Loud Praise

"Praise the Lord. Praise, O servants of the Lord, praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised."
—Psalm 113:1-3

I had the great honor this past week to attend a day of Annual Conference. It was such a privilege to interact with clergy and laity from all over the state. There was a strong sense of oneness as people from different walks of life, and different geographies came together and declared their unity of purpose—to make disciples.

The most exciting aspects of Annual Conference, from my perspective, were time times we gathered together in worship. Each time we joined our voices in song, or creed, or responsive reading, I was amazed at the sheer volume of it. Those "servants of the Lord" who had gathered together, were praising God with every bit of volume they could muster.

In the front of our United Methodist Hymnal (for you 9:40 folk, that’s the little red book in the pew), on page vii you will find John Wesley’s Directions For Singing. All of those rules are worth reading, and were published in this article last August. But as I participated in those worship services, three of those rules came to mind.

IV. Sing Lustily and with good courage. Beware of singing as if you were half dead, or half asleep; but lift up your voice with strength. Be no more afraid of your voice now, nor more ashamed of its being heard, than when you sung the songs of Satan.

V. Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.

VII. Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.


I encourage you all to follow the example of our Annual Conference delegates and attendees as we gather together for worship this next Sunday. Emulate them by Lifting your voices with strength, striving to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself or any other creature, and see that your heart is offered to God continually.

Homework this week: Reflect on all the ways God has been faithful to you. Look at God's provision and care. Measure your own responses of worship to God. Does the level of our praise and worship match the level of God's faithfulness? Strive to make them equal.

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