Upfront February 20, 2012 ISSUE

Pray it with a song

Jenny Nelles, Staff Editor

“Come into His presence with thanksgiving, / Come before Him with a song” (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 73). Sometimes music expresses the gratitude or yearning in our hearts like nothing else can. Fenella Bennetts writes in our lead article this week, “Often as we pray for healing we find that we have a need to sing, to praise God, to give thanks, to trust in God in dark times, and to rejoice when the light breaks through” (p. 6).

Of course, the messages and tone in hymns vary. They can sound like tender lullabies, prayers of petition, or even forceful calls to “wake up!” and welcome the healing Christ. The fact that these musical pieces typically lead our thoughts back to God is an enduring concept.

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