Why has the music stopped?

Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit. Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. Sing and make music in your heart to the Lord. - Ephesians 5:18-19

Guy Duffield, my father-in-law, used to tell the story of an old monastery in Europe where a small group of monks, met in the chapel for evening prayers. The organ was run-down, and frequently a stop would freeze. But the malfunctioning organ didn’t keep the men from singing heartily.

One afternoon a weary traveler knocked at the front gate seeking a place to sleep and hospitality was extended to him. He was later invited to join the group for evening prayers. As the old hymn began, the monks quickly realized that the voice of this stranger was crystal clear and had brilliant resonance. One by one they stopped singing to listen to the stranger. The organist stopped playing and only the visitor sang. And sing he did, hymn after hymn.

After he left, the men mumbled, “I wish I could sing like the stranger did.” Then an angel appeared and asked why there had been no singing that evening. “None of us will ever feel like singing again,” the leader responded, adding, “for we have heard what real singing is like.”

The angel shook his head and said, “You may not have the greatest voices on earth, but you sang with your heart. Your hymns rise to the very throne of God. Tonight He missed the music and He sent me to find out why it had stopped.”

No one can ever replace the simple song of God’s child who sings from his heart. On key or off key, what counts is whether he has the heart to sing.