All worship planners
How shall we sing?
Singing God’s song in the midst of illness and death by Mary J. Scifres
M
any years ago, a dear friend and mentor told me the story of sitting at her son’s bedside while he lay in a coma near death. No one knew whether he heard or sensed the family’s presence, but there they sat day aſt er day, patiently sending love and strength to him for his fi nal days
on this earth. In their grief, one of them began singing “Amazing Grace” perhaps to comfort him, per- haps to comfort themselves. But the blessing came when their teenage son began to hum along with them. T is musical family’s last verbal memory of their son came through the giſt of music.
For centuries, music has
been a conduit for God’s people. Miriam danced and sang, play- ing tambourine, as she off ered her victory song aſt er escaping the Egyptians across the sea parted by God: “Sing to the Lord, for an overfl owing victory! Horse and rider he threw into the sea!” (Exo- dus 15:21b). In this ancient text, one of the oldest pieces of extant scripture in Judeo-Christian col- lections, Miriam sings her praise in the face of a frightening escape
in the night from generations of slavery and oppression and a frightening chase through rushing waters.
Many of our most beautiful
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psalms come as laments and pleas for understanding and assistance in the face of life’s sorrows and tragedies. Psalm 130 invites us to cry from the depths, Psalm 91 reminds us that God will save us and provide wings of refuge for us, and Psalm 23 reminds us that God is with us even when we “walk
on pastoral visits comes naturally January-February 2014 • WorshipArts •
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through the darkest valley.” When David mourns the death of King Saul and David’s beloved friend Jonathan, David sings the Song of the Bow with words we quote oſt en in the face of unexpected tragedies: “Look how the mighty warriors have fallen!” (2 Samuel 1:19b) Since ancient times, song has risen to the lips of the people of God when facing both tragedies and joys. In my own ministry, singing
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