pianoWednesday night, October 1st we are having a concert by a world-famous concert pianist at Bethel Chapel Church, and we are inviting all of you to enjoy it with us. Because I am looking forward to it, I began thinking about the subject of music. (I’ll give details about the concert at the end of this article, in case you miss the announcement that is elsewhere in the Juniata News today.)

Music is a universal language. It is everywhere. For example, we hear it in restaurants, elevators, department stores, weddings, nightclubs, and, of course, in concerts of all kinds. Worship, though, has always been the most important use of music.

Going back about 3,000 years we find this description of Jewish worship: “…. When the burnt offering began, the song to the Lord also began with the trumpets, accompanied by the instruments of David, king of Israel. While the whole assembly worshiped, the singers also sang and the trumpets sounded; all this continued until the burnt offering was finished” (2 Chronicles 29:27–28).

Fast forward about a thousand years and we find the Apostle Paul telling Christians that they needed to be, “… teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God” (Colossians 3:16).

Worship music in the Bible is always joyful. “O come, let us sing for joy to the Lord, let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation” (Psalm 95:1). “Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before Him with joyful singing” (Psalm 100:1–2).

Most people use music hoping it will make them happy. Christians use music BECAUSE they are happy. Our worship music is genuinely happy because we have so much to be happy about.

Jesus Christ offers a happiness that is even more powerful than any kind of difficult circumstances. Paul and Silas are good examples. They were arrested and chained in a dirty prison just because they were proclaiming the Gospel of Christ. Even that event could not stifle their joy. “But about midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns of praise to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (Acts 16:25).

Why were they happy? Paul put it this way (he wrote this verse from another prison cell, by the way) “… rejoice in the Lord…. Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice!” (Philippians 3:1; 4:4).

Christians find great joy “in the Lord” because Jesus stepped into this world and willingly endured the horrifying penalty for our sin so that we can forever be set free from the punishment we deserve.

If Jesus has set you free from sin, then I know you will enjoy the hymns and incredible music that G. Richard Deal will play this Wednesday at 7:00 PM in Bethel Chapel Church at “K” and Lycoming Streets. He has performed over 2,600 concerts in Europe, Asia, North and South America. In addition to many solo concerts, Mr. Deal has also appeared with symphony orchestras and has performed at Chicago’s historic Orchestra Hall.

The concert is free, but an offering will be taken to help with his expenses. If you have any questions, you may call 215-533-4395 for more information.