A Moment Aside ---- 10 July 2020

A Moment Aside ---- 10 July 2020

     I’d like to live my life this way… singing and finding new songs to sing. I can’t always do this. There are days when I feel I have nothing to sing about. There are days when I have a song, but health, duty, or something else takes precedence and I don’t sing. There are days when the song seems distant. This strange time in our history is not made for songs, although people will sing of it later… just not right now.

     That’s the human condition, I suppose. Humans in general like to sing. One of the disappointing things about any plans to open churches for public worship is the recommendation that no congregational singing be done. Singing pushes the breath further out than simple conversation, and the breath propels droplets that can carry the virus. So the recommendation against singing is for the public good. I understand this and I agree with it.

     Just because I agree doesn’t mean I like it.

     Still there are many ways to sing. We hum to ourselves for comfort, for entertainment, or to join in music that has no words or to join in a piece to which we don’t know the words. Nothing can stop a song in our hearts. That’s where all music begins.

     I’m going to take this some with me today and tomorrow. I invite you to do so as well. It’s not my song… I didn’t write it. Maybe David the king did. Who knows?

     If I sing it though, it becomes my song! Go ahead and make it yours as well. If you can’t sing, sing anyway.

O sing to the Lord a new song;
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, bless his name;
    tell of his salvation from day to day.
Declare his glory among the nations,
    his marvelous works among all the peoples.
For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised;
    he is to be revered above all gods.
For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens.
Honor and majesty are before him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.   (Psalm 96: 1-6)