Dear Friends,
Today in Holy Trinity we are delighted to welcome our choir back to our worship after their Christmas break. So many people have told me how much they miss them, and we are very privileged to have such a fine choir to enhance our worship. The sense of the numinous, the atmosphere of the presence of God that they create through their music is such an important part of our worship.
It was St Augustine who said ‘The one who sings, prays twice’. And in Psalm 89 we find these words, “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations”. Somewhat surprisingly, John Calvin, the Reformer, also felt that singing was a very important part of worship, and we know that he wanted to encourage the entire congregation to sing. One does however wonder how it might have sounded!
During the pandemic we have all been asked to wear masks in church and I know how difficult this makes it to breathe properly and to sing. I also know that the church authorities are in discussion with the government advisors about this at present, and hope that this ruling may be reversed very soon. For many, even those who would consider themselves not to be singers, the music of worship is an important part of the who experience, and it is good to be able to sing our praise without inhibition. After all, the 100th Psalm says ‘Make a joyful noise to the Lord’. This is a gathering psalm, a call to worship, and it certainly says nothing about the quality of the sound!
So, as we come to worship, or as we gather for worship in our own homes, let us enjoy everything that we can offer to God in praise and worship. And let us open our minds and our hearts to all that he has for us, today and every day.
With love and blessings,
Marion
Categories: Minister's Blog