I love cheering at football games, concerts, and competitions. It’s fun to escape from the “library voice” expectations of day-to-day-life and be allowed to shout and yell. Hooray! Let’s cheer up by cheering!
Note about the image. This is Smoke Derby 2025, an annual event with our grandsons in the driveway where they race around a smoke firework. There are no winners, just lots of excitement and cheering.
My Mysterious Mind
Why do people go to concerts or sporting events instead of just watching them on television? What is it about being in a crowd that’s worth the cost of tickets and the hassle of parking and traffic? I suspect it has something to do with cheering together with thousands of people.
In terms of volume, my life has been quiet recently. My schedule has been full, but the decibel level has been low. That’s good in some ways but I think there is a growing need inside of me to be loud, especially with others.
Which has gotten me thinking about cheering because I could be loud when I am cheering. But, what is cheering? When do we cheer? Where do we cheer? Why do we cheer? What do we say when we cheer? When do we stop cheering? What does cheering do?
Cheering is louder than normal speech, meant to energize the target or is a response to excitement. We cheer at sporting events when we are trying to win or encouraging someone to score. Loved ones cheer after the name of a graduate is announced during commencement. Cheers of “Yay! You did it!” or “You can do it!” are offered to invigorate the recipient. It feels good to cheer and to hear someone cheering for us.
During a sporting event, the crowd might stop cheering when their team is losing so badly the fans have lost hope. The discouraged team needs the encouragement of the crowd. The Seattle Seahawks football fans think of themselves as the “Twelfth Man” and are enthusiastic about their contribution to the efforts of the players on the field. We cheer when our team is winning or about to score; our team needs us to cheer when they are losing.
When do we need to cheer? And beyond the benefits of cheering to the one being cheered, how does cheering affect the one doing the cheering? Cheering Does a Body Good according to Nick Hornby in his book Fever Pitch. Dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with improved mood, can be released in the brains of cheering spectators. Gathering with other fans has the added benefit of community, fighting depression and a sense of loneliness. People who cheer might be happier than those who remain silent. That lift may be increased when combined with the power of collective cheering.
Feeling lonely? Being part of a cheering crowd might generate a sense of connection. Are you or someone you love feeling discouraged? Cheering can build encouragement. Feeling sad? Cheering might be a way to cheer up. Hooray for this uplifting remedy to much of what brings us down.
Message of Mystery Acres
My grandsons like to be loud, especially the two five-year-old boys. During “grandson camp,” my husband and I often had to ask them to be quieter, especially in the house or the van. But in the forest, they could be as loud as they wanted. Their need to shout and shriek could be met without restriction.
In the forest, our grandsons were free to be loud. And they were. It was fun to witness the release of their carefree spirits. The forest gave them the freedom to be loud and, with that loudness came a sense of greater freedom. Shouting or shrieking releases something from inside, or, more aptly, releases trapped spirits from their silent prisons.
The grandsons took turns launching stomp rockets, each effort met with the cheers of loving grandparents. The physical activity was fun for them; the cheering was good for me. Each launch prompted me to be loud in my response, reacting excitedly to the height of each sailing rocket.
The message of Mystery Acres invites us to get loud, to set our voices free. There’s freedom in being allowed to shout and yell, and raising our voices helps us feel more free. The concrete and asphalt jungle has taught us to suppress the need to freely express ourselves, allowed only in massive amphitheaters of concrete and astroturf. The forest elicits the natural joy of cheering and roaring. Hooray for the forest, where we can cheer up by cheering.
Ancient Mystery’s Voice
“They raise their voices; they shout for joy; from the west they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.” (Isaiah 24:14)
Were people noisy in ancient times? How much shouting and yelling in loud voices happened during the era recorded in the Bible? I have been wondering about this because my voice is fairly subdued even when singing about shouting to the Lord. I sing loudly enough but rarely do I shout, and seldom in church.
A search in the Bible of the word “shout” reveals a loudly expressive people. The word is used 159 times and is often associated with battle cries or honoring royalty. The word “loud” is used 70 times, sometimes in combination with the word “shout.” These are the English words; far more words were used in the original Hebrew and Greek texts. Only a few times are these references to loud voices translated into the English word “cheer.”
