Why We Sing (Intro) lyrics

[Intro: Taylor Leonhardt]
I'm gonna read uh… something. We're starting with the song "A Day for Singing" and I was thinking, "Why do we sing?" It's kind of a weird… if you really think about it it's a little bit strange, right, singing? I think the answer is with humpback whales. *crowd laughs* Stay with me, y'all. I did say whales

[Speech: Taylor Leonhardt]
Did you know that humpback whales have songs unique to their communities? So like, all the whales living, let's say, off the coast of Seattle, sing the same song. It's unique to them meaning the whales in South America are rocking a totally different tune. *crowd chuckles* Now singing is how whales attract a mate; not unlike the college guy playing Dave Matthews at your fall retreat. It's true. But here's what really gets me: marine biologists are learning that singing is how these whales know where their people are. Mother whales can call across 5 miles of ocean water to a wandering calf in danger. Their lowest frequencies can travel up to 10,000 miles. The whales know songs are how we find each other

We sing when we hurt, we sing when we're healed, we sing when we know and when we don't know, we sing when we're lost, when we're found, we sing each other home. Who knows exactly what's happening when we open our mouths when a sound from somewhere deep inside of travels out. Who knows why when we sing "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound," we believe it a little more? We taste it, smell it, feel it. When you hear that song you know when your jam comes on in the produce aisle of Harris Teeter, what else can you do but sing?

Tonight you may be singing for grief, or joy, or hope or longing. You may be singing for dear life. It may be a whisper or a roar. Whatever it is, whoever you are tonight, may you hear a stranger singing your song. May we sing each other into joy, into peace, into faith and love. May we sing each other home like whales or maybe more like God's children dearly loved. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in that love, may have power, together with all the Lord's holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ. And to know this love, that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. Let's sing friends