A Practice in Hope

Each week at church, I notice myself smiling as I witness the many kids and adults waving flags and dancing during worship. It is a joyous time, filled with vibrant colors and celebration. I love that there is a basket full of fabrics that the kids grab and run around with. I love that some of the adults bring their own flags. I love that so many dads are right there with their kids dancing and worshipping Jesus. I love that both men and women feel free to worship in this way. There is an open space at the front of the church that has been set aside for this form of worship, and anyone who wishes to participate is welcome. It really is beautiful.

When my kids were little, I often had music playing in our house. We listened to many songs from Seeds Family Worship. They take chunks of Scripture and put it into catchy tunes that are fun to sing and easy to remember.

One of my most cherished memories is when my boys asked me to please play the "Rocky Turtle" song for them. I had no idea what they were talking about. I couldn't think of any songs we'd listened to about a rocky turtle. But then it dawned on me - they wanted to hear The Rock Eternal, a song based on Isaiah 26.

Isaiah 26:3-4 (NIV)

You will keep in perfect peace 

     those whose minds are steadfast, 

     because they trust in you. 

Trust in the Lord forever, 

     for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the 

     Rock eternal. (AKA: the Rocky Turtle)

I found so much joy imagining them thinking about the Lord being a Rocky Turtle.

For years, we listened to and sang along with Seeds Family Worship and various other worship albums. While my kids played, the music filled the air. It was so hopeful and calming. Recently, I realized I don't play music in the house much anymore, and I began to wonder when it had stopped and what had changed.

It occurred to me that what changed is life. My kids got older, and the further along they got in school, the less I turned on the music. It was a distraction to them when they were trying to read books and write papers. Their taste also changed. The music they liked when they were younger no longer drew them in, and finding new songs that everyone enjoyed wasn't as easy as it once had been. The habit of turning on music sort of just stopped little by little.

I wrote last week that I am looking for practices that will cultivate hope, and I got to thinking about playing music at home again. Not just worship music, but lots of kinds of music. Music that fills the house with joy, rest, peace, and celebration.

I recently stumbled upon the music of Fulton Lee. I saw a video where he sat down in a park with a sign that said, "Sit here if you can sing." Strangers passing by came and sat down with him, and magic happened. There was so much joy as they sang together. His music might not be for you, but it certainly made me smile.

Of course, we all have different tastes when it comes to music, but I bet all of us have songs that make us smile, point us to Jesus, and fill us with hope. What are you listening to this week? 

~  Melissa