The God Who Sings

from Jenny Morgan, Interim Associate Minister

We celebrate Mom’s 70^th birthday this week. I live almost 2,000 miles away from my family, so finding ways to celebrate important birthdays is an art form for which I’ve had lots of practice. Phone calls, flowers, cards, occasional surprise visits, and now a First Plymouth Congregational Church blog post. (Mom doesn’t quite yet understand what a blog is, so I’ll send her a copy via snail mail.)

Last week I asked, “Mom, how will you celebrate 70?” Knowing exactly how my family (1 incredible sister, 2 amazing brothers, 3 out-of-this-world, remarkable sisters-in-law,

1 extraordinary nephew, and 1 beautiful and talented niece) planned to honor her, I was surprised by Mom’s response. “Oh, maybe God will sing happy birthday to me! I don’t like making a big deal about my birthdays…too much fuss.”

I tried to hold my cynicism at bay, but I’m certain it leaked out as I rolled my eyes on the other end of the phone. God singing? Come on, Mom!

But then Zephaniah 3:17 from the Bible popped into my brain and the cynic in me drifted away. “The Lord your God is in your midst, the Mighty One who saves; he will rejoice over you with gladness, take great delight in you, and renew you with his love; he will exalt over you with loud singing!”

Maybe she’s right. God does sing over us. And the family is also celebrating her life tonight. They are taking her out for a very special dinner, delighting in her (with God and with each other), renewing her with their love, and singing a loud, mostly out of tune song in her honor.

May we all be aware of God’s voice singing over us.

And by the way…Happy Birthday, Lucy Morgan, from your oldest kid! God is indeed singing over you, taking great joy in you, and loving you fully! Let’s make a great big fuss about that.

Hearing the Voice even now,
Jenny