Take to heart these words that I give you today. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you’re at home or away, when you lie down or get up. Write them down, and tie them around your wrist, and wear them as headbands as a reminder. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates. Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (GW)
School days - XX number of years ago. But, Kids' Church music has changed so much over the years, that none of the young people I teach today would remember the chorus, probably because it used King James Version English for one thing.
Yet it was a chorus based on a timeless Bible truth - there are to be two loves in our lives - God and others. Because I learned the chorus, I will never forget the two great commands Jesus gave to his disciples in Matthew 22:37-39 (KJV): "This is the first and great command, to love thy God above.
This is the second, as thyself thy neighbor thou shalt love.
Who is my neighbor, he who needs the help that thou canst give
This both the law and prophets say to do and thou shalt live."
The truth is that music - its forms, styles, beat and the instruments used to promote it will change over time. Many of the choruses that we sing today will be forgotten by the generations to come, but the truth and message of the scripture must never be forgotten.
Music gives us a great way to help memorize scripture. There's something about the rhythm and cadence of it that makes it easier to remember any words set to music. Try it this week. Choose a song that you know well and put the words of a scripture verse to it. You'll find you can remember the verse more easily and the tune may just get stuck in your head so that you find yourself repeating that verse over and over again.
Sing it until the meaning of the words impact your heart. It doesn't matter how the words get there, but they must get there - into your heart! It really works.
Father help me get your word into my head so that it gets rooted in my heart. Amen.
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