GET CONNECTED with our CHURCH FAMILY … responding to human need

Thursday, March 30

Psalm 27:1-6 (NRSV)

The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?

When evildoers assail me
    to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
    they shall stumble and fall.

Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
    yet I will be confident.

One thing I asked of the Lord;
    this I seek:
to live in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to behold the beauty of the Lord,
    and to inquire in his temple.

For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will set me high on a rock.

Now my head is lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.

Devotion

Psalm 27 is a song. Subtitled in the NRSV as “Triumphant Song of Confidence,” the song details David’s real worries and fears, while also confirming his trust in God’s goodness. The words suggest that singing gave David peace and confidence when he felt overwhelmed or doubted God’s presence.

Each Sunday, the worship services at Lewinsville are filled with music, from instrumental to choral to congregational. In singing together, we set aside our own doubts, fears, and even disagreements with each other. We proclaim God’s active presence through the music and lyrics of hymns, even when we might struggle as David did.

Singing makes us kinder toward each other, as our voices blend in harmony or unite in unison. Each week we come back to music, no matter the sermon topic or the state of the world. 

Our country was also fraught with division in the 1960s, just after which composer Leonard Bernstein commissioned his Mass for the inauguration of the Kennedy Center in 1971. The lyrics below may inspire us again as we write our own songs/psalms on the journey to the cross. 

Sing God a simple song, Lau da lau de
Make it up, as you go along, Lau da lau de
Sing, like you like to sing . . .
I will sing his praises, while I live
All of my days

For further contemplation, read “I Go To Sing,” a poem by Lindy Thompson, whose blog may be found HERE.

Prayer

Dear God, give our hearts courage as we wait for you. Give us words and melodies to help us act lovingly toward each other and to the world around us.

Libby McConnell