Your Voice is My Favorite Sound

Scripture References:  Psalm 100; Ephesians 5:19, 20

Decorations

Place sheets of music on the tables. Add centerpieces of small vases of flowers and music notes. Check Amazon and Oriental Trading Company for inexpensive music decorations. Play Christian vocal music in the background downloaded from YouTube.

Program Ideas

Program Activities

“Getting to know you” activity: Use questions to encourage the women to interact with each other. This could be a list of questions with each woman spending two minutes to exchange answers, before moving to another individual. Or draw a chart with different questions in each box. The women need to find someone who fits that category and get her signature. For example: Find someone who was born in another country. Find someone who has more than four children.

Music Fun

Put together a word search on songs, or types of music. https://www.education.com/worksheet-generator/reading/word-search/?gclid=CjwKCAjwyqWkBhBMEiwAp2yUFr0yA-SRvkzLDgNE70llRhJVWLagogCPm0MfJ8Vdyvjb2BY31mKH_RoCNfkQAvD_BwE

Word search of Disney Song titles can be found at:  https://wordmint.com/public_puzzles/107784. A resource, found on Amazon rather inexpensively, is a book called “Musical Activities: Adult Activity Book all about Music.”

Another website for music games can be found at www.sporcle.com:  https://www.sporcle.com/games/category/music

Singing Activities

Borrow a karaoke machine and have fun! There are several apps that can be used. Yokee Karaoke is one. Search for them in the app store. Or you can purchase “Spontuneous- The Song Game- Sing It or Shout It” or “Carpool Karaoke Game” – available on Amazon.

Music games: Pinterest has a page of simple to use music games that can be adapted. https://www.thedatingdivas.com/making-music/

Music Appreciation

Check if there are any local choral or school groups doing a concert and plan to attend as a group. Or inquire if they would be willing to come to the corps and share a program.

Vocal Instructor

Invite a vocal instructor to give some guidance on singing and teach a song to the group.

Your Voice is My Favorite Sound

“Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before Him, singing with joy!” (Ps. 100:1,2, NLT).

The Psalms are often called the songbook of the Bible. There are many different types of “songs” found in the book of Psalms. Psalm 100 calls upon the whole earth to celebrate. We are called to “Shout with joy,” “Worship with gladness” and to “come … singing with joy.  I envision the whole world shouting and singing with joy. What noise! What joy!  I don’t know if we would all be singing the same song or not, but it doesn’t really matter knowing that the Lord hears our individual songs, even when sung all at once.

I know not everyone is a singer or is willing to sing in front of others. The KJV starts Psalm 100 with the words “Make a joyful noise unto the Lord…”  Some of us are often in the “joyful noise” category rather than the “singing” category. The sounds that come forth might not make it on America’s Got Talent, but when they are heartfelt in worship to God, that is all that matters. Our song would be worthy of a golden buzzer in the Lord’s eyes.

Did you know that singing can have positive effects on your health. Singing can boost brain power by increasing concentration and improving memory. It can banish anxiety by releasing negativity and providing an emotionally positive experience. Singing can reduce blood pressure by increasing the heart rate. Singing helps to energize yourself by releasing endorphins in the system, providing the same lift as chocolate would—without the extra calories. Singing can boost the immune system, provide exercise for healthy lungs, and improve posture. It can also keep your voice young by exercising the vocal cords and help keep them youthful. Now who doesn’t want to stay youthful! All of these are reasons to sing at the top of our lungs, even those of us in the joyful noise club.

(For more explanation on health benefits: https://www.dailyinfographic.com/singing-for-health )

With all these healthy benefits to singing, we as believers have an even greater reason to lift our voices. Psalm 100 gives several reasons:

• “The Lord is God! He made us, and we are His,” vs 3.

What a reason to sing! The God of creation loves us, and we belong to Him. He is our heavenly Father, and we are His children made in His image.

• “We are his people, the sheep of his pasture,” vs 3.

Not only do we belong to Him, but He also cares for us very deeply. He provides, guides, and gives shelter to those acknowledging that He is God.

• “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and His faithfulness continues to each generation,” vs 5

This alone is enough reason enough to start singing and never stop! God’s love never ends and never fails!

What are some other reasons you can think of for singing with joy before the Lord? (Have the group list reasons.)

Ephesians 5:19, 20 NLT encourages us to “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

With this in mind, let us keep singing alone and together. We should be in one accord with our spirits united singing unto the Lord. May you remember that the Lord knows your heart, the source of our singing, and that your voice is His favorite sound.