Hanging on Every Word

Music has always been a huge part of my existence. As a very young child, I remember my first radio was a little 9-volt transistor AM-only model. It came in a nice leather pouch, which I proceeded to wear out in short order. Well aged even before I received it, the radio itself was housed in a black plastic case with a nice gold anodized speaker grill. It had an earphone jack, but Mom didn't let me have an earphone (she thought I'd damage my hearing playing it too loudly -- given what I've done to a few speakers over the years, she likely wasn't wrong). I loved that little radio. In fact, I remember in the lower right hand corner of the speaker grill, there was an enameled emblem that read "lovely." For me, it was just that, "lovely."

Isn't it amazing how well you can remember the lyrics to an old song? My wife and I have found a jockey-less radio station in Dallas that we just love to listen to together. Most of the songs they play come from our high school and college days and we just love singing along together. (How easily we're entertained the older we get). We are sometimes embarrassed at how "disgusting" some of the lyrics are now (because we either didn't understand what the singer was saying back then, or we didn't much care) and we are amused at how powerfully some of these songs have stuck with us. The fact there is no "talk," only music and advertising, makes it a nostalic paradise for us (100.3 for all you locals)!

We sometimes argue over the lyrics we never did understand. One of us thinks they know and defends their interpretation -- until we look them up on the internet and find out we were both wrong (more laughs)! Still, we sing along frequently amazed at how well we remember the words to songs we haven't heard in a very long time.

Growing up in church -- in a tradition that doesn't use instruments during corporate worship-- you either sang, generally with a hearty spirit and voice, or you were kind of left out of the scene. I grew up to really appreciate "sola vox humana" (the human voice only) and the power of harmonies. Acappella vocal music is nearly unbeatable for beauty when it is done well. When it isn't good, well... never mind.

For years I was captivated by the soaring choruses and mostly sang the words only by rote memory. The words, for me, were merely the "reason" to make good music. I loved the tight harmonies and really loved the bass leads. I didn't much let the lyrics affect me, though I could sing them verbatum (and still can).

I was a tenor that tried to sing bass, because of those cool Stamps & Baxter arrangements for basses, but I was really a baritone or tenor, truth be told. Music was in my blood -- both my parents played instruments, so I came by a love for music honestly. Then one day, I heard words... almost as it seemed for the first time... and I was stopped dead in my tracks. "Oh sacred head now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down... now scornfully surrounded, with thorns thy only crown..." I cried that day... and still do most every time I sing that hymn.

King David, a fairly accomplished musician and songwriter in his own right, once wrote, "May my lips overflow with praise, for you teach me your decrees. May my tongue sing of your word, for all your commands are righteous... Let me live that I may praise you..." (Ps. 119:171-172, 176). I gather he listened to the words as much as the music. The thought of "living to praise" has gathered my attention lately. Do I live to praise? Oh, how I want that to be my life...

Today, when I worship in a gathering of followers of Jesus Christ, I try to hang on every word of every hymn we sing in those beautiful musical tones. The words now form pictures in my mind's eye and often my eyes fill with tears for the words are so humbling or riviting or convicting. Words in general are such powerful tools. Words of faith and praise... can transform us if we are available to them.

I love music as much as ever, but there is so much value in the words we sing. Listen closely to the words you sing -- especially in church worship. To hang on every word will take your heart to places you may have yet to go and will most definitely influence the way you are going.

Happy listening... and singing. To God be the glory. Amen.