Midweek Musing- 10/23/24

There is a story from the Middle Ages about a young monk with a glorious tenor voice who visited a small, wayside monastery. This young monk had a voice so sweet and powerful that it soared above the voices of the other monks during worship. When he sang the Matins, the other monks gradually stopped singing just to listen to his beautiful, round notes floating heavenward. At Evensong, the same thing happened. The other monks were so captivated by his voice that they fell silent, ashamed of their own cracking, imperfect tones.

That night, the old abbot had a dream in which God appeared to him. God asked, “Why did I hear no singing at the worship services today?”

The old abbot, surprised, replied, “Lord, surely You heard the beautiful hymns. Our new brother lifted his voice to sing, and we were so awestruck by the sound that we stopped singing ourselves.”

God responded, “I heard no hymns. It is the praise of the heart I hear, and your hearts were silent this day. Your ears are not like My ears.”

This story reminds us that true worship isn’t about perfection or performance. Even in church, we sometimes get so caught up in what looks or sounds good that we forget what truly matters to God—our hearts.

In Colossians 3:16-17, Paul writes:

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

Worship is not about how polished our singing is or how eloquent the prayers or liturgy might be. It’s about the state of our hearts and whether we’re offering sincere praise and gratitude to God. The monks in the story were so mesmerized by the new singer’s talent that they forgot the purpose of worship—it became a performance rather than a communal offering to God.

In our own lives, it’s easy to compare ourselves to others and feel inadequate. We might think our imperfections are too great to bring before God. But God isn’t looking for perfect performances—God desires the offerings of our hearts, no matter how imperfect.

The beauty of worship isn’t in perfection but in the unity of hearts that come together to honor God. Paul reminds us that everything we do, whether in worship or in daily life, should be done with gratitude and love for God. Worship doesn’t end when the service does; it’s about how we live each moment of our lives in devotion to God.

The story of the young monk is a reminder that God listens to our hearts, not our outward performance. Worship is about offering sincere, grateful hearts to God, and when we come together as a community, our collective praise becomes a beautiful offering to the Lord.

Friends we are called to let the word of Christ dwell in us richly and to live lives of worship in everything we do. Whether we sing, pray, serve, or speak, may we do it all in the name of Jesus, giving heartfelt thanks to God.

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Alleluia Amen.