I LOVE to sing, do you? Sadly, we cannot sing in church right now but there are lots of other places we can. You can sing in the shower. You can sing in your living room or in your backyard. You can make a joyful noise when you ride with your parents in the car.

I love all kinds of music and all kinds of songs. I bet you do too. Here is a list of some. You can click to listen. There is a lot of music, so you can come back and listen whenever you want.

There are lullabies to help you go to sleep: Hush Little Baby, Don’t You Cry

Hush little baby, don’t you cry, Mama’s going to buy you a mocking bird…

There are learning songs to help you remember things: The Alphabet Song

A,B,C,D,E,F,G…

There are work songs to help lighten your load: I’ve Been Working on the Railroad

I’ve been working on the railroad all the live long day…

There are happy songs to break out and sing whenever you are feeling happy: If You’re Happy and You Know It

If you’re happy and you know it, clap your hands!

There are sad songs too for when you are feeling down: Bridge Over Troubled Water.

When you’re weary and feeling sad…

There are hopeful songs about making the world a better place: We Shall Overcome

We shall overcome, we shall overcome someday

And then there are holy songs that we call hymns. You don’t have to be in church to sing them. You can sing God’s praises anywhere! And when you sing, someone once said, you pray twice!

One of my favorites is “All Things Bright and Beautiful”. It is a beautiful and happy song that praises God for all of creation: creeping, crawling, walking, flying creatures of all kinds and everything that is green and grows and flowers and bushes and trees. So, this last one, I would love if you would sing along with me.

Click here for the music and words.

Or you can follow along with the words right here!

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
God made their glowing colors,
God made their tiny wings.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

The purpleheaded mountain,
The river running by,
The sunset and the morning,
That brightens up the sky.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
God made them every one.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

God gave us eyes to see them,
And lips that we might tell,
How great is God Almighty,
Who has made all things well.

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Thanks for singing with me and making a joyful noise today! I know I don’t have the best singing voice, but this was lots of fun! I hope to see you at Zoom Coffee Hour. You can tell me about other songs you love to sing. And if you can’t be there maybe you could write me a note!

Much love, Joani

Spirituality The Episcopal Church Children's Homily Homily Ordinary Time The Rev. Joan L. Peacock