Letter from Jon, November 2026

Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth!
Serve the LORD with gladness!
Come into his presence with singing!
Psalm 100:1,2

Dear Liberty Family

At the end of our Sunday morning meeting Rowland told me that during the periods of acapella (unaccompanied) singing during worship (and we had quite a few of them) he had the sense of a people in harmony and that it was something more than just about singing.  Now, as a musician and singer I love vocal harmonies.  Some of the most beautiful songs are those where voices are singing different notes and particularly when you hear unusual, haunting harmonies; voices coming together to create a unique and beautiful sound.  I have grown up singing harmonies and my tendency is to naturally sing a harmony rather than the melody.

Last week we had the pleasure of hearing our daughter, Kate, and her choir singing at the Concert Hall in Glasgow and what an experience it was.  We have heard the choir many times before and always enjoyed it but, on this occasion, in a hall which is so cleverly designed for acoustics, you could hear every part so well, and it was just beautiful.  You could sense the choir responding to their own voices and the sound they were making, adding their own parts, their own harmonies, to a bigger sound.  It was a truly joyful occasion.

Over the last months, as a church, we have wrestled with the thought that we might have different views on matters of faith and doctrine and yet still be united, that perhaps we don't all have to have the same view on doctrine.  I know that this can be a difficult thing to get our head around and yet I believe it can actually produce something truly beautiful.  It is so much like singing in harmony, different people bringing different notes together not in conflict but notes that work together to produce something so beautiful, so powerful.  That is a people in harmony and my prayer in this season is that we would be that people, that we would sing one song together, a song of life and hope and salvation, of freedom and amazing grace, a song that proclaims the message of Jesus Christ, a song that resonates in the hearts and minds of those around us and a song that joyfully lifts our own hearts in worship.

Again, I am so grateful to be part of the Liberty family.

Much love

Jon x