This was my first Christmas at Life Care Center since we just moved three months ago to Florida. What a blessing it has been to get involved right away in this community. Our small team went in and sang for two groups of residents today. Of course the Hipaa laws prohibit us from showing any […]
Category: hymns
Resurrection Hope at Nursing Home
The Power of a Song
The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; My father’s God, and I will exalt Him. Exodus 15:2
Never underestimate the power of music. No matter how plain (or just plain off key!) there is a force that flows just below the surface of the notes. A melody is a lot like one of the stones in David’s sling in the Bible story. Goliath had a serious size advantage over the puny teen-aged David. In spite of Goliath’s awesome armor and weaponry, the power of one smooth stone guided by God’s hand was able to penetrate his defenses. Music can be an armament for good if we ask God to guide it to ears that long to hear from Him.
I discovered the simple power of music from two dear shut-in friends, William and his wife Joaquina. For about two years I visited them every Wednesday afternoon and came to affectionately call them “Mom and Dad”. William began to slowly lose the use of his arms, then his legs and he became confined to his bed and recliner. William loved to hear the hymns especially the lively ones. But William didn’t only listen to music. He found that he could still whistle a tune so one of his pass-times was to whistle to his parakeets whose cage sat in the corner of the living room. Whenever William whistled the parakeets chirped loudly. Near the end of William’s life his family filmed a brief video of his two parakeets hopping on his chest while William whistled a song. In the battle of his life William still used the smallest melody to fight.
For those, who like myself, have chosen to do nursing home ministry, I would encourage you to prioritize music. Music’s purpose is often unrecognized and its value underestimated but in its proper place it has the power to touch the hearts and minds of people as nothing else. Whether you are an accomplished musician or an amateur. Simply share the songs of the church and God’s message will take wings and fly!
Excerpt from Music Matters in Nursing Home Ministry:
Music Matters in Nursing Home Ministry
More Music at Nursing Home
Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God 2 Corinthians 5:20
We as worship leaders shouldn’t be putting on an act and when we do God has a faithful way of reminding us that we are missing His best. However there is also the idea that we are not just singing in a room all by ourselves. We are called as ambassadors to present the Gospel through music in the most appealing way. Whether you are a worship leader at a nursing home or at the biggest mega-church on the planet, the heart of the message is the same. God is longing for people who will come and worship in both spirit and in truth.
This second part in this series focuses us on our presentation. Because the message matters and because people are of infinite value to Jesus we are called to do our best to present it to them in the most effective way we can. Be blessed as you listen and be blessed as you minister to others with the songs that God has given you!
