What is "Sing Praise!"?
"Sing Praise!" is a project to bring together Christians of all different denominations in an act of musical praise. We know in Heaven that we will all sing praises together. "Sing Praise!" offers the opportunity to make glorious music in honor of Jesus our Lord, here on Earth, thus drawing the Christian community closer together.
More about "Sing Praise!"Sing Praise is a project that was born in 2008. Methodist Pastor Aaron Wheaton and Cormac O'Duffy thought that they would like to have a praise concert to draw Christians of different denominations together to sing in unity with an orchestra. The idea was accepted and the first SING PRAISE in the US took place on Jan 6th 2008 in Indiana. Since then the SING PRAISE event has been followed up with two SING PRAISE events each year in Indiana, and subsequently other SING PRAISE events in Florida and more recently in Tennessee. The first Tennessee SING PRAISE was held in Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church on Jan 6th 2014, and was followed up by a larger SING PRAISE concert with a Orchestra drawn from the Knoxville Symphony in January 2015 at the La Follette Church of God.
|
Support for "Sing Praise!"
SING PRAISE has received great support from a variety of Church leaders in different denominations. See below for some comments...
From the Apostolic Nunciature United States of America
"Dear Mr. O'Duffy,
As the personal and official representative of His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI in the United States of America, I gratefully acknowledge your correspondence addressed to him as well as to myself, regarding SING PRAISE, a wonderful ecumenical project" ... "Ever mindful of the saying of Saint Augustine, 'He who sings prays twice,' I offer to you, to Pastor Wheaton and to all your collaboration my heartfelt congratulations for the SING PRAISE initiative and my prayerful best wishes for its continued spiritual fruitfulness in promoting mutual understanding and cooperation in works of charity." -Archbishop Pietro Sambi (Apostolic Nuncio) |
From Pastor Aaron Wheaton, Mount Pleasant UMC
"The crowds are always good, the Spirit is always present and God has blessed all three services [that I have attended]. Afterwards, it's always a pleasure to hear people sharing with one another: e.g. 'We should do this more often!' 'Wasn't that wonderful!' 'The walls are coming down!'"
"I'm thrilled to be one of the originators of the Sing Praise movement. Cormac O'Duffy and I were brought for the purpose of helping churches gather regardless of the tradition they hold. When participants hear that a Sing Praise event is intended to bring Christians together for an afternoon of music, they come out for it." "I look forward to seeing how God is going to use this movement in years to come. I support it wholeheartedly." |
From Rev. Sharon R. Davis, Pastor, First United Methodist"The Holy Spirit was certainly in Haines City that afternoon as bells, instruments, and voices came together in praise to God! The music was heavenly and the result was pure worship."
|
From Dr. Vince McFarland, Chairman of the Wabash Valley Ministerial Association"I had never experienced such a powerful expression of the unity for which Christ prayed...[and] would only pray that the initiative will spread not just here in the States but across the world!"
|
From Fr. Mitchell, St. Ann's Catholic Church"I was most impressed to see people from more than 30 different churches an denominational groups attend a well packed church and with the joy and fellowship evoked by this initiative."
|
From Rev. Jay Brigham, Faith Lutheran Church"What a wonderful opportunity to praise our Triune God and witness to our community at the same time. A Christian choir composed of many voice from a large variety of Christian churches which offers concerts and programs of Christian music to our community is an excellent way to proclaim our Lord to many people who may not hear the Gospel of Jesus in any other way as well as to strengthen the faith of many believers!"
|