December 18 - Sing

December 18 - #AdventWord #Sing
The psalmist implores us to sing, “Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our Sovereign, sing praises.” (Ps 47:6) Singing in a small monastic choir brings home the value of each voice. When one whom we know and love is missing due to illness or travel, it is easily noticed and the choir feels incomplete. And at the same time, we also acknowledge that only one member of the choir can show up to pray the office and all the saints and angels will fill out the choir. In this Advent season, even as the church is called to sing praises, I wonder whose voice is missing from the choir of our praise? Whose voices were with us in our last Advent season but are now gathered with the saints; whose voices have left the choir, and whose were never welcomed and thus never heard among us?  The psalmist does not call only singers of particular skill or range. Nor is there division by any other name. “Clap your hands, ALL you peoples; shout to God with a cry of joy….Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our Sovereign, sing praises.” (Ps 47:1, 6) Because every voice matters.

—The Rev. Sr. Miriam Elizabeth Bledsoe, OSH, The Order of Saint Helena