The trumpeters and singers joined I N U N I S O N in unison, as with one voice, to ~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ give praise and thanks to the LORD. -2 Chronicles 5:13 A devotional series for the choir, the worship leader, and anyone desiring to experience or lead in a deeper worship experience. [See the end of this file for more information on the complete series.] The In Unison series is written by David S. Lampel. #4 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ D E M O N S T R A T I N G P R A I S E prompt (prompt) vt. 1. to urge into action; provoke 2. to remind a person of something he has forgotten. __________________________ >From the beginning, the choir has held an integral, leadership role in corporate worship. The choir members were not simply in attendance; the singers held responsible roles in temple worship--even dressing the same as the king and the priests. Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the singers, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. -1 Chronicles 15:27 Even a casual reading of the related Scripture passages makes it clear that God does not take lightly the role of the choir. The order and method of service in His worship is spelled out, organized and purposeful. The choir is there to lead the praise--to encourage everyone in their worship. We might even say that the choir members are prompters: Their service responsibility is to provoke the assembly into a closer, more intimate relationship with God in their praise; it is also to serve as examples, or demonstrators, for those in the congregation who have forgotten their role in worship. Let's consider this second role first. How many of us have arrived for a worship service only to have our mind clouded with the details and frustrations of the previous week--even the frustrations of getting to the service in the first place? Even though in our heart, and in our vast cobwebbed memory, we know what we are to do, for the moment at least we have forgotten our true role in the service. The choir is there as our example, a visual reminder of how we are to worship the Lord with joy in our hearts. David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals. -1 Chronicles 15:16 There are times, however, when those in the assembly do remember their role in worship, but are simply disinterested. Have you ever felt that way? Have you ever showed up on a Sunday morning thinking, "I just don't feel like worshiping God." We've all been there. It's the role of the choir to lift the assembly up out of those doldrums, to raise them up and out of the grind of this life. It is the choir that is there to lift us up to God--to sing with joy and heart-felt praise to our Lord. __________________________ It is from the choir's example that the congregation take their cue. Looking up from their orderly rows, they may not see the face of God--but they will see the face of every member of the choir. "Real worship is, among other things, a feeling about the Lord our God. It is in our hearts. And we must be willing to express it in an appropriate manner. "We can express our worship to God in many ways. But if we love the Lord and are led by His Holy Spirit, our worship will always bring a delighted sense of admiring awe and a sincere humility on our part." (A.W. Tozer in Whatever Happened to Worship?, Christian Publications, 1985) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Supplement to #4 The following passages deal generally with the temple office of "singer," the OT equivalent of our choir, with a few passages on singing and praise thrown in. "Now write down for yourselves this song and teach it to the Israelites and have them sing it, so that it may be a witness for me against them. -Deut 31:19 "Hear this, you kings! Listen, you rulers! I will sing to the LORD, I will sing; I will make music to the LORD, the God of Israel. -Jdgs 5:3 When the men were returning home after David had killed the Philistine, the women came out from all the towns of Israel to meet King Saul with singing and dancing, with joyful songs and with tambourines and lutes. -1 Sam 18:6 Therefore I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing praises to your name. -2 Sam 22:50 David told the leaders of the Levites to appoint their brothers as singers to sing joyful songs, accompanied by musical instruments: lyres, harps and cymbals. -1 Chron 15:16 Kenaniah the head Levite was in charge of the singing; that was his responsibility because he was skillful at it. -1 Chron 15:22 Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the singers, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs. David also wore a linen ephod. -1 Chron 15:27 Sing to the LORD, all the earth; proclaim his salvation day after day. -1 Chron 16:23 Then the trees of the forest will sing, they will sing for joy before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. -1 Chron 16:33 The trumpeters and singers joined in unison, as with one voice, to give praise and thanks to the LORD. