Thoughts for the Day

The apostles gathered around Jesus, and told him all that they had done and taught. He said to them, ‘Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat. And they went away in the boat to a deserted place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived ahead of them. As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Over the years since the age of 15 I have run a number of church choirs, some small as at present and some large. The usual complaint about joining a choir is "I can't sing!" but the fact is that all those with a normal throat and hearing (even with hearing aids) can sing. Even those who growl can learn to sing! As I frequently say your vocal chords are like rubber bands and they just need practice, which is the reason why many of us lost our voices during the pandemic, because we stopped singing. It's taken my voice a couple of years of singing with my lovely group of singers at church for the volume and some of the higher notes to return. I'm too old for it to get back to exactly what it once was, but I'm content with what I do have, and it's still a joy to sing to the Lord!

In today's reading Jesus welcomes back the disciples after sending them out to teach and heal the sick. Now they need to rest - not physically but spiritually. Just as when we sing we breathe into our diaphragm (not our upper chest) and let it go slowly in order to sing higher notes and longer phrases (which is why singing is so good for those with asthma), so with doing God's work we need to go back to basics and connect to God. All Christians who want to share God's love with others first need to draw on His strength through prayer. The disciples and Jesus all found time to be with God, to be encouraged by His Spirit, before going on with their work in the world. Just as we cannot sing without drawing in breath, so we cannot be faithful Christians without drawing in power from above. And the more we do this the stronger our faith and our witness for God's Kingdom will be!

Lord Jesus,
may we learn to breathe in Your Spirit
that calms our fears,
that gives us solace,
that strengthens our resolve,
that feeds our souls,
that prepares us to go out
and carry on the work of the Kingdom.
Amen.