This is the sermon preached by The Rev. Marissa Galván-Valle on August 18, 2024, based on Ephesians 5:15-20.
The Power of Singing Together
One of the things I love about singing is the experience when voices come together in perfect harmony. There's a moment when everything just clicks, and it feels magical.
When your voice connects with others, it creates a different kind of beauty and communication. You feel part of something bigger, walking a shared path, and there's a spiritual connection that makes you stronger together than apart.
This reminds me of something I witnessed during the Olympics in Paris. Whenever the French National Anthem played, it took me back to a powerful scene from the film Casablanca:
In the scene, a group of German officers starts singing a patriotic German song in a café, asserting their dominance. Although they are in neutral territory, they represent the oppressive forces that have invaded much of Europe, including France.
Laszlo, a leader of the French Resistance, sees the unease among the people in the café. In a bold act of defiance, he instructs the band to play the French national anthem. Rick, the café’s owner, subtly nods his approval to the bandleader, allowing them to proceed.
As the orchestra begins playing "La Marseillaise," the entire café joins in, singing with increasing fervor, their voices filled with emotion. This scene powerfully symbolizes the spirit of defiance against oppression and the solidarity of those resisting the Nazi occupation. Together, they find the strength to face evil. Together, they survive and thrive. And in the Olympics, together, they inspired athletes and teams to victory.
If you want to see the scene, here the video:
I believe that singing together like that offers great benefits:
Emotional Connection and Bonding: Singing fosters unity and belonging, helping people feel more connected. Shared musical experiences increase empathy and deepen emotional bonds.
Health Benefits: Singing involves deep breathing and good posture, enhancing lung capacity and respiratory health. Studies suggest singing can boost the immune system by increasing levels of immunoglobulin A. Singing releases endorphins, reducing stress and promoting pleasure.
Mental Health and Well-Being: Singing lowers cortisol levels, reducing stress, and promoting relaxation. Group singing can significantly improve mood and reduce feelings of depression. Engaging in music enhances memory, concentration, and mental alertness.
Social and Community Benefits: Group singing creates a powerful sense of community and shared purpose, bridging diverse backgrounds. Singing in harmony requires coordination and listening, skills that translate to better teamwork. Singing together promotes cultural understanding and appreciation.
Spiritual and Existential Fulfillment: Singing in a group, especially in religious settings, deepens the sense of connection to something greater. It allows us to express collective values, hopes, and beliefs, offering a sense of purpose and meaning.
Sing Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs
It is said that Paul wrote his letter to the Ephesians while in prison, yet he took time to outline the mystery of the Gospel and its implications for believers, urging them to live in a way that reflects their new identity in Christ.
In Ephesians 5:15-20, Paul instructs the community about living out their faith. He doesn't just offer moral guidelines; he calls for a radically different way of life, one that contrasts sharply with the surrounding culture. This passage follows Paul's urging to "put off the old self" and "put on the new self," a reminder of baptism that Marcus spoke about last Sunday.
Paul emphasizes the importance of wisdom, Spirit-filled living, and communal worship. He begins by encouraging the Ephesians to live carefully (v. 15), with wisdom that is not just intellectual but deeply spiritual, rooted in understanding the Lord’s will. He contrasts this with the foolishness of the world, urging them to make the most of every opportunity (v. 16) to behave in a way that gave witness to their faith.
Paul invites them to be filled with the Spirit (v. 18), highlighting the source of true wisdom and the power to live a life that pleases God. This Spirit-filling overflows into joyful worship, mutual encouragement, and thanksgiving—practices that sustain and strengthen the faith community.
And it is on that joyful worship, and the power of the corporate nature of faith, that I want to focus today. G. Porter Taylor notes that Paul emphasizes the importance of communal worship. "They are to be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves' (vv. 18–19)." This singing together is at the core of our Christian identity and our connection to the body of Christ, allowing us to find purpose and strength.
Singing orients us to God and keeps our lives in the right relationship to God and to each other, which equips the body of Christ, the church. We are invited to sing from our hearts and connect to the heart of God. Worship, or as Taylor says, "singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts," connects us to God and to one another.
Taylor emphasizes that "This passage underlines the corporate nature of our existence and our salvation." In Presbyterian theology, salvation isn't just about an individual's relationship with God; it's also about being part of the church community. We believe that God’s promises and grace are shared within this community, where we worship together, support one another, and grow in faith.
The church is the body of Christ and being saved means becoming an intentional part of this body, where everyone is connected and responsible for each other. It’s a shared journey, with the church community playing a vital role in nurturing and living out the faith together.
We can face evil days. We can be careful with the ways that we behave. We can avoid been foolish. We can control the way we act, to act in ways that are loving and caring. We can give thanks to God and live in the ways of thanksgiving. We can do all that because the Spirit fills us as we sing together.
Archbishop Desmond Tutu spoke about this spiritual connection using the term "ubuntu." Ubuntu is an African philosophy that emphasizes the phrase, "I am because we are." It means that a person's identity and well-being are deeply connected to the community and relationships with others.
Archbishop Tutu further explains:
"My humanity is caught up, is inextricably bound up, in yours." We belong in a bundle of life. "A person is a person through other persons." It’s not "I think, therefore I am." It’s rather: "I am human because I belong. I participate. I share." A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, because they know they belong to a greater whole and are diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, or treated as less than they are.
So, we sing together in harmony, knowing we belong to something greater. We sing together because we learn together. We sing together because we journey toward maturity together. "I am because we sing." / "Yo soy porque cantamos."
Life is Beautiful
From time to time, I listen to music in other languages. I especially enjoy Samba, a lively and rhythmic Brazilian music and dance style with African roots. It's a symbol of Brazilian culture, with various forms from fast-paced sambas to more modern interpretations.
Recently, I was listening to the song "O Que É, O Que É?" ("What is it?") by Gonzaguinha. It’s a famous Brazilian song that celebrates life with its joys and struggles. I don’t fully understand Portuguese, but these words in the refrain filled me with hope as I heard Gonzaguinha sing with a choir of voices:
Viver
E não ter a vergonha
De ser feliz
Cantar e cantar e cantar
A beleza de ser
Um eterno aprendiz
Ah meu Deus!
Eu sei, eu sei
Que a vida devia ser
Bem melhor e será
Mas isso não impede
Que eu repita
É bonita, é bonita
E é bonita
To live,
and not be ashamed
Of being happy
To sing and sing and sing
The beauty of being
An eternal learner
Oh my God
I know, I know
That life should be
Much better, and it will be
But that doesn’t stop me
From saying again
It’s beautiful, it’s beautiful,
and it’s beautiful.
Here is the original song:
Sometimes, singing is an act of defiance, especially in challenging times. Throughout history, songs have been used to resist oppression—from spirituals to plena, from protest songs to nueva canción.
So, the invitation is clear: "be filled with the Spirit, as you sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to one another, singing and making melody to the Lord in your hearts, giving thanks to God the Father at all times and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Sing! Sing and declare that there’s hope. Sing and witness that life can be beautiful. Sing of the beauty of being able to learn! Sing and give witness that things can get better, that they will get better. I am Because We Sing. We sing because we are. We sing because we are the body of Christ in the world, and for that we are thankful!
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