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"The trumpeters and musicians joined in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord. Accompanied by trumpets, cymbals and other instruments, the singers 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 the cloud." - 2 Chronicles 5:13, NIV
The Bible often talks about music with trumpets, cymbals, and other instruments, offering fervent praises to God, though at JCPC, we often use piano, organ, and other somewhat less boisterous instruments. True to the many references in the Bible, this week, we'll be praising God together online with the sound of a trumpet, played by our very own Victoria Melin. Despite the uncertain storms we face, may the sounds of the trumpet open our eyes to the rays of light shining through the clouds.
It's fitting that Gray's new sermon series is titled, "Living Through the Storm." We are certainly living through today what seems like a prolonged series of storms. The scripture for this week's service is the familiar account of Noah's ark - certainly the flood to end all floods! Do you remember how it ends? God sets his rainbow in the clouds as a sign of the covenant between God and the earth. It's a symbol of his promise to never again send a flood to destroy all life. It's helpful to us as this time to remember that we can trust in God's promises. One of the ways to remember God's promises is through music.
If you came to the Drive-Through Offering a few weeks ago, you received a CD from us and hopefully had a chance to pass it on to someone in need. Even when we're physically apart, our belief is that the power of music to offer hope and comfort can be one of many ways for us to both connect and reach out to those in need. Surely the author of Chronicles did not know about SoundCloud when they wrote, "the temple of the Lord was filled with the cloud", but it's fitting that we are sharing music that reaffirms God's promises on this platform. As we add more songs, please take some time to find someone who needs to be reminded of God's promises and send them the link so we can join, "in unison to give praise and thanks to the Lord" - even as we are physically distanced for the common good.
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