Keep On Singing

“Keep on Singing.”

By

Bishop Melvin L. Maughmer, Jr.

OPENING:- If I can take us on a trip down memory lane for a minute and go back to the Disney Cartoon Movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs there is a famous song that says “Whistle While You Work” the Lyrics are - Just whistle while you work And cheerfully together we can tidy up the place So hum a merry tune It won't take long when there's a song to help you set the pace And as you sweep the room Imagine that the broom is someone that you love And soon you'll find you're dancing to the tune When hearts are high the time will fly so whistle while you work So whistle while you work. This song written by Frank Churchill and Larry Morey is a perfect illustration of how we can emphasize the fun rather than the monotony of work.

Now before someone says ok what is Bishop doing talking about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, is he reliving his childhood - NO - but I want to talk on the subject Keep On Singing.

Music has had a profound influence on the culture of the United States and the world. Black music is especially profound and is often the sustaining factor of a people, emotionally, spiritually, and collectively.

Music portrays the roots of a people stripped of their humanity and burden with shackled labor driven by the harsh sting of the whip, slaves, in the form of their songs, held on to the only piece of their homeland and heritage that they could truly embrace. Through songs they were able to somewhat bare the struggles, of their experiences in a foreign land that professed liberty and justice for all, yet treated them worse than livestock, unworthy of the amenities of humanity in a nation under God.

People all over the world love to sing. I for one love to sing even though I can’t carry a tune in a bucket with help. I love the commercial on television where the guy is riding his lawn mower cutting the grass and he doesn’t know all the words to the song but when he gets to a certain part he really belts it out load, that is me in a nutshell but I like to sing and people love to sing whether or not they can carry a tune. You must understand that there’s something positive something healthy in the act of raising our voices in song.

In fact, there’s solid scientific evidence to prove that singing is, in fact, good for your body and your mind.

However, in the Bible singing isn’t just good for us it is a command to us. So Keep On Singing!

PRAYER: -

SCRIPTURE: Psalm 137:1-4 says “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof. For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion. How shall we sing the LORD'S song in a strange land”. James 5:13 says “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms.”

Singing provides a direct experience and feeling of happiness. It’s a mood lifter & anti-depressant with no side effects.

Singing can be done to express any of the 12 different emotions interest, surprise, joy, sadness, anger, disgust, contempt, hostility, fear, shame, shyness, and guilt. But when we find singing in the Bible it is usually pointing to times of joy and rejoicing and it is so vitally connected with our worship toward God.

I remember some advice my grandmother would say when I had to do something I really didn’t want to do – I can hear her say “Sing a song while you are doing it and before you know it you will be done”. I didn’t understand it then but what she was instilling in me was wisdom because she knew that when you have a song in your heart and sing that song it will change your mood, affect your attitude, alter your altitude and carry through whatever it is you are going through.

BACKGROUND:- In our text the Children of Israel had been captured and are now in captivity in a strange land in Babylon. While under the oppression of the Babylonians they thought of their homeland and longed to free. They thought of the former glory they once had and began to mourn and cry utterly for what they had been taken away from. They took their harps and hung them on the tree by the river and refused to sing because of the oppression they were under. They lost their song.