Reformation Lutheran 1997 Lenten Devotional - Number 4
February 15, 1997. Today's Bible verse is Isaiah 42: 10-17
Sing a New Song
Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise from the
end of the earth! Let the sea and all that fill it, the coastlands
and their inhabitants. (Isaiah 42: 10).
I remember when the Lutheran Church decided to change
form the red hymnals to the green hymnals. Musically there were
changes to the songs in the liturgy and those changes didn't fell
right. I remember thinking why should we change, the old hymnals
are the way things are supposed to be. It was like losing an
old friend. The Lutheran Book of Worship just wasn't as good
as the old Service Book and Hymnal ( I had to get my copy out
to find out what it was called). Now the LBW is an old friend
and I can't remember the tunes of the old liturgy: the LBW is
now the old liturgy. We sang new songs back then, and they were
also the new songs of a new beginning.
In a similar manner, leaving the old church was like
leaving an old friend. I remember thinking, why can't we just
build on the back and put a parking lot where the houses are?
Then came the uncomfortable period of various places of worship,
none of them ours. I remember the first time I came into the
new church, I had waited until the night of the dedication. I
sat in a folding metal chair and thought, this is just like the
old church on Easter, not enough room. Then the beautiful new
organ played and we all sang a new song. It didn't take as long
to feel at home in the new church as it did with the LBW.
Every so often we all need to sing a new song. We
need to get up and do something new and different. As people
come to our new church, that family started 45 years ago will
grow and there will be many new challenges and many new songs
to sing. Remember that the more new songs we sing, the more old
friends we will have. The new song we began that dedication night
has just begun, let us sing it loud and long.
Prayer: Lord,
help us to not fear the new songs we sing, help us not to fear
change. For with change comes growth. Lead us as we grow in
your love and sing your praises. Amen.
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