Music Appreciation Sunday

Dear Congregation,

This coming Sunday is Music Appreciation Sunday. I know that music in worship is important to all of us. I also know that we are fortunate to have Jay Harragin, Director of Music, and Graham Bryan, Church Musician, creatively sharing their talents in worship. Jay also arranges for the musicians we have to come provide Special Music—vocal soloists and instrumentalists, and members of our own Praise Band.

Carolyn Winfrey Gillette asks the question in Why We Sing, “When we come together in worship, why do we sing rather than merely think or talk with one another? Singing is a language that God has given us to express our deepest longings, greatest joys, and most profound trust in the One who created us and loves us unconditionally. We sing because music is a gift from God. Like all gifts from God, it is one that God calls us to use with gratitude. MUSIC BECOMES OUR THANKFUL PRAYER. All the music sung and played in worship is a gift from God.”

Because we are individuals, we differ in our worship musical tastes. Some of us prefer the old hymns, preferably played on an organ. Some of us like contemporary Christian praise music projected on the Sanctuary screens. Some of us like music in which the congregation participates with drums, kazoos, maracas, and tambourines. Some like show tunes with messages that speak of love or protest songs calling for justice.

This Sunday we’ll focus on the importance of music as worship and thank God who created it and those who share their gifts of music. I’ll invite you to call out a favorite hymn and we’ll sing a verse. Come prepared! And come to sing There are no bad voices when we sing like we mean the words in praise to God!

I’ll hope to see you Sunday with a song in my heart!

In Christ’s love,

Pastor Candy