Added to these numerous, noisy references are the verses with the phrase “cry aloud,” one of which continues with the word “acclaim.” This is a loud, public proclamation of joy and approval. The people described in Isaiah’s 24th chapter are being extremely loud in their recognition of the Lord and His majesty. In verse 16 the volume of their praise can be heard from the ends of the earth singing: “Glory to the Righteous One.” The surprising context for this exuberance is a time of judgment and devastation.
Another unusual time of shouting was at the battle of Jericho (see Joshua 6: 1-27). God instructed Joshua to direct his people to march around the city daily for a week, culminating in a seventh day of marching seven times and then shouting. Joshua told the army, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city” (v. 16). Like fans cheering BEFORE the winning touchdown, the people shouted, the walls fell, and their team won. Joshua was the cheerleader for his people and their cheering was part of their victory. For an inspirating musical interpretation of this event, listen to “Jericho: Shout of Victory” by Carman.
In John’s book about Jesus, chapter 16, verse 33, he documented Jesus as cheerleader. Jesus said to His disciples, “You have distress in this world, but cheer up; I have overcome the world.” He said this to His followers BEFORE conquering death and sin through His death. Technically, in a strict timeline, Jesus hadn’t won yet. But He spoke of overcoming the world as a victory already achieved. He told His disciples, “Cheer up, I’ve already won!”
Ancient Mystery’s Voice calls for loud expressions of singing, shouting, and acclaiming. This is such a contrast from my experiences in the formal church. There are congregations who are noisy, but I come from a stoic one. There’s something inside of me that wants to circle Jericho with Joshua and his ancient army and shout, bringing down walls and conquering problems. This urge grows stronger when the battles seem impossible and appear to be growing worse. Is our faith too quiet? Are we acting like our team is losing? Perhaps we could get loud so our voices can be heard from the ends of the earth. Cheer up! Victory is ours!
Living in Mystery
What does it mean to live in the mystery of cheering up by cheering? The first step is to assess your level of cheering. Where do you cheer? When do you cheer? How often and how vigorously do you cheer? If your assessment results are like mine, life is being lived with a deficiency of cheering.
How do we increase our cheering and cheer ourselves and others up? Start by finding places to cheer. Concerts and sporting events are logical choices, but there are numerous daily activities to which cheering can be added. My husband cheers to get the dogs excited, and cooperative, about going outside. We received a video recording one of our daughters made of her five-year-old son playing toilet paper bowling in the dining room, complete with cheering. The other daughter sent a video of her 15-month-old mastering the steps on a kitchen stepladder; to which his victory was met with cheering, followed by an adorable “happy dance.” Where does your life offer ordinary opportunities to cheer?
Increasing cheering also involves finding reasons to cheer. Small victories can be celebrated, such as my husband successfully installing a ceiling fan in one of our bedrooms. Good job, husband! After two weeks of caring for four grandsons, then driving all day to return them, we arrived home to a house without electricity. When the electricity came back on and our power recliners worked, we cheered. We’re saved!
Where do you feel like you or someone you love is losing an important battle? Has a sense of victory been replaced with a heaviness of impending defeat? Instead of collapsing with despair, how about marching around that problem and then shouting in victory? A powerful shift happens when our prayers change from mumbling requests to proclamations of expected answers. Shout! For God has given you victory over whatever is fighting you!
To live in the mystery of cheering, cheer yourself up by cheering; others will be cheered when you do. Find places and situations in which to cheer. Watch for reasons to cheer. Claim victories through cheering. Life is hard; the battles are long and exhausting. It’s time to shout “Hooray!” and cheer up by cheering.
Connecting with Mystery
Dear Lord of All Mystery, I confess to not living in victory, despite the victory You brought for all of us. Help me see how You also bring victory today over whatever trouble I am facing. I don’t need to live like I’m beaten; I am victorious because You are victorious. Hooray! You are my Lord and King! Amen.
Notes from Dr. Mac
If you want to do your own investigation of any of the scriptures I use, I suggest you go to Bible Gateway. This free online version of the Bible allows a search of words or phrases in various translations. I encourage you to read the story of Joshua’s victory at Jericho and listen to Carman’s stirring interpretation.
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