God doesn’t want part of us; he wants all of us

I grew up in a singing church and family. In fact, my grandfather at one time was a singing teacher. He and his brother taught folks how to sing without instruments (a cappella). He did this because of his love for music. Because of his and his brother’s work, churches in the area had music for their services. For a while they even had a gospel quartet that would sing at special events.

Hymn singing is a Christian tradition that we received from our Jewish heritage. In Mark 14:26 we read, “When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.” This hymn was one that would have been sung for the Passover. Many churches have hymns or praise songs sung each Sunday as part of the worship service. Singing is the way to express our love for God. It is a way of praising God for all that he has done in our lives.

And now I ask you, do you sing with the hymns or praise songs during church? I must confess that I may not always start out singing, especially the newer songs. I like to hear the first verse of the song, so I can learn how it goes. Then I join in.

But many people don’t, and here is where I believe we need to rethink our purpose of praise. I know, many of us believe we have no voice. My voice at best is mediocre and can in no way compare to many others. I have a friend who was classically trained as a vocalist, I could never sing like her. However, God never said he wanted everyone to sing the same. My voice may not be the most melodious, but it is my voice. It is a gift from God.

You see, when it comes to worship, God wants us, all of us — even the parts that don’t work so well. Psalm 100 starts off with, Make a Joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands… Notice it doesn’t say, “make a well-tuned sound unto the Lord” — no it says make a joyful noise. This means any voice can rejoice, and any voice can join in and sing praise.

When you get down to it, hymn singing is just part of it. There are so many ways we could join in praise, but we don’t because we figure we aren’t good enough. The fact is this, God doesn’t want perfection, He wants you — all of you. Perfection is God’s regime; we don’t need to worry about being perfect in all we do — we just need to do it. Singing is just a part, but everyone needs to participate.

By now, you have probably figured out that I’m not just talking about singing, I’m talking about life. God desires us, not our abilities, not our talents, He wants us. When we give ourselves over to God, then He uses our talents and abilities for His glory.

So, I encourage you to praise God in all you do, whether it is the work of a master, or a novice. Sing out, even if you aren’t an opera star. Offer to help, even if you must learn what to do. Be available for God, and He will provide the rest.

See you in church.

Rev. Kent Wilfong is the pastor at the United Methodist Church, Doniphan/Neelyville.