SINGING WITH THE SPIRIT 2

WORSHIP SERIES 10

It happened nearly 35 years ago but it seems like only yesterday. I was holding a meeting in Warrenville S.C. and it was Sunday morning. My lesson was about how Jesus changes lives. I asked the assembly to think back to the kinds of people they were before they obeyed the gospel. I reminded them that some may have been drunks, adulterers or thieves but just like the sinners in the 1st century the blood of Jesus had forgiven them. They were given a new start in life and with Jesus' help were totally different people.I then asked them to imagine what their lives would be like today if they hadn't been washed in the blood of the Lamb. Would the wives and husbands still be married? Would their children have examples in their parents of godly living? Would they even have the jobs and homes they now have or would they spending all their money on booze, drugs or immorality? As I was reading the inspired scripture from 1 Cor. 6: 9-11 ...

"Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral not idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God."

Something happened that changed my life forever. Sitting on the third row to my right was the Barrett family. Bro. Barrett suddenly began to sing:

O how I love Jesus. O how I love Jesus.

O how I love Jesus, because he first loved me.

A sister sitting toward the back on the other side of the building was touched by this heart felt praise to God and began to sing:

There is a name I love to hear, I love to sing its worth; it sounds like music in my ear, the sweetest name on earth.

Before she could finish even this short verse the entire congregation, with tears running down every face, had joined in and these words rose to the very throne of God in heaven:

O how I love Jesus. O how I love Jesus.

O how I love Jesus, because he first loved me.

I had long since sat down and was crying and singing with by brothers and sisters. I never finished that sermon because bro. Barrett had done so more eloquently that I ever could. He didn't stop to think if singing from his heart was proper. He didn't ask if singing with the spirit was acceptable in the Church of Christ. The word of God had touched his heart and that same heart told him to praise God for the one who had died to set him free.

My faith was never the same after that day. It had become more real and personal than I could have ever imagined. The change in my life and service to God was not the result of an eloquent preacher but because a simple man with a simple faith had obeyed God and sang from his heart.

An elder recently said that I was a "radical", "dangerous" and should be avoided! I suppose in his mind I am because I refuse to accept traditions as the word of God! But I am not the one that denies a child of God the right to pray when their heart is burdened or sing when their heart is joyful because it's not "decently and in order." I am not the one who buys a tract and mass-mails it to the community that describes "our services" in the "church of Christ."

"The song leader then leads the congregation in two or three songs. An opening prayer is offered, followed by another song, and then the preacher delivers a sermon from the Bible ... At the end of the sermon, the Lord's invitation is offered for any who want to become Christians or rededicate their lives to God ... During the Sunday morning service, the Lord's Supper also is observed by partaking of unleavened bread and fruit of the vine ... The service lasts about an hour and concludes with a song and a final prayer."

I am not the one who has taken an acceptable order of worship and made it the only way it can be done. I am not the one who has made Church of Christ traditions into law and gospel. I am not the one who accuses someone of being a false teacher because they show with book, chapter and verse that there are scriptural changes we can make to our services that will bring the worshippers closer to God. But I am the one who will always be grateful to bro. Barrett for showing me how beautiful worship can be when it is from the heart and for helping me find the truth in 1 Cor. 14:26:

"EVERONE HAS A HYMN."

To be continued.

The Parson