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| Photo by Pam Williams |
Speak to one another with the words of psalms, hymns, and sacred songs;
sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts.
sing hymns and psalms to the Lord with praise in your hearts.
Ephesians 5:19
Hymns and praise songs often bring
to mind vivid memories of special times, people, or occasions. Whether in
church, at camp, or during a revival, the Holy Spirit often speaks through music to change hearts and offer a fresh start in life.
Every time our
congregation sings “How Great Thou Art” I think of my dad. I can almost hear
his voice joining in. Daddy frequently sang “How Great Thou Art” standing in our
kitchen with my mom, his brother, and his sister-in-law. With their arms draped
around each other’s shoulders, the four of them would sing beautiful four-part
harmony.
When I got older,
Daddy and I sang “How Great Thou Art” as a duet. He carried the lead as a tenor
while I added the alto. We, too, would put our arms around each other’s
shoulders and lean our heads together. It is a precious, intimate memory of
time spent with Daddy, made all the more extraordinary because singing together
was one of the very few levels on which Daddy and I connected.
For Daddy, “How Great
Thou Art” articulated his thoughts, feelings and mental image of God. For him,
a walk in the woods evoked the same praise and reverence for God as a
sanctuary.
What song holds a special place in your heart? What makes it special to you?
©2013 Pamela D. Williams
