A message from the Territorial Commander

Keep singing!

IN the meeting room at territorial headquarters, where many staff members would usually join together in worship on Thursday mornings, we have the flags of each of the more than 62 nationalities working in the building. It’s a reminder to me that the whole world is coming together to cope with the coronavirus pandemic at this time. We are all in this together, and together we’ll find our way through.

Some of you might remember a game called football. It used to be on the TV back in the good old days. I recall going to see professional games and being in awe of the singing of thousands of people. Often when a team went a goal down the opposition would begin to chant. ‘You’re not singing, you’re not singing, you’re not singing anymore.’ Then the opposing supporters would reply, ‘You only sing when you’re

winning, sing when you’re winning. You only sing when you’re winning.’

We may be in a situation where it won’t be natural to start singing. It may feel like things are crowding in on us. But I want to suggest that singing is a game changer.

When Paul and Silas were in Philippi they were thrown into prison for taking a demon out of a slave girl who had been a source of income for some of the people of the town. In prison that night, in the darkness, in the isolation, what were they doing? ‘About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose’ (Acts 16:25 and 26). I think praying and singing are game changers.

Psalm 137 reflects the experience of God’s people in exile. It says ‘By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept when we remembered Zion. There on the poplars we hung our harps, for there our captors asked us for songs, our tormentors demanded songs of joy; they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”’ (vv1–3).

Whatever our singing voices, we need to allow the song that God in Christ has given to us to bubble up within us. I encourage you to sing alone, in groups or just quietly within your heart. Deliberately make a choice to sing to God and I guarantee his Holy Spirit will become a reality in a more remarkable way.

Paul and Silas weren’t just singing, they were also praying. And I want to encourage you to go on in your prayers – in your own individual devotions and gathered as a family.

I encourage you to say a few prayers at noon each day: for political leaders who have incredible burdens upon them at this time, for our neighbours, our church families, our communities, our own families and ourselves. Put an alarm on your phone for 11.55 am, five minutes before we begin to pray.

My encouragement to you is to go on singing. Find the songs within you, listen to Fortress Radio (fortressradio. online), play Christian CDs or downloads and playlists. Engage in the songs that will lift your hearts and spirits as you place yourselves again into the hands of God who has promised to be with us in these days.

May God bless us and hear our prayers as we make them in the name of Jesus and as we sing our songs to his glory and his praise.

ANTHONY COTTERILL COMMISSIONER TERRITORIAL COMMANDER

This message is based on a video released by the TC that can be viewed at facebook.com/SalvationistOnline or youtu.be/1iPKYik_t4Q