The Established Path of Discipleship

It was meant to be a routine Saturday night with friends, a simple dinner followed by a concert. Little did I know it was destined to be an extraordinary experience. These moments, though rare, are etched in our memories. They are the times when God’s comfort unexpectedly embraces us.

It wasn’t the typical concert one would envision. It was a humble gathering at a church marking its fiftieth year. There were no flashy lights, no booming band, just a man and his guitar singing hymns, some familiar, some not. Yet, in this simplicity, God’s voice resonated through the hearts of the worshippers present.

It wasn’t a performance for us but a collective experience. We were “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord” with our hearts (Eph. 5:19). The artist’s musical skill wasn’t what made the night memorable. He didn’t seek to rouse the crowd; he was quietly introspective. It was the lyrics. Words of depth were sung to hearts yearning for hope and solace.

One moment captured the essence of the whole night. We were singing “On Jordan’s Stormy Banks I Stand.” When we got to the chorus (I am bound. I am bound. I am bound for the Promised Land), the ladies in the congregation sang the echo without being prompted. I was filled with emotion. My heart longed for that place where:

Singing is an integral part of the worship service not because of how it makes us feel but because of what it does—it says something. The words we sing, therefore, must be words of substance. They must communicate the good news, the Gospel. They must remind us of what we know about God and what He has done for us. If we desire our singing to be a sweet melody to the Lord, then our songs must be filled with words of substance.