Thought for the Day - Thursday 4 June

Thought for the Day – Thursday 4^th June

In the Message translation of the Bible Psalm 95: 1-2 reads as this:

‘Come, let’s shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
Let’s march into his presence singing praises, lifting the rafters with our hymns!’

I am sure when all of this ‘Lockdown’ is over this is exactly how we will feel!

We will want to return to church gratefully and joyfully and meet together as our church fellowship to give thanks and praise to our God for bringing us through a difficult time and we will want to sing those praises of ours to the rafters too.

However, one of the very things which we may not be allowed to do when we return to our buildings, whenever that may be, is to sing. We are told that being indoors in a building – even though physically distanced within it – to sing would mean that we would be exhaling water droplets at a more forceful rate than if we were just gently breathing and those water droplets which may be infected with the virus could potentially spread the virus among us once more. Actually, for that same reason it seems we may not be allowed to use our balconies either because the water droplets from the breath of the people sitting above us could land on those below as well as surfaces and again potentially spread the virus.

Strange times indeed!

It is being mooted though, that although we may not be able to sing, we may be allowed to play music as we do with our Hymn Technology system at Holytown or Keystroke System at Wrangholm as long as we don’t sing along of course!

So with all of this in mind perhaps we can use our time at home to sing our hymns of praise to God our Rock for there we will be able to sing to our hearts content, raising our praise to the rafters – as long as it doesn’t disturb the neighbours, of course!

I thought I would offer you a raucous hymn of praise today to get you started on your quest to sing our hymns of praise to God at home but actually the hymn which kept coming into my mind was this one which you find at CH4 565 with the line ‘How can I keep from singing?’ for I am sure that is how we will all feel on our return to church. However, it also reminds us to cling fast to our Rock and our hymns during times of ‘storm’ as we are in at present in order to find peace and calm in our souls.

My life flows on in endless song
above earth’s lamentation:
I catch the sweet, though far off, hymn
that hails a new creation.

Refrain:
No storm can shake my inmost calm
while to that Rock I’m clinging.
Since love is Lord of heaven and earth,
how can I keep from singing?

Through all the tumult and the strife,
I hear that music ringing.
It finds an echo in my soul -
how can I keep from singing? [Refrain]

What though my joys and comforts die?
The Lord, my Saviour, liveth.
What though the darkness round me close?
Songs in the night he giveth. [Refrain]

The peace of Christ makes fresh my heart,
a fountain ever springing!
All things are mine since I am his!
How can I keep from singing? [Refrain]

Prayer

Loving Lord,

Through the gift of your Spirit you abide with us and within us, open our eyes to recognise your presence among us, open our hearts to the love you have for us, open our minds to the truth you would reveal to us. May we know your peace, the peace only you can give, and never stop singing your praises. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen