Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Singing: The Way to Heaven's Door

New Wineskins has an excerpt chapter from Pilgrim Heart: The Way of Jesus in Everyday Life by Darryl Tippens. Here's are a few snippets:

"Through the centuries, music has been a primary means of conversion and spiritual formation, and it is happening today in a surprising way.4 For most believers, music is not a frill or an ornament, not some illustration of a theological truth; much more, music is the good news in word and sound, the purest and most potent expression of God's presence and transcendence, and the best way to engage our hearts and imaginations, our bodies and souls."

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People are influenced by music because it has the power to transport them into God's presence. It can awaken them to dimensions beyond their ordinary experience and kindle in them a love for God's majesty, power, and splendor. Though this can also happen in prayer, Scripture reading, or a sermon, for most people it happens in music. It leads us into sacred space, sacred time."

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The very fact that the Bible contains hundreds of song texts, many highly emotional in nature, tells us something important. Consider Mary's song of praise (Luke 1:46-55). It expresses more than doctrinal truths (though it does that). The song overflows in ecstasy as the Virgin realizes she is to bear the Christ child. If we do not feel Mary's transport, if we do not sense the sheer surprise and wonder pulsating in her words of praise, then we are deaf to the glorious music in the text."

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