Back in April I wrote the following, and it is a good reminder about the importance of singing together as a community of faith:

“Singing is deeply rooted in human expression, transcending mere performance, and it’s not about flawless execution but about the act of sharing. Many cultures view singing as communal rather than performative—an act of shared storytelling, celebration, and emotional expression is where the beauty of singing lies. Important to note that singing … should never be a performance. Singing carries emotion, history, and connection, serving as a bridge between individuals and communities. It’s a gift, passed between all those who sing together.”

Praise and Worship is not something hip and happening that has just come about in the last few years through our Pentecostal brothers and sisters, and it absolutely is not just for the young ones. The Catholic Church has been praising and worshipping since the Acts of the Apostles (NRSV). From the Acts we read:

“for all of them praised God” (11:18)

“they were glad and praised the word of the Lord” (13:48)

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them” (16:25)

“everyone was awestruck; and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised” (19:17)

“When they heard it, they praised God” (21:20).

… and even though there are many more mentions of worship, the one that speaks clearly about the importance of worship for our missions, is this from St Paul:

“I urge you now to keep up your courage, …. For last night there stood by me an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before the emperor; and indeed, God has granted safety to all those who are sailing with you’” (27:22-24). As I read this quote, I am drawn to the Pilgrims of Hope image for this year of hope. It finds us in a boat with Jesus being our anchor and guidance for the journey.

We do not come together for praise and worship just to be an audience. It is not about sitting back and watching, as if it were a concert. The purpose is not simply to meet our own needs, although that may happen too as we are encouraged and uplifted. We gather to be stirred, to be strengthened, and to be sent out. Worship is a time to be recharged so we can live out our faith beyond our walls. We come to share in the joy of the Gospel and to be filled with the Holy Spirit. This time together strengthens us so we can better carry out our mission—to our communities, to those we meet, to the marginalised, and even to the ‘emperors’ who place stumbling blocks in our way.

We come to celebrate together as one voice.

Praise and worship, like our Sunday Mass celebrations, has its own rhythm. When the assembly stands to sing, they stand with intention, when they sit, they sit with intention. When we stand, we are saying that we are ready to go, to move, to engage fully in the message that comes to us from the Holy Spirit in those moments. We reach out in answer to that call on our lives. And when we sit, this isn’t a time to relax, it’s a time to engage fully with the Word of God through active listening, pondering and moments of silence and then to listen purposefully as someone breaks open the word to further engage us into mission.

Our next Praise and Worship gathering will be held on this Sunday 22 June at the Josephite Centre at St Mary’s Catholic College, Gateshead, 3-5pm. Come and experience a wonderful time of community, music and worship. We look forward to seeing you.

Find out more now!