Narration
Introduction
Our world is crumbling, racing toward destruction at every turn. We see everywhere the scars of conflict; physical maladies, the constant assault of confusion, and the wounds of words. Tonight is a temporary rest from all of that. Tonight we gather together to sing, to play—to listen—to engage in that heavenly vehicle called music.
Music is the language of heaven that speaks to everyone. Music can present itself in hushed and quiet tones of reverence or in thunderous strains of joyful melody. Music can calm our fears, engage our senses, and open before us the vistas of heaven in a way no other medium can.
And so tonight we sing because we have a Friend Who is both our Brother and our Savior. We sing to Christ because He is our source of true joy; we sing to Christ because He is our assurance of true peace. We sing to Christ because He is our infallible Redeemer, the hope of the world. We gather together tonight in music, because Christ is Our Song!
Part 1 – Christ, Our Joy!
Rejoice the Lord is King! O clap your hands, sing Gloria to the One Who gives us infinite reasons to be joyful! Real joy comes from the knowledge this world is not our final home. We have in sight the end of suffering, and the beginning of eternal joy.
How can this be? Christ is the answer. Through Him we have learned of salvation, and this brings us the emotions of great delight and happiness; these are feelings we cannot suppress.
O clap your hands together all ye people; O sing unto God with the voice of melody. Gloria in excelsis Deo! Lift up your heart, lift up your voice; rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
Part 2 – Christ, Our Peace
“It is well with my soul.” Not often is this phrase heard in today’s world, and even less is it felt. Yet, even though sorrows like sea billows roll, Christ has taught us to say, “It is well with my soul.”
This, then, is peace. A gift of calm and quiet tranquility that raises us above the chaos of the world and gives us rest. It is found through Christ, Who shed His own blood for our souls. In this peace, we can gaze fully on the face of infinite love Who bled for this, Adam’s helpless race.
We sing, “Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona nobis pacem.”
“Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, grant us peace.”
Part 3 – Christ, Our Hope
Oh, who are we, that You are mindful of us, O Lord?
The answer is simple: we are His children. We are the recipients and heirs of Infinite Love from a Father Who longs to bring His children home. We are witness to the greatest act of selflessness ever committed. God so loved the world that He sent His only Son, that whosoever would believe in Him should not parish, but have everlasting life.
This, then, is our song. We have joy because we are freely given the gift of salvation. We have peace because we are assured a way home. We have hope because while we yet wait for Christ’s soon coming, we know that He’s got the whole world in His hands.