In the past few years I have discovered the joy of sea shanties. Sea shanties are the short songs that were sung by crew members of sailing ships back in the day. Today we might think of these songs simply as catchy entertaining tunes, but they served a practical purpose to the sailors who originally sang them.
Sea Shanties were able to help sailors coordinate their efforts and keep them focused and motivated on the notoriously grueling tasks of the job. Shanties helped workers synchronize their tasks, such as pushing or pulling at the same time when hoisting sails.
Much like the liturgies we use in church, shanties often involve a call and response. One sailor, the shanty man, would sing a verse, and the rest of the sailors would respond together. The songs were specifically made for working, with rhythms to match, and had easy-to-follow verses for the crew to sing. I often find myself singing shanties while washing dishes or going about day to day life (which tends to annoy my wife if I sing the same ones too many times).
Some believe that shanties became popular during the pandemic in part because like the sailors of old, we can all use a catchy tune to get us through stormy seas. The question I would like to pose this month is what songs do you turn to when the wind and waves of life seem overwhelming? Do any hymns come to mind? And how can these songs help us to coordinate our efforts as a church? “What Brought Us Together” and “Jesus Makes My Heart Rejoice” seem spot on to me, but if you have other songs or hymns you find inspiring, I’d love to hear what they are. It is my prayer that we can go about each day with a song in our heart that gives us a sense of calm and peace.
-Pastor Adam
