Community of Song

I get to lead our prayer chapel again this morning, and I'm going to begin with music that will sound very strange to our western ears. It's from a CD enclosed in a new book titled All the World Is Singing. It's about the worship music in indigenous form that God is blessing His church with around the world. The song I've chosen is from Pakistan. In the related story in the book, Don McCurry tells of studying Urdu (Pakistani Muslim culture) literature under Dr. Daud Rahbar at the Hartford Seminary Foundation. Dr. Rabhar said, "Don, you can say anything you want--in poetry or music--to these people and they will receive it, but if you preach it in prose, they will probably try to kill you." After his return to Pakistan, Don found that it was true, and he organized programs of folkloric and religious music including Pakistani Christian music. It was warmly received by the people and even by local government leaders. Something wonderful happens among new Christians when they begin to create worship music in their own heart-style, and the book offers 45 case studies as proof. I can't wait to read it all. (Fascinating though they are, the songs still sound strange to my ears.)

Meanwhile, music in our own "heart-style" continues to feed our souls. A young friend wrote me the other day: "A day in which I don't sing is a less-than-full day." So pick a song, any song, and start singing!

A week from today I'll get a port installed in my chest in the morning and then have kemo in the afternoon. I know it's God's answer to prayer that I'm feeling so well, and we keep praying that the silent flow of Doxil through my system is destroying the cancer cells. Lisa is trying to find an affordable airline ticket to visit us here; we're praying for that too.

Blessings,
Carol