Songs of Praise

I was just playing a few worship songs here at home and thinking again how much I love singing them. There are a few I know “by heart” (more or less!) and it’s such a joy to be able to pick up my guitar and just play and sing these songs: How Great Thou Art; Blessed Be Your Name; Light of the World and Lead Me – plus a few others I needed a chord chart for!

I am very conscious that I am very fortunate to be able to play a bit and sing a bit (hold a tune at least!) and of course to have a few guitars to play. My go-to guitar is my first proper guitar and that’s because it doesn’t need any plugging in and it sits out ready all the time. I bought it when I was about 16, from memory, from a store in Liverpool – one that dates right back to Beatles days!

So I’ve had this pretty basic, relatively cheap guitar (a Fender Gemini II, for guitar nerds out there) all these years and I guess that whatever I paid for it, it’s about the best money I’ve ever spent, having given me what… over 35 years of joy and consolation.

Guitar

To be honest, I have probably spent a lot longer singing various rock and pop songs than worship songs on it, but I’ve discovered that a lot of rock and pop songs could just as easily be sung to God, or we could imagine Him singing them to us. Regardless of what the songwriter intended when he or she wrote the song, once it’s out there, interpretations are up for grabs!

Knowing the joy of being able to play an instrument and sing along, I find it hard to imagine not being able to and wish that everyone could get a taste of this kind of joy. Maybe it’s not for everyone, or maybe a broom handle and a hairbrush will suffice… but I hope you’ll listen to some music this weekend and maybe look for God in it. He pops up in the most unlikely places!

By the way, perhaps you have an old guitar kicking about the place or another instrument… or maybe you’ve been thinking about learning? I’d really encourage you to try, to make a start and to stick with it. Like many things, it rewards you for the time invested. Oh, and if you do try the guitar let me give you the warning that no-one ever gave me – it really hurts your fingertips at first. It’s not just you, it really is like that for everyone! But persist – and eventually you’ll be able to play for hours and barely notice.

And even if you decide to stick to a broom handle and a hairbrush, find a quiet place you can be by yourself, put some music on and really go for it. It’s great therapy and, if you turn your mind to God, it can also be a beautiful time of prayer and worship.

Much love,


Simon
Simon Lace, 26/11/2020
Hello
Hello and welcome to our church. If you are a new visitor, we have a page for you to get to know us and learn more about planning a visit.
Click to see more

Planning your Visit

Chruch Gradient2

I am New 

Welcome from all of us at Easthampstead Baptist Church!

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little more about us. As you explore our website, we hope that you catch a broader glimpse of what EBC is all about. It's about people - people just like you - who want to embark on a journey to discover more of God and his will for our lives.
 

What should I expect on a Sunday Morning?

Sometimes going to a church for the first time can be a little daunting. I promise we won't bite! To help ease any uncertainties below are the answers to some common questions people have before attending a Sunday morning.
 
What do I have to wear?
We are a 'come as you are' sort of people and have no formal dress-code for our Sunday services.
We can assure you that we don't have bouncers on the door vetting your attire!
If you are still not sure, feel free to check out our services on YouTube to have an idea.
 
What time do I need to be there?
At the moment we have one Sunday morning service which starts at 10.00am.
 
On the 4th Sunday of the month we run our All-sorts service which starts at 10:00am.

Check out our other services below!
P5280959
 
We would recommend you turn up 10 minutes before the service starts so you have a chance to say hi!
If you have children that need signing in to the children and youth work, they need to be signed in from 9:50am.
 
Parking
There is plenty of parking both out the front and at the back of the building. Just follow the signs!
 
P6250334
 
How safe is my child in your care?
We run separate children and youth work during our 10:00am service, which is run by a group of volunteers who have all been DBS checked.

Children ages 11 and under must be signed in and out by their parent/carer. The youth can sign themselves in and out.
 

For information about our safeguarding policy click here