Sitting by the ocean or another body of water. Knitting a wash cloth. Reading a novel. Being with other people sharing deeply from our hearts and life experiences. Learning something new. Being creative with a recipe. These are some of the initial thoughts that come to mind when I ask myself the question, what makes my heart sing?
Taking time with this question I will write about over the next several week and keep asking it over the next several months. Writing makes my heart sing. Last week when I tuned into the webinar offered by the Lilly Endowment Clergy Renewal Program- that was the question posed. What will make your heart sing? Posed in future tense as it relates to discerning the application for a sabbatical grant. That question- now in the present tense- is one I am going to ask of you as well. What makes your heart sing?
This weekend we will hear Psalm 16. Noisy November is an opportunity to make a joyful noise and listen to the songs of our hearts. Some of the noise we may need to make might be a wail of lament, a shout of anger or a shout of praise. Listening to our hearts and the songs of our souls is an invitation to also listen to and express the songs of sorrow and grief, confusion, peace, love, hope and hopelessness, restlessness, regret, triumph, praise... there are all sorts of songs and all sorts of psalms.
Similar to our prayers I trust God wants to hear all the songs of our hearts. The song “How Great Thou Art” has run through my mind this week with its line, “then sings my soul, my Savior God to Thee…” . The version in the video with the Pentatonix and Jennifer Hudson is wonderful even as it’s not really one of my favorite songs. In different seasons and for a variety of reasons there are songs that become a soundtrack for me.
Songs, music, sing-a-longs can take us to places that are so very powerful. Over the years,I have been inspired to create playlists to inspire me as I prepare sermons. This fall a friend created a playlist of songs she chose for me. Creating playlists and music make her heart sing.
The book of Psalms contains 150 prayers, songs, poems and liturgies. There are so many ways that the Psalms can speak into our lives. Recently the bulletin board across from the church kitchen has been created to invite you to share your favorite bible verse. By writing it out on a card and pining it up it is a chance for us to share with one another a pieces of scripture that makes our hearts sing. Of the five verses people have shared so far, four are from Psalms. What scripture makes your heart sing? It’s an act of vulnerability to let others in on what makes our hearts sing. To allow ourselves to be known and to know one another is a holy endeavor. As we move toward the end of this church year (Advent begins Sunday November 28, 2021) I will be inviting you to consider along with me what makes your heart sing?
The sabbatical program is an opportunity for resting and growing, learning and listening, letting our hearts sing and is designed for both pastor and congregation to be intentional in taking the time to ask, what will make your heart sing? Together let’s keep pondering this question, sharing our answers, exploring scripture and singing our songs together.
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