Dream On!

This past week our foreign exchange student from Hungary Mate' and I were talking about music. And we shared a few favorite songs while looking them up on YouTube and watching and listening. We had fun hearing new songs. Then Mate' asked me what my favorite song of all time is- and that kind of stumped me a bit.

And maybe that is because I have such wide-ranging tastes in music. I grew up on country and church hymns. As I went through high school I enjoyed rock more and more. Later on I listened to a little jazz and spent some Friday nights at blues concerts. These days I mostly listen to Christian music. If you were to shuffle the songs on my ipod, you could hear a song from 'The Sound of Music' followed by an Alan Parson's song, then an Ann Murray song and then listen to the hard rock of AC/DC. It's very strange really even for me.

So I had trouble answering Mate's question. I maybe could give you a favorite in each category (even that would not be easy) but not an overall favorite. I finally answered with 'Dream On' by Aerosmith instead of avoiding the question. When you think about the music and songs you enjoy, I'll bet it's not easy for you to answer this question either. We have songs we enjoy for different reasons. Some we like the beat or beautiful background music. Some we like because of the singer or the lyrics and others the loudness or smoothness. Some have special meaning because of the memories we have attached to them. So you know from experience what I am talking about.

Later I began to wonder what my favorite hymn is. I know I have too many to pick just one but 'How Firm a Foundation', 'Jesus Thy Blood and Righteousness', 'Holy Holy Holy' and 'Just as I Am' are good ones to start with. And I love Easter hymns like crazy as well. Favorite Christian song? Start with Chris Tomlin's 'Amazing Grace' and then Natalie Grant's 'I am Not Alone' or 'Held'. Add Mark Schultz's 'He's My Son' to that list which any parent could easily relate to. See, I can't even pick one when I'm trying to make a point.

But maybe that is my point. I was thinking that maybe God is like that with us. That He loves each of us so very much that He could never pick a favorite. And I know He loves each of us out of pure grace, for nothing we do- but maybe He loves you as well because He gifted you with the gift of encouragement and He enjoys watching you use your gift. And maybe God smiles when He thinks about the memories attached to you, like your baptism, your confirmation, and the times you were really taking time to pray and talk with Him. Maybe He made us all so different just so He could never have a favorite!

I think there is a good chance that when God spoke creation into existence, He did so with a song. And so maybe as an extension of this thought our lives are songs as well. Michael Card has a neat song 'Poem of Your Life' that hints at this. Here are a few of his lyrics: 'Life is a song we must sing with our days- A poem with meaning more than words can say- A painting with colors no rainbow can tell- A lyric that rhymes either heaven or hell.' And later he adds, 'We're the notes of the song of the chorus of faith'. When Psalms tells us to 'sing a new song to the Lord' maybe it means to live a new Spirit-powered life. Anyway, I just thought it was a cool way to think about our lives- as a song.

John reveals in Revelation that there is a continual chorus of praise music going on in heaven. Everyday songs of faithful lives are added to that chorus. When the final voice is added one day, what a feast for our ears that will be. Picking out a favorite song will no longer be a difficult choice! Until then we can only 'Dream On' about how awesome that will be. See all you new songs at chorus practice this Sunday.

Blest Regards,
Keith