I often wake up in the morning with a fragment of a hymn going through my head.  Or in the middle of the day, an old hymn or something newer suddenly is there…going round and round.  Sometimes I end up having to go find it in the hymnal because I don’t know quite all of it, but it’s often reassuring or soothing to have those words and that tune accompanying me during the day.

The idea of not having the ability to sing with the congregation or small group or choir is one of the bitter loses of our current way of life.  There were many years when I didn’t attend any church and I missed congregational singing then, too.  A few times we tried congregations where the singing was awful…and maybe I should have been more charitable, but I just couldn’t do it.  Too much was missing for me.

I was originally motivated to begin attending at Columbus Mennonite for the singing as much as anything.  It was so ingrained in me as a meaningful, emotional part of my spiritual life.  It also is something that ties me to the pathways of my life…my grandfather who played the violin, my father the tenor, the old player piano in our bedroom with the favorite roll of “Peace be Still” that we pumped out as furiously as possible; the cantatas that we did at Salem that were so moving; campfire and worship songs at camp.

I could go on and on because music has been there in my life at every turn it seems. I look forward to the day when we will be singing together again. I’ll finish up with the song that has been going through my head today coming out of my thoughts about “I can’t breathe…”

Breathe on me breath of God.
Fill me with life anew.
That I may love what Thou dost love
And do what Thou wouldst do.