A New Song

I get a kick out of finding pictures to go along with my blog posts.  I usually browse pexels.com for free pics. Lately, I have been looking at vintage pictures.  The lady asleep at the piano either from exhaustion or pure frustration made me laugh.  Perhaps, she was learning a new piece of music and threw in the towel.  Don't give up yet, dear lady!  I have instructions:  “Sing (play) to the Lord a new song.” Psalm 96:1

 Well, you don’t have to tell me twice!  I am always on the lookout for new songs that are uplifting and congregation friendly.  They might be slow; they might be fast; they might be a combination!  As you can guess, it is hard to introduce new songs to sing, but it can be done.

Currently, you as a congregation are in the process of learning a new song:  “Goodness of God” by Jenn Johnson, Ed Cash, Jason Ingram, Ben Fielding, and Brian Johnson.  The song has been introduced during worship by a soloist, so perhaps, the tune is in “loop” mode in your head….you know, you can’t get it out of your head!   By the end of July, the song will have been used in each service of the month giving you and all of the volunteer singers/instrumentalists an opportunity to learn. This particular song will be used as the Communion song.  I will give the song a break in the month of August and then gradually bring the song back into the mix.

Why this song, and why now?  Pastor Jim’s sermon series, Change the Story, has lately been on my mind.  The pandemic, without any doubt, changed the story in all of our lives.  We all have been affected in one way or another by loss of a friend, being ill with Covid-19, unable to work, loss of social activities, and loss of jobs.   When I ran across “Goodness of God,” these lyrics of the first line caught my attention:

I love You, Lord.  Oh, Your mercy never fails me.

Indeed, the mercy of God never fails us, but more interestingly, God’s mercy has always been there. We just may not have been ready to see or receive it.  Talk about changing a story!  

When you have a moment, listen to “Goodness of God.”  I think that you will love it so much that you will be making that joyful noise we talk about all the time in worship service!  It certainly is on “loop” mode in my head.

Musically yours,

Becky Jones
Worship and Music Coordinator
Holy Cross Lutheran Church