I am a singer, songwriter, wife, mother, Jesus follower. I send out a 2-minute read every Tuesday about Jesus and life in God.
Out of Fight-Or-Flight
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Hi Friends, If you’ve been following along for a while, you know my family has been on what we are calling a “church tour” for the last year. We have been to many different churches representing different denominations and expressions of worship. And with each unique experience, each vastly different expression, one thing was the same in every place we went: We sang. In fact, in the Orthodox Church, minus a ten minute portion of the two-hour service, they sang the whole time. The megachurch we attended employed flashing lights, screens, smoke machines, and fifteen amazing vocalists onstage. In the Presbyterian church we held hymnals and harmonized, voices rising in the chapel un-amplified. For most churches, there was a worship team made up of congregants leading contemporary worship songs or hymns. In all of them, voices blended, hearts soared, and we set our hearts on Jesus together. All throughout scripture, God requires His people to sing. All through the Psalms we are prodded, “lift up your voice!” All through the Old Testament God Himself gives Israel songs to sing as a community. We sing because He’s worthy of worship. That’s it, end of story. Hold up, though… God’s generosity and kindness doesn’t end the story of singing there. You see, He gives us the gift of health as we sing. Here’s what I mean: Singing regulates the nervous system. The deep breathing and vocal vibrations of singing stimulate the vagus nerve and calm the body. Endorphins are released. Heart rate stabilizes. Singing literally takes the body out of a fight-or-flight response and into a sense of peace and well-being. Singing with others takes these effects to an even greater level, fostering a sense of belonging and safety. These are not benefits just for the trained singers and pleasant voices. They’re for the unskilled, the tone-deaf, everyone. As with so many things about life in God, I think the reason for all these hidden benefits as we sing can be summed up in this: He’s just that good. – Anna |
Anna Blanc
I am a singer, songwriter, wife, mother, Jesus follower. I send out a 2-minute read every Tuesday about Jesus and life in God.
“Look, Mom!” I was with my boys at their school orientation this past weekend. We had just left one of their classrooms and were on our way to the next, when my son faced me, pointing just beyond me. I turned to the side and found myself inches from a wall covered in lines and vibrant color. “Oh cool, honey!” It wasn’t till I reached where my son was standing a few feet back, that I noticed that the colors and lines were forming a word. It was the word JOY. As human beings, we love to see the...
Hi Friends, When I read the life of Christ in the Gospels, I get this sense. I get the feeling that wherever He was going and whatever He was doing, Jesus was wholly interruptible. Unlike the well-scripted narratives you or I might have expected the Gospels to deliver, Jesus’ days were filled with spontaneous moments. He was cried out to from the side of the road. Once, the hem of His robe was grabbed from behind while He navigated through a crowd on His way to the next town. When He escaped...
Hi Friends, Remember the story in 1 Kings when Elijah stood on a mountain before the Lord, and the Lord passed by him? A fire broke out, a strong wind tore through, and an earthquake erupted… But the Lord was not in those things. After the fire, winds and earthquake, there was a still small voice. Him. I don’t want to miss those whispers. The moment He enters your thoughts as you’re chopping vegetables in the kitchen. The worship song that lifts your heart during your morning commute. The...