02-06-20

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS

February 6, 2020

Scripture: Exodus 15:20-21

Then the prophet Miriam, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand. All the women followed her playing tambourines and dancing. Miriam sang the refrain back to them: Sing to the LORD, for an overflowing victory! Horse and rider he threw into the sea!

Thought for the Day: I can’t say that it would have made Casey Kasem’s Top 40 as it doesn’t quite have the catchy lyrics of a successful pop song, yet it is the heartfelt song of the underdog and oppressed who have discovered that God is on their side. Miriam cannot remain quiet! She has known slavery; she has known the brokenness of a family unit; she has felt the hopelessness of Pharaoh’s exploitation. This pain is behind her, and though the future is so very uncertain, there is a joy that must be expressed in the playing of a tambourine and the singing of a song. Too often we limit our musical celebration to the shower or the confines of our car during a solo trip to the store. There is nothing wrong with singing alone, but communal worship has an amazing value. People come alongside one another and join voices in songs of celebration. I may not necessarily be in the place where I am feeling that joy, but if I am truly a participant in the community, I am able to appreciate the Miriams of the world who have just stepped from their experiences of bondage and into life. And as I sing with them, it provides hope of what might not yet be for me, while also making me aware of what I might have overlooked.

Prayer: May the moments of joy, liberation and life be the catalyst for a song. Call me to a time of worship, Gracious God, where I can join the voices of others who have reason to give thanks. Amen.

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