Shade Tree Wisdom 6/5/14

          I was up and about this morning running some errands.  No, it is true, not everything can be done by internet or computer yet.  Anyway, I was running errands when I came to a red light and found the car in front of me had this bumper sticker:

“Caution, driver singing”

So I rolled down my window, hoping to hear the driver maybe belt out:

“Give some men who are stout-hearted men,

who will fight for the right they adore,

Start me with ten who are stout-hearted men,

And I’ll give you ten thousand more”.

But I was disappointed.  The driver was strangely silent, paying attention to the light change and going on his way.  Maybe this was an alternate driver who didn’t sing.

Add to this, Dr Jerry Kieschnick, in his weekly commentary, quoted from an article titled “Why men have stopped singing in church”.  The reason men stopped singing in church is because so much of the music is simply not singable or is new to so many, not what they are used to singing at all.  And he adds, “and I agree”.

And that is sad, because Lutherans love to sing, in harmony even.  One of my memories of times in church with my Father when I was growng up was hearing his voice, a baritone, singing hymns with feeling.  I could just feel his earnestness and being aware he was in the presence of God in that voice.

The Bible is filled with statements like this from Psalm 98,1,

“Sing unto the Lord a new song,

For He hath done marvelous things”.

I do believe the world would be a richer, more pleasant place, if more of us “sang unto the Lord a new song”, because He has indeed done marvelous things, He has given me a Savior, my Lord Jesus Christ.

GPD 6/5/14