Sermon - What are we doing here?

The Choir Singer, Allan Rohan Crite, 1941

A homily given at Choral Evensong at St Giles-in-the-Fields on Sunday 19th November 2023 based on readings from 1 Corinthians 14.6-19 and Psalm 96.

Start:Stop - A Song of Thanksgiving

Emmanuel Ekefrey, Joyful Noise, 2020

Hello and welcome to St Stephen Walbrook and Start:Stop, when we start the day by stopping to reflect for ten minutes, beginning with a short bible reading followed by a reflection and prayers. Please stay as long as your schedule allows. You can hear an audio recording of this reflection at this link.

Today, 22nd November, the church remembers St Cecilia - the patron saint of music, whose life changed when she heard the Lord ‘singing in her heart’. Later this week, people in the United States of America celebrate Thanksgiving Day. Inspired by both of which, the bible reading chosen for this morning is a song of thanksgiving, which has been used as a call to morning worship since the earliest days of the church.