Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord,
Ephesians 5:19
I was recently at a worship concert with Bethel Music . Bethel is one of my favorite worship bands in large part as they penned my life soundtrack. As the anthem worship song “No Longer Slaves” hit the chorus, the 8 year old off key little voice in front of me lifted to heaven an anthem I could not out sing.
In his 8 year old heart abandon of song, his passion surpassed all 39 years of worship I had in me.
Read why “No Longer Slaves” is my life song here.
I am a hopeful (or hopeless) romantic. While lots of people love the melody or beat of the music, I am mesmerized by the message tucked in the lyrics. I find meaning in the narrative of each carefully crafted syllable. The song has is courier of emotions and connection to the heart. Yet, in this snippet of a moment, was the simple reminder that in the collision of melody and lyrics a heart has to be married to it.
Mattie, as I call him, did not have one concern about key, timing or pitch. His only desire was to sing a love song to the one who loves him. His head was not simply connected to singing the song, but his heart was married to it in an abandoned belting out of the chorus. It was his love song.
As the final power chord of “No Longer Slaves” pierced the April night sky, the band softly sang the words of the next worship song:
Jesus, we love you
Oh, how we love you
You are the one our hearts adore
Our hearts adore
And Mattie never missed a beat. His voice breaking over the star filled Tennessee sky. He was in love with the subject of the song. He embodied what Paul wrote the church at Ephesus: Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord.
It was my reminder that I am in a marriage to the one who first loved me. And married folks sing love songs. Paul encourages us as the bride of Christ to sing melodies and make music to the lover of our hearts. It more than simply the melody or lyrics. It is a heartfelt love song.
It is often said to sing like no one is looking…Mattie sang like Jesus was the only one looking.
#lovesongs