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, they raised their voices in praise to the LORD and sang: "He is good; his love endures forever." Then the temple of the LORD was filled with a cloud, -2 Chron 5:13 After consulting the people, Jehoshaphat appointed men to sing to the LORD and to praise him for the splendor of his holiness as they went out at the head of the army, saying: "Give thanks to the LORD, for his love endures forever." As they began to sing and praise, the LORD set ambushes against the men of Ammon and Moab and Mount Seir who were invading Judah, and they were defeated. The men of Ammon and Moab rose up against the men from Mount Seir to destroy and annihilate them. After they finished slaughtering the men from Seir, they helped to destroy one another. When the men of Judah came to the place that overlooks the desert and looked toward the vast army, they saw only dead bodies lying on the ground; no one had escaped. So Jehoshaphat and his men went to carry off their plunder, and they found among them a great amount of equipment and clothing and also articles of value--more than they could take away. There was so much plunder that it took three days to collect it. On the fourth day they assembled in the Valley of Beracah, where they praised the LORD. This is why it is called the Valley of Beracah to this day. -2 Chron 20:21-26 Then Jehoiada placed the oversight of the temple of the LORD in the hands of the priests, who were Levites, to whom David had made assignments in the temple, to present the burnt offerings of the LORD as written in the Law of Moses, with rejoicing and singing, as David had ordered. -2 Chron 23:18 Hezekiah gave the order to sacrifice the burnt offering on the altar. As the offering began, singing to the LORD began also, accompanied by trumpets and the instruments of David king of Israel. The whole assembly bowed in worship, while the singers sang and the trumpeters played. All this continued until the sacrifice of the burnt offering was completed. -2 Chron 29:27-28 Hezekiah assigned the priests and Levites to divisions--each of them according to their duties as priests or Levites--to offer burnt offerings and fellowship offerings, to minister, to give thanks and to sing praises at the gates of the LORD'S dwelling. -2 Chron 31:2 Jeremiah composed laments for Josiah, and to this day all the men and women singers commemorate Josiah in the laments. These became a tradition in Israel and are written in the Laments. -2 Chron 35:25 The singers: the descendants of Asaph 128 -Ezra 2:41 besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 200 men and women singers. -Ezra 2:65 You are also to know that you have no authority to impose taxes, tribute or duty on any of the priests, Levites, singers, gatekeepers, temple servants or other workers at this house of God. -Ezra 7:24 After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. -Neh 7:1 besides their 7,337 menservants and maidservants; and they also had 245 men and women singers. -Neh 7:67 The people of Israel, including the Levites, are to bring their contributions of grain, new wine and oil to the storerooms where the articles for the sanctuary are kept and where the ministering priests, the gatekeepers and the singers stay. "We will not neglect the house of our God." -Neh 10:39 The chief officer of the Levites in Jerusalem was Uzzi son of Bani, the son of Hashabiah, the son of Mattaniah, the son of Mica. Uzzi was one of Asaph's descendants, who were the singers responsible for the service of the house of God. The singers were under the king's orders, which regulated their daily activity. -Neh 11:22-23 They performed the service of their God and the service of purification, as did also the singers and gatekeepers, according to the commands of David and his son Solomon. For long ago, in the days of David and Asaph, there had been directors for the singers and for the songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. So in the days of Zerubbabel and of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions for the singers and gatekeepers. They also set aside the portion for the other Levites, and the Levites set aside the portion for the descendants of Aaron. -Neh 12:45-47 So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind. -1 Cor 14:15 Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord, -Eph 5:19 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. -Col 3:16 He says, "I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises." -Hebrews 2:12 Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. -James 5:13 Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!" -Rev 5:13 The following references again deal with singing in praise, but are too numerous to include the text: Psalm 5:11 Psalm 98:8-9 Psalm 7:17 Psalm 101:1 Psalm 9:2 Psalm 104:12 Psalm 9:11 Psalm 104:33 Psalm 13:6 Psalm 105:2 Psalm 18:49 Psalm 108:1 Psalm 21:13 Psalm 108:3 Psalm 27:6 Psalm 119:172 Psalm 30:4 Psalm 132:9 Psalm 30:12 Psalm 132:16 Psalm 32:11-33:1 Psalm 135:3 Psalm 33:3 Psalm 137:3-4 Psalm 47:6-7 Psalm 138:1 Psalm 51:14 Psalm 138:5 Psalm 57:7 Psalm 144:9 Psalm 57:9 Psalm 145:7 Psalm 59:16-17 Psalm 146:2 Psalm 61:8 Psalm 147:1 Psalm 63:5 Psalm 147:7 Psalm 63:7 Psalm 149:1 Psalm 65:13 Psalm 149:5 Psalm 66:2 Isaiah 5:1 Psalm 66:4 Isaiah 9:14 Psalm 67:4 Isaiah 10:17 Psalm 68:4 Isaiah 12:5-6 Psalm 68:6 Isaiah 14:7 Psalm 68:25 Isaiah 16:10 Psalm 68:32 Isaiah 23:16 Psalm 71:22-23 Isaiah 24:16 Psalm 75:9 Isaiah 27:2 Psalm 81:1 Isaiah 30:29 Psalm 87:7 Isaiah 35:10 Psalm 89:1 Isaiah 38:18 Psalm 89:12 Isaiah 38:20 Psalm 90:14 Isaiah 42:10-11 Psalm 92:4 Isaiah 44:23 Psalm 95:1 Isaiah 47:9 Psalm 96:1-2 Isaiah 51:3 Psalm 96:12-13 Isaiah 51:11 Psalm 98:1 Isaiah 54:1 Psalm 98:5 Isaiah 65:14 Tozer On why, and the type of God we worship . . . "What does happen, then, in a Christian church when a fresh and vital working of the Spirit of God brings revival? In my study and observations, a revival generally results in a sudden bestowment of a spirit of worship. This is not the result of engineering or of manipulation. It is something God bestows on people hungering and thirsting for Him. With Spiritual renewing will come a blessed spirit of loving worship. "These believers worship gladly because they have a high view of God. In some circles, God has been abridged, reduced, modified, edited, changed and amended until He is no