The Big Sing

According to research done by the Singing Foundation website there is now considerable evidence to support the claim that singing really is good for you.

It has physical benefits like improving your posture, lung function and regulating your blood pressure.

There are other social and psychological benefits, too, like relieving stress, improving your mood, boosting confidence and helping to form social bonds.

One of the great things to do if you move to anew area is to join a choir. It could be a community choir or a church choir, but you will meet new people and have fun and feel all of these benefits as you engage in singing with others.

One of the most moving pieces of video I have seen in the past year, as a sports fan, was when Daire Gorman, a young Liverpool super fan, who was born with a rare condition called Crommelin Syndrome, went to visit Anfield, Liverpool’s home stadium for a game.

The condition means he is without arms from the elbows down and missing femur bones in both legs and, as a result, is a wheelchair user. As a young boy he has many obstacles to overcome, but it doesn’t deflect his passion and love for supporting his favourite football team. As the capacity crowd joined in a rousing rendition of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’, the tears streamed down his cheeks, so moved was he by the emotion of the singing.

The then Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp, was so touched by Daire’s fervour in singing that he invited him over for a day to meet his favourite players and watch them train. The video always brings a tear to my eye as I see this young man singing his heart out and eventually getting to meet his heroes and the dignity and love with which he was treated.

Last weekend, BBC Radio 2, hosted a two day music festival in Preston. Some of the top musical acts of the past 20 years played their hits and the capacity crowd lapped it up. The presenters from the radio station presented all their shows and led dance parties for the crowds, but the real magic happened when these singing superstars came on stage with their bands. Very often you could hear them singing along and even drowning out the stars as, spurred on by the crowds around them, they sang out with joy. There was such an atmosphere of community and celebration as I heard snatches on the car radio over the weekend.

On Sunday night, our church hosted an amazing service for the Mothers’ Union, which is a women’s organisation throughout the Diocese. All the different parishes and branches were asked to nominate their 10 favourite hymns and we got together to sing 7 of them. We had some special guests from the organisation itself, the All Ireland President, the Diocesan President, Zonal trustees, Diocesan chaplains and so on. There was a lovely supper afterwards, but it was incredibly powerful to hear people stand up and tell us why these hymns had meant so much to them. The words had brought comfort and hope in tough times, maybe they had been sung at family celebrations like weddings or baptisms and, as I watched people sing, you could see we were all transported to a higher place.

People came out of the service with smiles on their faces and a glow radiating from them, as together we realised that these were more than just songs. This was worship. This was lifting the thanks and praise and pain and confusion of our daily lives before the throne of God, and it felt wonderful to have a space and platform to do that together.

There was a fundraising aspect to the event, also, as Iris, the zonal trustee informed us about the ‘Mums in May’ initiative that was receiving the offering. It was funding all sorts of special initiatives from providing school dinners during the holidays for families in need,  assisting families in need with food parcels, providing essentials for victims of domestic violence, and assisting those in places of shelter.

From the moment Mavis, the Diocesan President introduced our opening hymn, ‘What a friend we have in Jesus,’ to the moments Joan, a member from Seagoe Parish in Portadown , explained why our closing hymn, ‘Great is thy faithfulness,’ meant so much to her and her branch, it was a very special event indeed. Our thanks go to all those who came to join with us and raise the roof in the exuberance of the singing, to those who thoughtfully arranged the service and those who provided a welcoming supper and cup of tea afterwards, not forgetting Mark, our organist, and the choir for leading us.

Don’t forget the Soup Lunch this coming Sunday after the 11am service, with proceeds being divided between parish funds and the Parish of Greenisland, recently devastated by a fire in an arson attack.

The following  Sunday, 22nd September, we hope to welcome many visitors to our invitation service. Do pray for those you would like to invite and see if you can accompany them to the service. For those who can’t come in person the service will be live streamed. Occasionally, the live stream drops and, if that happens, the service will be recorded and later go up on our website and YouTube channel.

Can I ask you to hold in your prayers the Hall family on the recent death of Tom, a dearly loved husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather. We are awaiting the date of Tom’s funeral.

Look forward to speaking again soon.

Much love to everyone,

Jono.

Listen to the latest episode of ‘Bitesize Chunks of Faith’