When my daughter, Lydia, was around 3 years old, I remember a time driving in the car together when she spontaneously starting singing in the back seat. Of course, anyone with a toddler knows that they can break out into song at any given moment, but what caught my attention on this occasion was what she was singing:
Oh the wonderful cross, bids me come and die and find that I might truly live.Oh the wonderful cross, all who gather here by faith draw near and bless Your name.
Not exactly “Old McDonald” material!
It was a reminder that the songs and hymns we sing in church are formative. Through those lyrics and melodies we learn scripture and theology. When we take that with us for the other 167 hours of the week, we bring the Word of God with us out of the church walls and into the context where we work, live, and play. Or in Concordia lingo, we take a bit of our Be Still and put it into our Be Faithful - worship not confined to an hour at a church, but also part of our missional life.
All of this was brought to mind again when one of the members of our worship team shared with me some recordings of his 2 year old singing at home. It says a lot about the faith of that little girl, and perhaps even more about the faith of her parents, who have taken the initiative to help her see that her faith is not just expressed on Sunday mornings. With his permission, I’d like you to hear a couple of those songs for yourself ("Lord, I Need You" also features her xylophone skills!) Click here to listen.
