Music from the Heart
Speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord. (Ephesians 5:19)
I have always enjoyed music. When I was a teen, my mom joked that I knew the lyrics to every song on the radio. There’s just something about music that speaks to me.
A few bars of “Celebration” by Kool & the Gang, and I’m back in Linda Lee’s den dancing with my friends. When I hear Keith Whitley’s “When You Say Nothing at All,” I’m in a dorm at Andy Holt with my roommate learning how to two-step. And “This I Promise You,” by Ronan Keating, will always remind me of one of the happiest days of my life—when I married my husband, Don.
Music seems to be persistently intertwined with memory and emotion. For me, that’s even more true of religious music.
My maternal grandfather wanted Handel’s “Messiah” played as his casket was rolled to the hearse after his service. It brought a smile to my face as we left the service.
The hymn, “It is Well with My Soul,” was sung by two of my friends at my maternal grandmother’s and my mother’s funerals. The words seem to relate to the deceased as well as those who mourn their loss.
I could continue and make quite the playlist, but I want to circle back to this verse from Ephesians. When I read it, the phrase “make music from the heart” immediately reminded me of one of my favorite Christmas songs, with that phrase. “The Work of Christmas” is based on a poem by Howard Thurman, and the beautiful words are a good reminder for us throughout the year, so I’ll share them now.
When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:
To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry,
To release the prisoner,
To rebuild the nations,
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music from the heart.
I encourage you to listen to the choral arrangement at the link provided in the notes.
Speaking with music from the heart can provide comfort, inspiration, lament, or praise. I hope the words of this song inspire you to continue the work of Christmas throughout the year as you seek to minister to the lost, the broken, and the hungry.
Our prayer today:
Thank you God for the gift of music from the heart that speaks to us and sometimes for us. Thank you for musicians and lyricists with the talent to comfort, inspire, lament, and praise through music that enriches our worship and inspires us to fulfill our Christian mission on earth. In Jesus’s name, Amen.
This devotional was written by Kathryn King and read by Amy Large.
“The Work of Christmas,” arranged by Dan Forrest:
Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.
If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.
First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.
