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On this particular Sunday the children's choir, the youth bell choir, and the adult chancel choir are all scheduled to participate in morning worship. It seems a reasonable day on which to talk about praising God with joyful noise.

Knowing I may cause some parents' hearts to beat a bit faster with my first question, I ask the assembled children, "Have any of you ever received advice from your parents about how to act in church?" Immediately heads begin to nod in the affirmative; a few grins appear.

"It looks like most of you have," I continue. "What did your parents tell you?"

"To sit STILL!" one young man offers. Several others agree.

"What else?" I ask.

"To shut up!" replies a boy on the front row. This was a little more harsh than I was anticipating, but probably a direct quote. I start to soften his words as I repeat them over the microphone for those who couldn't hear his answer, but catch myself just in time. I have learned that if I'm going to reiterate what the children have said, it is best to keep it in their words. The alternative is to have them say, "That's not what I said."

"To sit STILL and shut up!" My announcement is greeted with general laughter throughout the sanctuary. "Well, I'm sure all of you follow that advice, don't you?" The smaller children look very earnest as they indicate agreement; the older ones squirm a bit and grin, knowing no one ever sits completely still, completely quiet during worship.

"You know, even adults don't always manage to follow that advice," I suggest. This brings more knowing grins to some of their faces as they contemplate the apparent double standard of who is allowed to talk in church and who is not.

Redirecting their attention I ask, "What do you see on top of these tables here in the front of the sanctuary?"

"Bells!" comes the immediate reply.

"Yes, handbells," I affirm.

"Do bells make noise?" I question.

"Of course!"

"Yes!"

"They ring!"

It would seem that bells definitely make noise.

"And on this table over here we have some other percussion instruments the children's choir will be using at the end of our service. These make noise too. In fact, some of you will be using them to make noise -- right here in church!

"What kind of noises are these? Are they rude noises?" Little heads shake negatively.

"Are they noises that interrupt something else that is going on?"

"Only if someone rings them at the wrong time," a wise little girl points out.

"So, what kind of noises are they?"

"Good noises!"

"Fun noises!"

"Could you say they were joyful noises?" I ask. The children nod agreement. "What are other joyful noises we make?"

"Singing," comes an obvious response.

"Praying," is offered as another. I realize the children are focusing on what usually goes on in church. Suddenly I start clapping my hands together, bringing more grins from the children. "Do you ever do that?" I ask.

"Yes!"

"When I like something."

"That's right," I agree. "When someone sings well, or plays well, or speaks well, sometimes we clap to show our appreciation -- even in church.

"Do any of you ever whistle?" I ask. Some of the children indicate they do, but none of them purse their lips to perform. I realize they continue to suffer the effects of the almost ingrained instructions to "sit STILL and shut up!" So, I whistle a few bars of "Jesus Loves Me" and indicate they can try whistling too, right now, right here in church, if they want to. And, much to my delight, some do.

"What other sorts of noises do you sometimes make, noises that are filled with joy? What do you do when something seems funny?"

"Oh!" they say as if surprised they had not thought of it sooner, "we laugh!"

"Yes!" I agree. "Laughter is a noise that bubbles with joy.

"Why are joyful noises important? Why do we make them in church? Why do we sing, and applaud, and laugh, and play instruments, maybe even whistle?"

"To praise God!"

"To tell God we love him."

"Because it feels good."

"Because it's fun."

"Because our choir director tells us to."

These are but some of the responses.

"Yes, for all of those reasons. And I want to emphasize what I heard from some of you: that we make joyful noises to praise God. We come here to worship God, to honor God, together, as a community. This week, whenever you find yourself singing, or whistling, or clapping, or so excited about something that you jump up and down or dance around -- whenever you find yourself making a joyful noise, I hope you'll remember what we talked about today and know that God hears your noise and appreciates your praise."