JOYFUL, JOYFUL, WE ADORE THEE
Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love;
Hearts unfold like flowers before Thee, opening to the sun above.
Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; drive the dark of doubt away;
Giver of immortal gladness, fill us with the light of day!
All Thy works with joy surround Thee, earth and heaven reflect Thy rays,
Stars and angels sing around Thee, center of unbroken praise.
Field and forest, vale and mountain, flowery meadow, flashing sea,
Singing bird and flowing fountain call us to rejoice in Thee.
Thou art giving and forgiving, ever blessing, ever blessed,
Wellspring of the joy of living, ocean depth of happy rest!
Thou our Father, Christ our Brother, all who live in love are Thine;
Teach us how to love each other, lift us to the joy divine.
Mortals, join the happy chorus, which the morning stars began;
Father love is reigning o’er us, brother love binds man to man.
Ever singing, march we onward, victors in the midst of strife,
Joyful music leads us Sunward in the triumph song of life.
Memory Verse : I will sing a new song unto thee, O God: upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee.-Psalm 144:9
For Teachers: If you have a reference book on instruments or actual musical instruments you can bring in today, that would help the children in a tremendous way today .
Discussion Questions :
1. Do birds sing a song ? Crickets , Frogs ? Have you ever listened to their songs ?
2. Have you ever heard the rain splash against a window or into puddles ?
3. Did you know the whales in the ocean have been heard singing ?
4. Did you know in some recorded music , sounds of nature --
such as bird songs, whale songs and falling rain are blended into the music ?
5. Do you sing or play an instrument ?
6. How many instruments can you name ?
7. Have you ever thought of yourself as
an instrument ?
Let's focus on the last question because you are an instrument of God . Your heartbeat, your voice , your hands are created to praise God and the sounds that come from you can and do praise Him .
There are sounds that we can make as well that
may not sound like music ....right ?
We know what screaming sounds like
and how we feel when we hear others around us bickering and arguing .
These sounds come from us as well .They do not sound like music at all !
A piano can be played carefully and thoughtfully.
Someone can also bang on the keys in an irritating way
and then - noise comes out ---not music. A trumpet can sound bold , triumphant and clear or if played the wrong way - can be a sound of pure disturbance !
Well...the same goes for people.
Let's read now a few verse from Ephesians :
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour,
and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.-- Ephesians 4:31-32
God designed us to be peacemakers, musical , joyful , loving and tenderhearted
and He desires us to walk this way and be this way with one another as much as
possible .
What kind of instrument do you want to be for God ?
Will you be as a song for Him , the way He intended you to be ?
Did you know He sings over His children ? Yes . God sings !
The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty;
he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy;
he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.
Zephaniah 3:17
_________________________________________________
Close With Prayer .
