Happy Hymns

Happy Hymns

Enter with the password: “Thank you!” Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. For GOD is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Psalm 100:4-5 (THE MESSAGE)

There is nothing more wonderful than joining with friends to lift up songs of praise to God. Some time ago I was on a mission trip to Europe, and one of my favorite things from the trip was singing hymns in a Czech church. While the members sang the words in Czech, our group sang in English. It was beautiful to know that we sang the same words and that God was praised by all our voices lifted together.

The Amish often praise God together with hymns. Joni Eareckson Tada shares this story of one of her visits to Amish country:

I love the Amish farms that dot the countryside along the southern edge of Pennsylvania. My friend Rebecca Stoltzfus lives in a beautiful part of this country. . . . We were right on time for a country dinner—fried chicken and mashed potatoes!

When we finished shoo-fly pie, we carried our mugs of apple cider to the backyard and sat under a colorful elm tree to enjoy the crisp afternoon air. The aroma of harvesttime, cow pastures, and cherry wood fires wafted our way. “Let’s sing some hymns! Do you know any German hymns?” I asked. The Stoltzfus family and their friends made a group, all with straw hats and white head coverings. My friends and I sat opposite them and made an English-singing choir. Back and forth we sang, one hymn after the next—we in English, they in German. It was the most unusual and happy time of singing I can remember!

Do you want to create a special memory? Consider gathering together with friends or family to sing hymns. It doesn’t matter if you know all the words (you can look them up) or have great voices. The most important part is that you join together with thanksgiving and lift your voices in praise!

Dear heavenly Father, I’m thankful that no matter what language is used to express thankfulness, the joy on someone’s face makes it obvious!