Finding your rhythm

“Get into the groove” Madonna pronounced “you’ve got to prove your love to me”. This lyric keeps returning to my head today and is driving me mad..

I was playing through some songs with my son David (whose drum lessons are starting to pay off) and I was acutely aware of 2 things.

1. the necessity of the pace to be set by someone who can keep time
2. the requirement for the rhythm used to be compatible to the style of the song being played.  - (the groove of the song)

You can be in time, but out of step.  The rhythm, or style, sets the feel of how the song progresses and connects with the pattern played by other instruments (namely the bass guitar and rhythm guitar) to create a layer on which the melody can sit and find it’s voice.

Many of us will be familiar with the clackity clack, clackity clack of a train on tracks, and the somehow soothing nature of its predictable call and response as each set of wheels crosses the same point on the track.

Without being in a predictable groove or rhythm it is difficult for others to join the song, and travel the same path. In our churches, if there’s not a simple, understandable, clear message how can others know where we’re heading and what we’re doing on the journey to ‘there’… ?

But there’s another rhythm, one that comes from the heartbeat of the Father. One that propels us to love and care, one that nurtures our compassion and unleashes it on the dispossessed and impoverished (physically or spiritually).  That groove is often drowned out by the noise of our own activity, and I can’t help wondering if God is asking us to prove our love for him, by getting into his groove.  When we’re in the groove, there’s an easiness (even if the work is tough), because we move in tandem with the spirit, and ride the momentum of what He is doing, being the hands and feet and mouth that he so readily chooses to use.

There are so many anthemic songs written in 4/4 Bb (capo 3G) and they ring out some truth or over, and we lap them up because we love that particular groove as it reminds us of the greatness of God. The power he used in raising Jesus from the dead, the same power he uses to save us.  We allow our voice to rise and our heart to celebrate and rejoice, we may even clap or dance along. We love how it feels to be praising God this way… and it is right to do so… but this other groove, this message from the Father, this commission from the Son, this direction from the spirit.. maybe we need to find that groove, learn it’s song and prove our love for Him?

Father I thank you for music and song. I thank you for the way it unites us and enables us all with one voice to praise and thank you specifically. It allows us to connect our emotions with our understanding, and focus our passions.  It’s an amazing gift to us.  help us to appreciate the truth in the words we sing for more than the moment that the song is on our lips. Where there is a promise from you, let us take it to our hearts. Where there is a promise from us, let us remember to follow through.   Cause us to hear from your throne room the rhythm of your heart, the beat you want us to follow and the path to walk down. God of Justice, Saviour to all give us ears to hear, hearts to love, hands to serve and feet to go.