A Festal Shout of Praise
I have always liked to play and watch sports. But I will admit until this World Cup, I can’t recall ever watching much soccer other than Ted Lasso and clips from the Wrexham matches, which is the football club in Wales owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.
I was in Philadelphia to watch my grandson run in the New Balance Nationals a couple of weeks ago, which coincided with the first round of the World Cup. Fans from Brazil were at the hotel where we stayed, so there was a lot of excitement at the hotel and throughout the city.
I have noticed a couple of things while watching some of the matches. First, the vuvuzelas often heard in international matches were banned by FIFA. If you have never heard one, you can be thankful! But second, the wonderful singing that happens at these matches is amazing. “Sweet Caroline” and “Country Roads” have been sung by locals and internationals. It seems everyone gets into these huge stadiums singing!
Psalm 89 says: “Blessed are the people who know the festal shout, who walk, O Lord, in the light of your face.”
This festal shout, teru’ah in Hebrew, was made by either blowing a horn or shouted by a large group of voices. It was sometimes an alarm or warning and at other times a shout of praise. I am not so sure that some of the group shouting and singing at these World Cup matches are far off from being festal shouts.
As I have watched and listened to these group chants, shouts, and songs, it strikes me how these group songs change the mood of a stadium. As people sing and shout their chants, there is unity and a great sense of joy and celebration. I have watched as US citizens have shouted and sung with international visitors and for teams they had never heard of until they landed in their city. And I have watched our international guests join in the singing of songs from our country’s music repertoire as well.
During the Covid-19 crisis, when people around the world were in lockdown, there was a surge of worship songs that emerged. You may remember “Way Maker,” written by a Nigerian gospel singer or “The Blessing,” written by Kari Jobe and others. These songs unified not just the church but also gave hope and brought gospel light to people who were not believers.
In both Colossians and Ephesians, the church is admonished to sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with thankfulness in our hearts. What would happen if we brought the enthusiasm of soccer stadium singing into our church gatherings? What would happen if we shared the joy of our worship outside the church? If pop music sung in stadiums can bring joy to others, imagine what our songs of praise and worship might do?!
At the end of the 2015 World Cup, a choir with a representative from every country at that year’s event sang a hymn to the crowed stadium at the championship game. The hymn was “Abide in Me.” I watched a video of this recently and saw the stadium join in the singing of this hymn. What a powerful witness of the transformative power of the gospel.
Father, today I pray that we would begin each day with songs of praise. May we bring shouts and songs of joy to you in ways that invite others to want to join in and experience the peace and love we have in Christ Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Your Time with God’s Word
Colossians 3:16; Ephesians 5:18-21; Psalm 89:15 ESV
Photo by Pexels
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