August 20
Ephesians 5:15-20 (paired with Psalm 100)
This week is a little different from usual. I'm focusing on three verses of the Ephesians passage, verses 18-20 where Paul encourages the church folk not to get drunk and have raucous parties fueled by alcohol, but rather to get raucous in the Spirit, singing and praying together. Joyful noises, as it were, are to be encouraged as a way to build up not only the individual but the Christian community as a whole.
As I read this, the old Augustine quote that one who sings prays twice came immediately to mind, with the linking of prayer and singing, something which really moves through almost every world religion and is not unique to Christianity. Actually most Christian churches are probably more spoken word-centered than any other world religion. Traditional Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Shinto, etc. all include much singing/chanting as prayer.
I actually became a Christian not because of convincing theological arguments or sermons, but because someone invited me to sing at her church. I learned how to pray by singing before I ever figured out how to pray in my head or with spoken words. I actually think I prayed by singing before I understood that's what I was doing.
Elsewhere Paul says that the Spirit prays for us with "sighs too deep for words," when we cannot pray. I imagine that as a kind of song.
So this week we will be singing to accompany brief thoughts on the five classic kinds of prayer: confession, intercession (praying for others), supplication (praying for ourselves), thanksgiving and praise. Any thoughts on how prayer and song go together for you?
This week is a little different from usual. I'm focusing on three verses of the Ephesians passage, verses 18-20 where Paul encourages the church folk not to get drunk and have raucous parties fueled by alcohol, but rather to get raucous in the Spirit, singing and praying together. Joyful noises, as it were, are to be encouraged as a way to build up not only the individual but the Christian community as a whole.
As I read this, the old Augustine quote that one who sings prays twice came immediately to mind, with the linking of prayer and singing, something which really moves through almost every world religion and is not unique to Christianity. Actually most Christian churches are probably more spoken word-centered than any other world religion. Traditional Judaism, Islam, Buddhism, Shinto, etc. all include much singing/chanting as prayer.
I actually became a Christian not because of convincing theological arguments or sermons, but because someone invited me to sing at her church. I learned how to pray by singing before I ever figured out how to pray in my head or with spoken words. I actually think I prayed by singing before I understood that's what I was doing.
Elsewhere Paul says that the Spirit prays for us with "sighs too deep for words," when we cannot pray. I imagine that as a kind of song.
So this week we will be singing to accompany brief thoughts on the five classic kinds of prayer: confession, intercession (praying for others), supplication (praying for ourselves), thanksgiving and praise. Any thoughts on how prayer and song go together for you?
posted by shelly @ 10:57 AM
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