Meaning What We Sing

I've often thought that some of the best theology I spout comes from the worship music I sing. Whether you lean towards the archaic, traditional, contemporary, or futureistic, worship music makes some very bold declarations.

My wife and I just found out this past week that we are expecting our 4th child. This is a great joy for us and led to lots of neat worship songs running through our home and our minds. The day after I learned about Traci's pregnancy, a close friend shared with me that he had just learned, that very day, his wife was miscarrying. Two weeks earlier, my dear brother and sister in law miscarried 6 weeks into their 4th pregnancy. In each case, grief was apparent even though the journey with this child had been short. As my brother tearfully told me last week over a cop of coffee, "about the time we assigned a place in our heart to this child we no longer had a child." That's a grief I know nothing about but expect is very real and unique.

There have long been songs that I have had a hard time singing in good conscious. "I Surrender All" tops the list. I just can't do it (sing it I mean) because I have just not yet done it (surrendered all). I also can't sing "Stand Up Stand Up For Jesus" while sitting down. That's another issue though.

The most recent addition to my "Tough Songs to Sing Vol. 1" collection is Chris Tomlin's "Blessed Be The Name of the Lord". I love the title but these lines get me:

Blessed be Your name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed be Your name

and

You give and take away
You give and take away
But my heart will choose to say

Blessed it be your of the lord

It's a great song which sounds wonderful if you're in a church that does it with a band, a single guitar, or an a capella praise team. The hard part though? The hard part comes living those words when a child entrusted to you dies before you ever get to meet it.

I don't know what the road ahead looks like for Traci, me, our boys, and our newest child but I hope, some way, that my heart's cry and my life's walk will truly say "Blessed Be Your Name!"