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the old traditions in the Upper Room #XLVII
15 years ago
General
Tradition
Read Hebrews 11:29-12:2
The psalmist wrote, "I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations."
-Psalm 89:1 (NIV)
MY husband and I are members of a Native American church. As part of our worship service, we sing tribal hymns in our native languages. Even though the words of the songs are familiar, not all of us fully understand them. Nevertheless, a feeling of community and identity speaks deeply to our hearts and our spirits as we sing. Our church is over one hundred years old, and the songs we sing are much older. When we sing these songs in worship, it is as if our ancestors sing with us.
Each year as we experience the loss of more of our elders, we have fewer opportunities to hear tribal languages spoken in our gatherings. Realizing that a way of life goes away with them compounds our grief. Through our songs, we maintain a connection with those who came before us and with our Creator, who promises a great reunion in which all nations will be welcome and all languages will be spoken freely and understood by all. Until that time, our songs remind us that God continues to be faithful to our people throughout the generations. We walk forward in hope, one step at a time.
Delana Taylor McNac (Oklahoma, USA)
Prayer
Creator God, thank you for the many different people who serve you and especially for those who have taught us about you. Amen.
Thought for the Day
To listen to Native American hymns, go to https://www.pilgrimproduction.org/n.....american.html.
Prayer Focus
Native American Churches
Read Hebrews 11:29-12:2
The psalmist wrote, "I will sing of the LORD's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations."
-Psalm 89:1 (NIV)
MY husband and I are members of a Native American church. As part of our worship service, we sing tribal hymns in our native languages. Even though the words of the songs are familiar, not all of us fully understand them. Nevertheless, a feeling of community and identity speaks deeply to our hearts and our spirits as we sing. Our church is over one hundred years old, and the songs we sing are much older. When we sing these songs in worship, it is as if our ancestors sing with us.
Each year as we experience the loss of more of our elders, we have fewer opportunities to hear tribal languages spoken in our gatherings. Realizing that a way of life goes away with them compounds our grief. Through our songs, we maintain a connection with those who came before us and with our Creator, who promises a great reunion in which all nations will be welcome and all languages will be spoken freely and understood by all. Until that time, our songs remind us that God continues to be faithful to our people throughout the generations. We walk forward in hope, one step at a time.
Delana Taylor McNac (Oklahoma, USA)
Prayer
Creator God, thank you for the many different people who serve you and especially for those who have taught us about you. Amen.
Thought for the Day
To listen to Native American hymns, go to https://www.pilgrimproduction.org/n.....american.html.
Prayer Focus
Native American Churches
Dominus tecum