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Devotional Music

As we continue through the sermon on the mount as a congregation I wanted to extend two invitations. First, please read below to be introduced to a singer/songwriter who has written many songs inspired by the sermon on the mount and Jesus in general. I invite you to read the scripture and listen to the song. Second, please send me a song that is part of your devotional time so I can learn about the genre's and music that move you and help you meditate on scripture.



"These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart." Deuteronomy 6:6

"Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock." Matthew 7:24


Songs can be wonderful tools for writing on hearts. I want to introduce you to a few songs by singer/songwriter Jon Guerra that have helped me to write scripture from the sermon on the mount on my heart and meditate on it. The exercise below can be done over 4 seperate days spending about 10-20 min on one scripture and song each day or in a longer session going through all four songs spending 60-90min.


Please take time with each scripture below to read it through, then with it still open in front of you please listen to the song link. Take time to contemplate how the song matches and where it takes a different direction. Ask if the new direction matches the scriptural intent or doesn't. What is missing? What is added? What emphasis would you have that is different or do you see the same emphasis as the song? Does this style of music lend itself to you remembering or not?


Matthew 5:38-48

Love Your Enemies


Matthew 6:9-13

The Lord's Prayer


Matthew 6:19-24, Isaiah 55:1-2

Where Your Treasure Is


Matthew 6:25-34

I See The Birds


This exercise can be done with any song that you listen to. Have you done this with other songs? Do you have go to songs that help you remember scripture? Please email me at tawnya@southcalgary.church to share your songs with me.


One final note, you won't find these songs in our corporate worship moment on any given Sunday morning. While they are helpful to help meditate on and remember scripture they are suited to personal devotional time instead of corporate worship. Why? First, they are not available on CCLI which is the licensing we use to broadcast lyrics in the sanctuary and share songs online. Second, they are complex musically and difficult to sing in unison. This is something that endears the songs Jon Guerra writes to me, the complex music is interesting to listen to. This makes it great for personal listening and difficult to arrange for a congregation to sing. Thankfully we have singers/songwriters like Jon Guerra who focus their efforts on personal devotional music and others who focus on corporate worship music (Thank you Keith and Kristyn Getty!).


I am hoping that we would in the future be able to have evenings to share devotional music we love and have learned. Please let me know if you would like to see an evening like this.

Look forward to hearing from you!



 
 
 

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