The phrase "looking upward every day sunshine on our hymn" isn't a literal historical event or a specific ritual with a single documented origin. Instead, it's a beautiful and poetic synthesis of deeply rooted human and spiritual practices that have evolved over millennia. It combines: 1. **The gesture of "looking upward."** 2. **The symbolic significance of "every day sunshine."** 3. **The act of "singing a hymn."** Let's break down the history and symbolism of each component to understand the rich tapestry this phrase represents: ---

The History and Symbolism

# 1. "Looking Upward" (Gazing Skyward/Heavenward) * **Ancient Origins:** From the earliest human civilizations, people have looked to the sky with awe, wonder, and reverence. The heavens were seen as the dwelling place of gods, spirits, or a higher power. * **Polytheistic Cultures:** Many ancient cultures (Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, various indigenous tribes) associated specific deities with the sun, moon, stars, and sky. Looking up was a natural gesture of acknowledging these powers. * **Early Monotheism:** In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), God is often described as dwelling "in heaven." Looking upward became a natural posture for prayer, seeking divine guidance, expressing hope, and acknowledging God's omnipotence and transcendence. * **Universal Gesture:** Across cultures, looking up signifies aspiration, hope, humility, seeking help, or simply acknowledging something beyond oneself. It's a physical expression of spiritual longing. * **Symbolism:** Hope, prayer, aspiration, reverence, humility, acknowledging a higher power, seeking guidance, transcendence, focus beyond earthly concerns.

# 2. "Every Day Sunshine" (Light and Renewal) * **Ancient Worship:** The sun has been a central object of worship and veneration in many ancient cultures (e.g., Ra in Egypt, Surya in Hinduism, Amaterasu in Shintoism, various pre-Columbian cultures). Its daily return symbolized life, renewal, warmth, and the defeat of darkness. * **Metaphor in Monotheism:** Even where the sun wasn't worshipped as a deity, it became a powerful metaphor for God's presence, grace, and blessings. * **Biblical References:** The Bible frequently uses light and sun imagery to describe God's glory, guidance, and justice ("The Lord God is a sun and shield" - Psalm 84:11; "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays" - Malachi 4:2; "I am the light of the world" - John 8:12). * **Daily Renewal:** The "every day" aspect emphasizes consistency, God's enduring presence, and the constant renewal of grace, hope, and life that each new day brings. It speaks to a daily practice of faith and gratitude. * **Symbolism:** Divine presence, warmth, life, clarity, hope, renewal, grace, blessing, constancy, optimism, God's love shining upon us.

# 3. "On Our Hymn" (Hymn-Singing) * **Ancient Chants & Psalms:** The practice of communal singing as part of worship is incredibly ancient. The Psalms in the Old Testament are essentially a collection of hymns and prayers meant to be sung. * **Early Christianity:** From its earliest days, Christians sang hymns as a central part of their worship. Paul encourages believers to "speak to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit" (Ephesians 5:19). * **Medieval Period:** Gregorian chants and other forms of sacred music were developed to praise God and convey theological truths. * **Reformation Era (16th Century onwards):** Martin Luther, John Calvin, and others emphasized congregational singing, making hymns an accessible and powerful way for ordinary people to express their faith, learn doctrine, and participate actively in worship. Hymns written by Isaac Watts, Charles Wesley, and countless others further popularized the practice. * **Purpose of Hymns:** To praise God, express theological truths, offer prayers, teach doctrine, unite a congregation, and provide emotional and spiritual upliftment through music. * **Symbolism:** Communal worship, praise, prayer set to music, shared faith, expression of gratitude, spiritual education, emotional connection to the divine. ---

The Synthesis: "Looking Upward Every Day Sunshine On Our Hymn" When these elements are combined, the phrase describes a profound and beautiful spiritual practice: * **A Daily Act of Faith:** It suggests a consistent, everyday commitment to acknowledging and praising God. * **Hope and Divine Connection:** The act of "looking upward" during a "hymn" signifies directing one's praise and prayer towards God, seeking His presence and guidance. * **Receiving God's Grace:** "Sunshine" represents the continuous, warm, and life-giving grace and blessings of God, metaphorically shining down upon the act of worship and the hearts of the worshippers. * **Communal & Personal Upliftment:** It evokes a sense of shared spiritual elevation and optimism, where the act of singing together fills the congregation with light, hope, and the assurance of divine favor. **In essence, the "history" for this phrase lies in the enduring human desire to connect with the divine, to express praise through music, and to find daily renewal and hope in a higher power, symbolized by the ever-present light of the sun.** It's a tradition born from the universal experience of faith, hope, and worship.