Cantate

Cantate

The fourth Sunday after Easter has the name Cantate, Sing. Psalm 98 is assigned for this Sunday. " Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! For He has done great wonders."  Israel had experienced the exodus from Egypt. Miriam responded with the song ( Exodus 15:21). Psalm 98 belongs to the Psalms which praise God  for the liberation from Babylonian captivity. What is our new song? Shall we discard the old hymns and sing modern songs with different melodies ? Surely this is not the point. The wonder God has done is the resurrection of Christ. The new song of the church and all the believers is the praise of Resurrection in whatever way it may be expressed. Resurrection is more than the exodus and the liberation from Babylon. It is liberation from sin, eternal death and devil as Martin Luther explains.

    Cantate! Now we cannot sing together in the churches. But the epidemic is not strong enough to bring the praise of the Lord to an end. During these days let us develop the singing in the family and also individual singing. Without praising the Risen Lord we enter the realm of death and leave the realm of Christ. That should not happen.

  Cantate! Let us thank all choirs, organists and church musicians who through all the years contribute so much to the praise of the Lord even when they are not recognised. Let us pray for them. -Rev.Dr.Mrs. E.M.Siebert Johnson,

w/o. late Rt.Rev.Gnanabaranam Johnson ,

IX Bishop of Tranquebar ( TELC).