I have asked one thing from the Lord—it’s all I seek: to live in the Lord’s house all the days of my life, seeing the Lord’s beauty and constantly adoring his temple. —Psalm 27:4

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It’s hard to believe that I have been sitting at the piano in the Trinity sanctuary playing for the Contemporary (now Modern) worship service for almost 20 years. I truly struggled to agree to join the “Praise Team” back in 1998. I was not someone who listened to the contemporary Christian stations and was not really familiar with the music that I would be playing. But I love playing music and this seemed like something I could do to help with a new approach to worship and attempt to get a younger demographic to attend Trinity.

Well, over the years I discovered that the music we played had no relationship to the age of the congregation—we sang songs that everyone could relate to. And so it is with the scripture reading for today. Quoting from the Life Application Study Bible, “the Psalms express the heart and soul of humanity. David and the other writers honestly pour out their true feelings, reflecting a dynamic, powerful and life-changing friendship with God”. Psalm 27 goes on to say “I will sing and make music to the Lord.”

What a joy it is to bring the good news of God’s love to our congregation in a way that goes beyond mere words. Music has the ability to touch our hearts and help us connect with the Holy Spirit. I know that the songs we sing during the Advent season include those that are forever a part of our spiritual lives. By the way, do you know how hard it is to play “Silent Night” with tears in your eyes?

Bob Burton