When you have a hard time singing
Or creeding, or praying, or...
Dear Trinity, Jesus’ grace dear ones. It is no surprise to you that I am usually the loudest singer in the room. I’m not proud of it, Dietrich Bonhoeffer1 and John Wesley2 discourage one voice standing out above the rest. Usually I just can’t help it. I’m all in. I joyfully shout when the Twins or the Vikings surprise me out of the low expectations I have set for them. So I am excitable in the worship of our creating, saving, and sanctifying God! I had competition for loudest-singer-award one Sunday in rural Minnesota. She was 8 or 9 years old and sang eyes squinted–deep breathed–whole hearted. I was impressed. That is how she said the Nicene Creed too. If I wasn’t already a believer, I would have become one just by standing in proximity to her.
I had a harder time singing last night during worship at our Theta Community. Head full of thoughts and heart full of some anxieties, all I could get out was mouthing the words. Also, I’ve noticed my voice is more crackly in the morning and evening hours of prayer. But then I heard the voice of a multitude singing. The voices of young adults around me surrounded me and carried me to the throne. From Ephesians 5, “be filled with the Spirit, speaking to one another with psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit. Sing and make music from your heart to the Lord, always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” When I can’t, we can. Sometimes we carry others. Sometimes we are carried. Jesus’ peace, Nathan
Life Together: There is the bass or alto [note: not the tenor] who must call everybody’s attention to his [sic] astonishing range and therefore sings every hymn an octave lower. There is the solo [ahem, soprano] voice that goes swaggering, swelling, blaring, and tremulant from a full chest and drowns out everything else to the glory of its own fine organ. (p. 60)
John Wesley’s Direction for Singing, #5: Sing modestly. Do not bawl, so as to be heard above or distinct from the rest of the congregation, that you may not destroy the harmony; but strive to unite your voices together, so as to make one clear melodious sound.
Yes