Published: February 07, 2008 11:18 am         

Let God's singing soothe your tired soul

As a member of our church choir, I often liken myself to another singer of another TV church choir. Barney Fife. Barney loved to sing, as I do, and yet the quality of his voice did not match his enthusiasm for singing.

Once Andy asked Barney what he would do if he was called upon to sing a cappella. Barney replied, "Well, I'd sing it." He then sang "A cappella, a cappella" to the tune of La Cucaracha. Another time, the choir director kept telling him to bring down the volume because he was singing into a powerful microphone. In reality, he sounded like a cow caught in a barbed wire fence.

Sometimes I wonder what God sounds like when he sings. Oh yes, God is a singer and the happier he is, the more he sings. According to Zephaniah 3:17, "The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

Did you catch that? The image of God presented here is that of a parent cuddling a child who is afraid. The parent sings a lullaby to calm the child. The love of the parent compels them to do what they can to quiet the child's pounding heart. The parent does this with singing.

It is a picture of how God loves us. It brings him joy to sing over you when your heart is troubled. Now, I don't know exactly what God's voice may sound like, but I am aware of the calmness it brings.

Perhaps your heart is pounding because of fear. I encourage you to rest in the arms of God and let his singing soothe your tired soul.

As for singing in a church choir, I encourage everyone to do it because it's also good for the soul. Just don't fall for the old "this is a super sensitive mic, so you don't have to sing loud" trick. They've gotten me three times with that one.

David Sandvick is the pastor of First English Baptist Church in Frostburg.