Singing has been banned in California churches. It’s still legal to attend church; you just can’t sing.
I’ve been thinking a lot about singing this week. I noticed I haven’t been singing at all. I’m not walking down the hall singing, “This is how I fight my battles,” or belting out the chorus to “The Father’s House” in my car: “Oooh, lay your burdens down …”
My friend and high school choir pal, Pastor Michael Green, reminded me of a passage in Psalm 137, “How shall we sing the song of the Lord in a foreign land?” (v. 4).
It was a sad day when the people of Israel “hung their harps upon the poplars” (v. 2).
In addition to all of the other things the COVID-19 virus has done to us, the bug seems to have stolen our song. Perhaps even the spiritual songs and melodies from the heart (see Eph. 5:19) have ceased behind our masks.
Dr. James Goll was my guest on the Greenelines podcast earlier this week. I learned a few weeks ago that he released a new music CD filled with the joy of songs from the heart. I invited him back to the show so we could talk about music and play a few of the songs from his recording.
“I was a singer before I was ever a preacher. One day recently I actually heard the voice of the Holy Spirit speak to me at a conference, and He said, ‘I want you to sing. I want you to record music that the world knows,'” Goll said.
Recording the music wasn’t about the singing but the opportunity to minister in a different way.
“Singing was a therapeutic tool in the Lord’s hands for me. I just want to encourage people to follow their dreams and pursue the desires of their hearts. Don’t give up. Take a fresh look at it,” Goll said.
As you listen to this podcast you will hear several different samples from his CD, but more importantly, you will hear the heart of this great man of God and prophetic voice through music.
As my time with Dr. Goll ended, he added, “Every new move of God carries a new sound. And God also makes old things new. It’s about the heart. The song of the heart.” {eoa}
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