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Sing, Sing, Sing
WELCOME TO TODAY'S WORSHIP SERVICE BY THE SWEDENBORGIAN ON-LINE COMMUNITY
Nov. 7, 2010
Sing, Sing, Sing
Open a Bible
Light a candle
Light a candle
OPENING SONG
How Can I Keep From Singing?
Sing, Sing, Sing
Go in peace, exploring the world of music to enhance your worship.
READINGS
FROM THE BIBLE
Psalm 98
A psalm.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
FROM SWEDENBORG
276. Having everyone of them harps, signifies confession of the Lord's Divine Human from spiritual truths. It is known that confessions of Jehovah were made in the temple at Jerusalem by singing, and at the same time by instruments of music which corresponded; the instruments were principally trumpets and timbrels, and psalteries and harps; the trumpets and timbrels corresponded to celestial goods and truths, and the psalteries and harps to spiritual goods and truths; the correspondences were with their sounds. What celestial good and truth is, and what spiritual good and truth, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell (n. 13-19, and 20-28). That "harps" signify confessions of the Lord from spiritual truths, may appear from these passages:
Confess to Jehovah with the harp, sing unto Him with the psaltery of ten strings (Ps. 33:2).
I will confess to Thee on the harp, O God, my God (Ps. 43:4).
I will confess to Thee on the instrument of the psaltery, I will sing unto Thee with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel (Ps. 71:22).
Arouse me psaltery and harp, I will confess Thee among the nations, O Lord (Ps. 57:8, 9; 108:2-4).
Answer to Jehovah by confession, play on the harp to our God (Ps. 147:7).
It is good to confess to Jehovah upon the psaltery, and upon higgaion on the harp.
When the Israelites successfully crossed the Red Sea, Miriam and the women celebrated with timbrels and dancing.
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[e] went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.”
[from Exodus 15]
Swedenborg talked of the life in heaven as filled with music, concerts, and singing. He said that music originated in the heavens before coming to the natural world. In a 1914 New Church Life article, "Was Swedenborg a Music Lover?" the author concludes that he was, and cites a story by a contemporary of Swedenborg enjoying music.
Listening to sacred music is important in most religious traditions:
Singing along with others is an important way to participate in worship.
Psalm 98 (New International Version)
Psalm 98
A psalm.
1 Sing to the LORD a new song,
for he has done marvelous things;
his right hand and his holy arm
have worked salvation for him.
2 The LORD has made his salvation known
and revealed his righteousness to the nations.
3 He has remembered his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth have seen
the salvation of our God.
4 Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the LORD with the harp,
with the harp and the sound of singing,
6 with trumpets and the blast of the ram’s horn—
shout for joy before the LORD, the King.
7 Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
FROM SWEDENBORG
Apocalypse Revealed (Whitehead) n. 276
276. Having everyone of them harps, signifies confession of the Lord's Divine Human from spiritual truths. It is known that confessions of Jehovah were made in the temple at Jerusalem by singing, and at the same time by instruments of music which corresponded; the instruments were principally trumpets and timbrels, and psalteries and harps; the trumpets and timbrels corresponded to celestial goods and truths, and the psalteries and harps to spiritual goods and truths; the correspondences were with their sounds. What celestial good and truth is, and what spiritual good and truth, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell (n. 13-19, and 20-28). That "harps" signify confessions of the Lord from spiritual truths, may appear from these passages:
Confess to Jehovah with the harp, sing unto Him with the psaltery of ten strings (Ps. 33:2).
I will confess to Thee on the harp, O God, my God (Ps. 43:4).
I will confess to Thee on the instrument of the psaltery, I will sing unto Thee with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel (Ps. 71:22).
Arouse me psaltery and harp, I will confess Thee among the nations, O Lord (Ps. 57:8, 9; 108:2-4).
Answer to Jehovah by confession, play on the harp to our God (Ps. 147:7).
It is good to confess to Jehovah upon the psaltery, and upon higgaion on the harp.
SING, SING, SING
Is music an important part of your worship experience? Most of us use music in some form: playing or listening to instruments; singing or listening to choirs; dancing or watching liturgical dance.When the Israelites successfully crossed the Red Sea, Miriam and the women celebrated with timbrels and dancing.
19 When Pharaoh’s horses, chariots and horsemen[e] went into the sea, the LORD brought the waters of the sea back over them, but the Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground. 20 Then Miriam the prophet, Aaron’s sister, took a timbrel in her hand, and all the women followed her, with timbrels and dancing. 21 Miriam sang to them:
“Sing to the LORD,
for he is highly exalted.
Both horse and driver
he has hurled into the sea.”
[from Exodus 15]
Swedenborg talked of the life in heaven as filled with music, concerts, and singing. He said that music originated in the heavens before coming to the natural world. In a 1914 New Church Life article, "Was Swedenborg a Music Lover?" the author concludes that he was, and cites a story by a contemporary of Swedenborg enjoying music.
Listening to sacred music is important in most religious traditions:
Singing along with others is an important way to participate in worship.
Here is another way to worship with "Amazing Grace."
Sometimes music and dance designed for the theater has a worshipful quality to it. An example is Alvin Ailey's "Revelation." This is "Fix Me Jesus."
How do you use music in your worship? You might want to explore ways of deepening your worship experience through music, singing, and dancing. Remember that Swedenborg says that music originates in Heaven!
CLOSING SONGSing, Sing, Sing
Extinguish your candle.
Close the Bible
Go in peace, exploring the world of music to enhance your worship.
