Imagine a worship service without music. In a class I once took, called film scoring, I recall being assigned a short segment of a film to add music. Watching the film segment without music for the first time seemed so quiet and emotionless! Adding music made the film segment come alive. Music helps our worship together come alive by supporting our expressions of reverence and adoration as we gather as God’s people to receive God’s gifts in Word and Sacrament. “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord” (Psalm 150:6).
Martin Luther believed music was a gift from God, second only to theology, and a powerful messenger for expressing faith and proclaiming the Word of God. Music and other visual media messengers add so much to our worship and praise for God!
Over the next few weeks, please take time to thank our musicians and other worship arts leaders for all their hard work including service preparation, planning, and implementing music and visual messengers for our worship. Many hours are put into selecting music and visual messengers, practicing, scheduling, and caring and loving those who come together to enhance our worship services. Pray a prayer of thanksgiving for their work and dedication and thank God for the gift of music!
Please continue to encourage and love them as they serve weekly making worship special and giving us a small glimpse of heaven. Also, encourage them to serve in their community with their unique God-given skill sets, serving and loving those in the community. “For God so loved the WORLD, that he gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Part of the world is everyone in our community.
We thank God for His gift of music and for those to whom He has given the skills to share this gift!
The LCMS Set Apart to Serve has designated three different dates throughout this year to honor different church worker roles:
April 28 – Director of Parish Music
May 5–9 – Teacher Appreciation Week
June 26 – Director of Christian Education
Photos by Elisa Schulz/Michigan District, LCMS
