Of songs and praise

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It's been somewhat disheartening to see the condition of the Indian church. Many people have stopped coming to the church for various reasons. So, the small church has become smaller and the few members who have been carrying most of the load for the functioning of the church are losing hope.

Admittedly, the church has issues - with trying to cater to the young people, the older people and the ones in-between. Trying to cater to the ones who speak Malayalam or don't, trying to mix the traditional with the contemporary, trying to get speakers to fill in the void for church leadership, trying to fix the unspoken issues among the members or deal with clashing personalities. For such a small group of people, it is ironic that we have so many issues. 

We are a church with growing pains. Anytime a change is brought about, there is bound to be resistance. One such area is the music ministry. I've always watched the choir from a distance but over the past year, - I've been telling myself to do things out of my comfort zone and not make everything about myself. So, I sing once in a while as part of the choir. I'm amazed at the extent of drama, pettiness and judgement that comes from both within and outside the worship team.

Some have a problem with too many instruments, some have a problem with too little instruments. Some people believe in excellence and standards, some people encourage casualness and mediocrity. Some want hymns, some don't. Some want the whole church to be singing in the choir regardless of whether or not they want to do it or whether or not they can sing. Some expect to sing in the choir even if they haven't been to a single practice. Some won't support the music unless they themselves or their kids are involved. 

It is a sad picture of the state of our broken church and our messy hearts.

Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty heavens.
Praise him for his acts of power;
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,
    praise him with the harp and lyre,
praise him with timbrel and dancing,
    praise him with the strings and pipe,
praise him with the clash of cymbals,
    praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.
(Psalm 150:1-6)

It is interesting that God doesn't have a problem with loud music or soft music or the use of instruments or no instruments. He is more concerned with the attitude of the heart. We, on the other hand come with our own baggage of personal preferences and cultural expectations and set them forth as biblical standards.

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Serve the Lord with gladness! Come into his presence with singing! (Psalm 100:1)

The Lord doesn't merely make a request to sing or praise God. This is more like a command - an exhortation. From what I've experienced, the act of singing can heal the grumpiest of hearts. It is like a conversation between the one who worships and whom He worships. Nothing or nobody should obstruct this.

And David and all the house of Israel were making merry before the Lord, with songs and lyres and harps and tambourines and castanets and cymbals. (2 Samuel 6:5)

One can only imagine how this picture of unity, music, fellowship and oneness must have looked like. The house of Israel being merry before the Lord.

Oh, to experience that kind of joy. That would be my prayer for our church.

Clap your hands, all peoples! Shout to God with loud songs of joy! For the Lord, the Most High, is to be feared, a great king over all the earth. He subdued peoples under us, and nations under our feet. He chose our heritage for us, the pride of Jacob whom he loves. Selah God has gone up with a shout, the Lord with the sound of a trumpet. ... (Psalm 47:1-7)

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