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.
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