Psalm 92:1 – How good it is to give thanks to you, O Lord, to sing in your honour, O Most High God. (GNB)

Once a month during the cold season, a group of us get together in one of our churches for a potluck supper and an impromptu sing-along.

The supper goodies are delicious, and then two or three people tune up their guitars, others bring out maybe a banjo and a fiddle, and the singing begins. John's a good leader, and soon his booming baritone voice fills the Fellowship Room.

"Sing with me!" he says, and we join in, timidly at first, then with enthusiasm. "There's a church in the valley by the wildwood…" Then we're on to the next.

"Life is like a mountain railroad, with an engineer that's brave… Blessed Saviour, Thou wilt guide us, till we reach that blissful shore."

No, we're not the greatest singers, but we sing with enthusiasm and from the heart. There are calls for one of our pastors to give a solo, and he responds with a vigorous version of "Just let the sunshine in", and soon he has us singing those familiar words.

And so it goes. An hour or so later, the evening ends with a lively rendition of "O when the saints go marching in".

Music refreshes the soul. The Bible writers knew this, and we hear the words of the psalmist, "Shout for joy to God our defender… Start the music and beat the tambourines; play pleasant music on the harps and the lyres…" (Psalm 81:1-2 GNB)

It's time to go now, but the words cling to our tongues. Someone remarks on her way out, "I'm glad I came tonight." Another starts humming the last tune, and some of us join in as we make our way to our cars. "Oh how I want to be in that number, when the saints go marching in!"

That's singing! Thank God for giving us voices to sing praises to our Lord!

Prayer: Lord God, may we always praise Your holy name. Let us sing with vigour; let us come before You with thankful hearts. May we join the choirs of heaven as we sing — maybe not very well — but with unbridled enthusiasm. Amen.

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