Fa La La La La – The Sounds of Christmas
by Brenda Grembowski
Ephesians 5:19 tells us to speak to one another with psalms, hymns and songs from the spirit.
I can’t imagine a day in my life without music. I love to sing and dance! I am not saying I’m good at it. I’m just saying I love to do it. I particularly love the music during Advent season.
Music is universal. It joyously tears down the barriers that divide people such as our differences in language, ethnicity, culture, personal identity, religious beliefs and/or political affiliations. I would say in this day and age, that is quite a miraculous feat!
Music is versatile because it serves many functions. Listening to music stimulates almost every part of the limbic system in our brain, which can profoundly affect our mood, our energy, and our ability to access memories. An old song can immediately take you back to a moment in time that is so vivid, you feel like it was yesterday.
Listening to a great song can help me shut out the noise of the world and focus on the meaning of the lyrics. Listening to a beautiful instrumental piece can pull me in and open the door for personal and spiritual reflection. It can make me feel at peace in my solitude.
On the other hand, listening to and participating in music as a group, such as at a concert or in church, makes me feel a part of something greater. There is immense power in this shared experience! I feel the human connection: a sense of togetherness, a sense of belonging and the bond of community. We are in unity. We are in harmony as one.
Because of all these things, music is a very important part of worship to me, especially during Christmastime. While the gospel alone unites believers to one another, it is through music that we can express ourselves as one body to honor and glorify God, rejoice in His redeeming grace and strengthen one another by singing the truth of His word. During Advent, it is my favorite way to celebrate the birth of Jesus!
Every Sunday, Josh Teboe and the Haymarket Church Band live out their faith by leading us in worship through song and playing instruments. Their music helps center us to be fully engaged in worshipping God, to open our ears to listen to His word and to celebrate together as a family of Christ followers. I am grateful for all of our musicians. I appreciate their commitment to being an integral part of our Sunday services and for sharing their talents with us all. Christmas and Sunday mornings would not be the same without them. Thank you!
I look forward to singing songs together during this Advent season, and especially singing Silent Night by candlelight on Christmas Eve. It has become one of my most cherished Christmas traditions.
God Bless you and Merry Christmas to all!
Looking for previous entries?
Find our ’22 Advent devotional archive online. haymarketchurch.org/advent
