“Why to Sing” – Rob Bell from Mars Hill Church

Hey Chris, I just finished listening to this podcast - very thought provoking! Singing in church is one of those things that I expect to do, something that I count on, and ultimately something I don't give a second thought to in regards to why we sing in the first place. But, this sermon makes you step back and definitely think ponder that and more importantly why we HAVE to sing together. A few of my responses: * I really appreciated how (I think it was Troy) they emphasized that singing during a church service isn't really about singing (i.e., singing well or choosing to sing at all); it's about being engaged - does one need to be singing to be engaged? No. I like that. * I loved how Rob and Troy put singing in the broader context of history - both in terms of culture, traditions, musical techniques, etc. and of God's story. It is so true that we live in a time when the 'now' and the 'individual' are emphasized. I liked how they explained that singing together as a congregation is about intentionally creating space to remind us that it's not about 'now' and 'me', but it's about tapping into the richness of what has come 'before'. I'm reading a book by Eugene Peterson right now called "Run with the Horses". He states that, "Apart from the before, the now has little meaning. The now is only a thin slice of who I am; isolated from the rich deposits of before, it cannot be understood.... If we are going to live appropriately, we must be aware that we are living in the middle of a story that was begun and will be concluded by another. And this other is God." * We are all broken people; however, we contain in us divine breath and when we collectively sing with that breath we can proclaim that God is Holy, unblemished, and in control. * Bottom line: singing together is a reminder; it is a reorientation; it is a map that brings us back to the Truth: we are a part of God's amazing story of creation, salvation and transformation. Thanks for posting this Chris! Blessings, Christy