longer the God whom Isaiah saw, high and lifted up. Because He has been reduced in the minds of so many people, we no longer have that boundless confidence in His character that we used to have. "I once heard Dr. George D. Watson, one of the great Bible teachers of his generation, point out that men can have two kinds of love for God--the love of gratitude or the love of excellence. He urged that we go on from gratefulness to a love of God just because He is God and because of the excellence of His character. "Unfortunately, God's children rarely go beyond the boundaries of gratitude. I seldom hear anyone in worshipful prayer admiring and praising God for His eternal excellence. "Many of us are strictly `Santa Claus' Christians. We think of God as putting up the Christmas tree and putting our gifts underneath. That is only an elementary kind of love.(1) "We need to go on. We need to know the blessing of worshiping in the presence of God without thought of wanting to rush out again. We need to be delighted in the presence of utter, infinite excellence. Such worship will have the ingredient of fascination, of high moral excitement." (A.W. Tozer, in Whatever Happened to Worship?, Christian publications, 1985, p86f.) I believe that the choir member who takes hold of this "high moral excitement" will, without even trying, become an effective "prompter" in the service of worship. (1) What happens in our family relationships when we love each other only out of gratitude? What if I loved my father or mother only for those nice things they did for me? The only substantial, sustaining love is that that loves them for the people they are--a love that is not dependent on them pleasing me with gifts. Copyright Information --------------------- All original material in IN UNISON is Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel. This data file is the sole property of David S. Lampel. It may not be altered or edited in any way. It may be reproduced only in its entirety for circulation as "freeware," without charge. All reproductions of this data file must contain the copyright notice (i.e., "Copyright (C) 1995 David S. Lampel."). This data file may not be used without the permission of David S. Lampel for resale or the enhancement of any other product sold. This includes all of its content. Brief quotations not to exceed more than 500 words may be used, with the appropriate copyright notice, to enhance or supplement personal or church devotions, newsletters, journals, or spoken messages. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture is from the New International Version. NIV quotations are from the Holy Bible: New International Version, Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by the International Bible Society. Used by permission. NASB quotations are from the New American Standard Bible (C) 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In Unison was originally written for Music Ministers and Choir Directors to use in conjunction with their weekly rehearsals. It was syndicated in printed form, camera-ready for inclusion in choir newsletters or to be read to the choir as a devotional. It has also been used by Pastors and lay-leaders in many capacities. In Unison is evangelical, and speaks from the position that the choir does not perform for its own pleasure--nor for the pleasure of the congregation--but is, instead, a "prompter" leading and demonstrating the corporate worship for the pleasure of God. Each choir member--as well as every other leader standing on the platform--is responsible to do everything to point the congregation upward to God. In Unison also encourages individual and corporate excellence, based on the premise that after His sacrifice for us, our Lord deserves nothing less. Most issues of In Unison consist of two parts: * The main article has been written to be the "public" portion--either re-printed for each choir member or read to them during a devotional time. * The Supplemental material (accompanying most issues) has been included for the director or leader to use as background to further his or her own study. There is a total of 19 issues making up the complete In Unison series, representing by the following outline: 1. With One Voice 11. Because He Deserves It 2. Up Words 12. A Longing to Be Near Him 3. Loving One Another 13. Excellence: Beginning 4. Demonstrating Praise 14. Excellence: The Debt 5. The Spirit and the Flesh 15. Excellence: For the Prize 6. Three Little Words 16. Excellence: Why? 7. Obeying Our Parent 17. To Be Like Him 8. A Fragrant Offering 18. In Spirit and Truth 9. Worship the King 19. Honesty 10. His Wish, Our Desire ------------------------------------------------------------------- In Unison is distributed free-of-charge, without obligation, in service to our Lord and to His glory. Reader opinions are always welcome, as are insights into the published material. Send all comments to the address below. We always appreciate hearing when someone has been edified by this work. ------------------------------------------------------------------- To receive the complete series via e-mail, inquire with questions, or comment on the material send your request to: "dlampel@dlampel.com" P.S. The articles are currently being converted to ASCII text for uploading. Over the next week or two the entire series will be completed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ David S. Lampel "For from Him and through Him Winterset, IA USA and to Him are all things. dlampel@dlampel.com To Him be the glory forever. Amen." (Rom 11:36) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ------------------------------------------------ file: /pub/resources/text/in.unison: inu-004.txt