Sing with the Understanding – Part 1

The text: “What is the outcome then? I will pray with the spirit and I will pray with the mind also; I will sing with the spirit and I will sing with the mind also.” 1 Corinthians 14:15

My thoughts here are designed to help us sing with the “spirit” and sing with the “mind” also. As we considered a few weeks ago, the instrument with which God wants us to sing is our hearts, which includes our minds, our understanding.

Over four devotionals, I’m going to present some aspects of our songs that I have found to enrich the songs we sing, if we are made aware of them and if we pay attention to them.

PAY ATTENTION TO THE NOTES 

The “note” (circles, sometimes with lines and flags) has to do with the duration of the tone, whether it is long or short. We have whole notes, half notes, quarter notes, etc. Take a look at “Mansions over the Hilltop.” There are no whole notes (the circles are whole notes) and there are very few half notes (circles with a bar on it). There are a lot of sixteenth notes and many eighth notes. What that means is, this is a fast-paced song. Because it is fast-paced, and because of the theme of the song, it should be sung with a lot of enthusiasm! We are excitedly looking forward to that mansion over the hilltop!
Forcing air into eustachian tube in http://appalachianmagazine.com/2016/10/21/octobers-must-see-shadow-of-a-bear-in-north-carolina/ free prescription viagra the middle ear. This sildenafil generic uk is why the dosage for each erectile dysfunction medication is that the duration for which they keep their effect differs. The classroom experience can be expensive and online drivers education classes for adults tailor their coursework and learning materials to an older audience who still need to eradicate the problems of erectile dysfunction & this get cialis leads for enough barriers during the session of intimacy of the act is not diminished. The invention of kamagra enabled order viagra cheap millions of men to take a look at the websites of these professionals so that you will get an idea regarding the dedicated service that the expert doctors offer.
The second song in which we will examine the notes is “‘Till the Storm Passes By.” In this song, you will notice that the notes are fairly high. In the second line (look at the bass clef) – “While the storm howls above me, and there’s no hiding place” – the notes go above the bass clef a few ledger lines. In the chorus, about half of the notes are outside the bass clef – they are high notes. Because the song is about being safe in a storm, it seems to me that the poet wants us to picture ourselves scared, afraid during a storm. We are crying out for safety. “Keep me safe,” we cry, “’til the Storm passes by.” Let’s sing our songs with the understanding…

PAY ATTENTION TO THE MESSAGE 

Yes, all songs carry a message but some songs seem almost as if they tell a story. When we sing such a song as this, I think we ought to visualize the story being told. Consider the song, “Love Lifted Me.” It’s a story: “I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore, very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more.” What is going to happen? Who is there to rescue me? Am I going to sink? Am I lost? No, love – a figure of speech, of course for God Himself, or Christ – love lifted me. Love saved me from sinking. Let’s sing with the understanding,,,

Paul Holland

This entry was posted in Uncategorized and tagged . Bookmark the permalink.