Song of Faith

So God creates the universe
and with it the possibility of being and relating.
God tends the universe,
mending the broken and reconciling the estranged.
God enlivens the universe,
guiding all things toward harmony with their Source.

Grateful for God’s loving action,
We cannot keep from singing.

I'm just back from visiting one of our elderly members in hospital. She is a wonderful soul, 92 years old and still attending church until a week ago. She suffered what appears to be a stroke, and ended up in hospital, confused and incoherent. We have been trying to figure out whether she knows us. Today I spoke to her and she responded with a song. The word is that she has been singing lustily, waking up the neighbours, but with me it was a quiet tune I couldn't make out.

It makes sense that when she can't speak she sings. She was a choir member forever at St. Paul's and her former congregation. It's just part of who she is, and so I listened and prayed.

The United Church has a new faith statement, approved at the General Council meeting of 2006. It is called a Song of Faith, which I think is a wonderful title. Above is a portion of the opening stanzas.

When we are joyful as God's people we sing.
When we are sad and overwhelmed we can still sing.
Sometimes singing our faith is the only response that makes sense.