I went to the Houston
Symphony's performance of Handel's Messiah last month. I had never
heard the oratorio all the way through--most of us only hear 2 of the
53 mini-songs that make up Messiah. I took a peek at the lyrics page
in the concert program and to my surprise found two full pages of
text made up entirely of Scripture. We might give credit to G.F.
Handel for skillfully weaving the tapestry of singers and
instruments, but this declaration in song wholly originates in God's Word. Which made me wonder: who in this chorus sings these words
from the heart, with belief? They are perhaps the most powerful
words put to song. Many of the singers were about to explode with
the energy they were putting into each word. Others carefully
uttered the lyrics with more dispassionate looks on their faces.
How many confess--not just sing--those words? I wanted to bump into
one of the choristers after the performance and say, “So, what's it
like to sing that song?”
I often mouth Christian
verbiage with a less than believing heart. How can I do this? As I
step back and look at the story told by my Christian faith, how can I
help but bow my head in reverence and humility? Our hearts are to be
directly tied to the words we confess (Luke 6:45). How can we make
our tune a true song that springs from the heart?
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