Food for the Journey – 5/6/2021

Make a joyful noise – but how?

This week’s psalm 98 begins:

“Sing a new song to the Lord,

who has done marvelous things . . .

Shout with joy to the Lord, all you lands;

Lift up your voice, rejoice, and sing.”

And continues:

“Sing to the Lord with the harp,

with the harp and the voice of song.

With trumpets and the sound of the horn

shout with joy before the king, the Lord.

 

Let the sea roar, and all that fills it,

the world and those who dwell therein.

Let the rivers clap their hands,

and let the hills ring out with joy before the Lord . . .”

This we read right when we are planning to worship in person again come June and will have to start by asking people not to sing because singing spreads aerosols and increases the possibility of spreading the virus.

It is hard not to sing.  Staff has suggested that I don’t sing as a model for everyone else and so I have  started practicing that.  I don’t like it; I don’t like it one bit.  I love to sing; singing touches our hearts and involves our bodies and here God calls forth our singing in praise.

What to do?  Humming might work.  The text says the rivers clap their hands; maybe this is an opportunity for First Lutheran to do a new thing and start clapping?!  In a Philly church I served, one of the church members played music with his clapping; it was so awe-inspiring.  Maybe we could dance or at least move a little bit more?  Maybe we could carry bells and ring them forth in peals of joy?

There must be some new ways we can express our praise of God and the joy that comes in worshipping the Lord. 

God, we join our praise with the rivers and the hills and all of your creation. Show us new ways to join in their song.  Amen.