Singing to God

I think Leonard Cohen’s “If It be Your Will” is one of the best arguments for including “contemporary” music in church services.  I could go all English major (What’s up with the line, “In our rags of light”?), but mostly I’ll let it speak for itself.

But one line really spoke to me, “I will sing to you.”  I never thought of singing to God.  We sing to babies, children, our special people. I sing to my pets.  In church, it seems to be that we are singing for God.  Not that there’s anything wrong with that.  But singing to someone is more intimate, like giving a present.  What would happen if we thought we were singing to God?  How would we feel?

By the way, in the printed lyrics, we are “All dressed to thrill.”  In the live performance, the line is “all dressed to kill.”  As a former English teacher, I do wish I had a class to ask, “What effect does each word have?  Which do you think is better?  Why do you think so?”  (Sorry – I can get carried away.)

Anyway, here is it.