Raise your voices in song

Psalm 100          Raise your voices in song

          When I was just a small boy and on into my early teens I spent a portion of every day with my neighbors. I went there because they served me Vienna fingers and Hoffman ginger ale and also because they loved to talk with me and I with them. These 3 elderly spinster ladies loved to chat and seemed to just revel in my mere presence. The oldest sister, Maude, once told me that she loved watching me walk home from school or around the neighborhood because I was always singing. I always seemed to be happy. While I never was a slave to the music I did enjoy singing, often making up songs in my head and singing. Even as an adult, I find music to be a form of prayer and an outlet for both the joy in my heart and the thankfulness I feel.

           It seems to me that music can easily be a form a praise that we can embrace. God gives us voices to communicate. I also believe it is ours to praise God and express joy that wells up inside us and cannot be easily expressed or contained in any other manner.

            The hymns and songs of our faith go back seemingly forever so I do think that I have discovered something new as far as the meaning of music and song. I have previously expressed the pleasure of saying the 'hours' in seminary and the beauty of our combined voices raised in praise and song.

            One of the beauties of music is that there are so many varieties and often a secular song can be sung as a song of praise to God. The musical Sister Act easily comes quickly to mind. I encourage everyone to sing loudly and often. Raise your voices to God in song, in church, in your car, under your breath and in your heart. It doesn't matter how you sound either. God gave you that voice, sing out proudly!

            As I continue on somewhat of a theme of thanksgiving, raise your voices and give praise to God for everything. For who you are, where you are on your journey and where God promises us to be as faithful servants.

          

A Psalm of thanksgiving.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth.
Worship the Lord with gladness;
come into his presence with singing. 

 Know that the Lord is God.
 It is he that made us, and we are his;
 we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 

Enter his gates with thanksgiving,
and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, bless his name. 

For the Lord is good;
his steadfast love endures for ever,
and his faithfulness to all generations.