Singing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember.  In fourth grade I recall a classmate saying, “Sing it, Paula!” from the seat next to me in the pew.  I wasn’t embarrassed; I sang louder.  I sang in or accompanied choirs throughout my teens:  the children choir, the Guitar Group, and finally, when I was old enough, the Adult Choir.  This year marks my thirtieth-year leading music for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.  I cannot imagine my life without music. 

Why Do We sing? 
Throughout scripture, we are told to praise God in song.  The Psalms are written to be sung.  God’s love for setting words to music is evident in the Psalms. 
Psalm 47:  Sing praises to God, sing praises!  Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 
Psalm 95:  Come, let us sing with joy to the Lord! 
Psalm 96:  Oh, sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.  Sing to the Lord, bless His holy name; tell of His salvation from day to day. 
In three Psalm refrains, we are commanded to sing to the Lord eight times! 
Why does God want us to sing?   
Zephaniah, Chapter 3, Verse 17 states:  The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a mighty savior, who will rejoice over you with gladness, and renew you in His love, who will sing joyfully because of you.  We worship a God who sings and He wants us to be like Him. 
The St. Francis de Sales Music Ministry will be recruiting again after the first of the year.  In the meantime, please visit our website for links and more information about the music ministry.  Stfrancisdesales-lebanon.org 
Thank you! 
Paula Kern, Music Director 
pkern@stfrancisdesales-lebanon.org