{"id":15226,"date":"2017-06-22T15:43:05","date_gmt":"2017-06-22T19:43:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=15226"},"modified":"2017-08-13T16:06:45","modified_gmt":"2017-08-13T20:06:45","slug":"pastors-ponderings-to-sing-is-to-pray-twice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/?p=15226","title":{"rendered":"Pastors Ponderings: To Sing is to Pray Twice!"},"content":{"rendered":"

This Sunday’s worship services (6\/25\/17) won’t have a sermon!\u00a0 Instead, we’ll turn to Music to lead us to and through our time of worship, as we look at “Grace through Scripture and Song.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Music is a huge part of any worship service.\u00a0 Whether it’s a big organ and full choir, or i a solitary song-leader with a guitar, it’s hard to imagine a time of fruitful worship devoid of music.\u00a0 Even if we’re alone gazing at the wonder of a rainbow, our thoughts are likely to turn to a hymn like “How Great Thou Art.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

God has given us music as a way to worship Him.\u00a0 Pastor Jim recently submitted the following “Pastor’s Ponderings” about Music and worship…<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Greetings Friends:<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

PLEASE READ: Ephesians 5:19<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

“…speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. <\/span><\/p>\n

Sing and make music from your heart to the LORD,”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\n PLEASE READ: Colossians 3:16<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

\n

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”<\/span><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

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The great Protestant Reformer Martin Luther has said,<\/p>\n

“Next to the\u00a0Word of God, the noble art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.”<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div> \n

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In one of their songs the Christian groups Casting Crowns<\/a> sings,<\/p>\n

“I’ll praise You in this storm and I will lift up my hands. For You are who You are, no matter where I am.<\/span><\/em>” \u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div> \n

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Psalm 100:1 says with boldness,\u00a0\u00a0 “Make a joyful noise unto the LORD.<\/span><\/em>“<\/p>\n

The psalmist says in Psalm 28:7c, “…with my song I praise Him.<\/span><\/em>“<\/p>\n

Again in Psalm 21:13 are these words, “Be exalted in your strength, LORD; we will sing and praise your might.<\/span><\/em>”\u00a0<\/p>\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div> \n

 <\/p>\n

One of the distinguishing marks of being a Methodist is we like to sing. Music is a huge part of our worship experiences as Methodists.<\/p>\n

Below is an article I felt led to share with you which speaks to music and Methodists. My prayer is that after reading this\u00a0each of you will want to sing out a joyful noise unto the Lord!\u00a0 I look forward to worshiping with many of you on Sunday and singing praises to our awesome God!<\/p>\n

Shalom,<\/span><\/h3>\n

Pastor Jim<\/span><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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The following article was written by Christopher Fenoglio, who works for UMC.org at\u00a0 United Methodist Communications<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/div><\/div>\n
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\n Choir Members Enjoy Health, Spiritual Benefits<\/span><\/h3>\n

\n \u00a0\n There they are, on the seventh page of the United Methodist Hymnal, \u201cDirections for Singing\u201d from John Wesley, the founder of Methodism: <\/span><\/p>\n\n\t\t

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\n\t\t\t\u201cSing all\u2026 Sing lustily and with good courage\u2026 Sing in time\u2026 Above all, sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing\u2026 So shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven\u201d\n\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t\t<\/div> \n\t\t<\/div> \n

\n <\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

Rewards in heaven? Sounds like a good enough reason to sing in a church choir.\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span>\n But what is it about singing that seems to be part of our Wesleyan DNA? How does singing help choir members enjoy a greater understanding of how and why we worship our God, a deeper connection with one\u2019s church and community, and even better health?<\/span><\/p>\n

