have been thinking about coming to church, come along this week! I would love to meet you and be in fellowship with you. See you there!
Grace and peace,
Jodie
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