\n Better Worship<\/span><\/h4>\n

A common statement about singing in church is, \u201cTo sing is to pray twice.<\/span>\u201d Although the statement is often attributed to Augustine, the actual author is unknown. Still, the sentiment is true. Music is an art form that lifts up ordinary text to another level that inspires us and nurtures our souls.\u00a0\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cMusic is an integral part of how we relate to God,\u201d says the Rev.\u00a0Laura Jaquith Bartlett, program director of the United Methodist Alton L. Collins Retreat Center in Eagle Creek, Oregon, and leader of the Great Hymns of Faith Retreat. \u201cIt is how we understand at a deeper level what goes beyond words, what our relationship is with the Divine, and how we are shaped together as a community of faith.\u201d\u00a0 Of all the art forms, \u201cmusic is one of the most easily accessible type of art in worship,\u201d says Bartlett. \u201cThere’s nearly always an opportunity to open your mouth and make music together with the rest of the people in that service. Right there you’ve got an opportunity to experience the Divine in a different way than just to listen to someone read about God,\u201d she says.<\/span>\n \u00a0<\/span>\n “Christianity is not a solitary religion,\u201d says the Rev. Karen Westerfield Tucker, professor of worship at Boston University School of Theology, \u201cJohn Wesley certainly made the case that it is a \u2018social’ religion \u2014 both in its worship and in its concern for the care of the neighbor,” says Tucker.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h4>\n

\n Better Community<\/span><\/h4>\n

The benefit of singing with and caring for others goes beyond church walls, as many community choirs will attest.\u00a0 In these days of an increasingly polarized culture, music can be a common bond between peoples.\u00a0 \"\"<\/a>\n <\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThrough music, we can build community,\u201d says Dr. Jonathan Palant, Minister of Music at Kessler Park United Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas. Dr. Palant is also the founder and director of Credo Choir and Dallas Street Choir.\u00a0 \u201cWe bring people together in peace and harmony. I know it sounds trite, but it’s exactly what we do. In a choral setting, not only are we creating friendships with each other, but the audience can see, between the Dallas Street Choir and Credo, people in different socio-economic groups, skin colors, sexual orientations and religious affiliations,\u201d he says.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

“By singing in a choir, regardless where (church, community, university, secondary school, etc.), music becomes the conduit that brings us together in a very safe and equal environment,\u201d says Palant. \u201cWe come together in song; everything else (about individual choir members) is irrelevant. We come together in worship, in song, in prayer, to learn and to be better citizens of this world.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/h4>\n

\n Better Health<\/span><\/h4>\n

\u201cWe believe singing in a choir and other creative arts can promote healthy aging,\u201d says Dr. Julene Johnson, a University of California at San Francisco professor and founder and director of the Community of Voices study. \u201cWe were looking for a way for older people to remain independent and engaged. We knew that to have an effect the activity had to be meaningful, engaging and challenging. The creative arts do that.\u201d\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

A similar study on the health benefits of singing for older adults is being conducted in Finland. Preliminary results suggest that community choral singing does indeed provide a better quality of life for participants.\u00a0 Increased lung capacity and greater oxygenation of the blood resulting in improved alertness are all associated with singing. Singing is also good for the brain, especially when memorization is involved. <\/span><\/p>\n

“Singing is of great interest to neuroscientists as it would seem that there is more of the brain given over to the processing of music than almost any other activity,” says Dr. Graham Welch, professor at the Institute of Education in London.\u00a0 One of his studies involved four- to five-year-old children and found that those with musical training showed enhanced language abilities and memory for words. There was also evidence that taking part in singing and other musical activities improves certain aspects of non-verbal reasoning, literacy and working with numbers.<\/span>\n \u00a0<\/span>\n So with this evidence that one\u2019s health is improved through singing, how important is singing to our faith as United Methodists?\u00a0 \u201cIt all goes back to Wesley’s words \u2018Do all the good you can,\u2019\u201d says Palant. \u201cThis is the outlet that singers choose to act upon those words. Choir members find their spirituality and their faith through song and through the choral community.\u201d<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

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For more Pastor’s Ponderings articles, click this button:\u00a0 Pastor’s Ponderings<\/span><\/a> \u00a0
\n \u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our service on 6\/25\/17 didn’t have a sermon! Instead, we turned to Music to lead us to and through our time of worship as we celebrated God’s Grace. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15126,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[131],"tags":[93],"class_list":["post-15226","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pastors-ponderings","tag-music"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15226","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=15226"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15226\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15539,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15226\/revisions\/15539"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/15126"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=15226"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=15226"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pitmanumc.org\/wp\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=15226"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}