I know I just posted about music, but here I go again.
I am always hustling my husband out the door on Sunday Morning. I would say 99% of the time, Bryce is done getting ready long before I am even close. Most of the time I sacrifice a little bit of my getting ready ritual just to speed up and keep a happy husband from waiting so long. However, sunday rolls around and for some reason, Bryce usually waits until we have 10 minutes left before we have to be in the car and on the road to get ready. He will argue that this does not happen as frequent as I profess, but I guess it is my word against his on this one. Choose a side.
Now, the reason I like to be on time for church is because of one reason. Well, of course you should be on time for church because . . . you should, but that unfortunately isn't my reason. I can not stand to miss the opening song. The hymn at the beginning of sacrament meeting sets the whole mood for my three hour Sunday worship. If I miss the opening song, I feel so cheated. I feel like I have missed out on asking the spirit to be a part of my experience. And, If I don't make it for the hymn, I usually pay a lot less attention during the meeting.
Bryce is such a great husband to put up with me though. I sing about 10 decimals louder than anyone around me and I sure sing those hymns with my whole heart. You can definitely hear me if you are sitting near me at all. I always think that if I sing loudly and with more vigor that the rest of the congregation will follow suit. This happens very seldom. I understand that not everyone holds such a passion for singing and the hymns as I, but I can think of nothing that invites the spirit to dwell with me more than singing the hymns. I also understand that some invite the spirit by meditation, prayer, reverence, and a number of other very wonderful ways.
My Aunt MaryAnn may be one the the most tone def human beings ever. She really doesn't know if she is singing on key or if she is even in close. But, by golly, she sings those hymns from her heart! She doesn't hold back and she is proud to sing. She sings to her children at night and they love it. They can't sleep without a song from Mom. I wish we all had her confidence and love when using our voices as praise.
I knew another individual in college who couldn't sing to save his life. He was my good friend, and coincidentally my husbands as well, and he sang very poorly. My roomates and I often sat next to him and his roomates during sacrament and other meetings. When the organ rang out and the introduction was over Jack's voice would ring above us all as he sang the hymns. I always loved sitting next to Jack.
So, if you are a little nervous to let your less than perfect voice ring through the chapel in Sunday mornings . . . Remember my Aunt MaryAnn and my good friend Jack.
Singing time was my favorite part of church as a child. I could have had singing time the whole last two blocks of church and been as happy as I ever could be. I always had fantastic music leaders and I can still recall nearly every single song from the childrens songbook from heart.
Now I try my hardest to learn the hymns by heart as well. Singing the hymns is my way of inviting the Spirit to teach me what it will for those three hours. I am thankful to Emma Smith for compiling the first book of hymns to use during our worship.
Here is what the First Presidency has to say:
Music in Our Church Meetings
Inspirational music is an essential part of our church meetings. The hymns invite the Spirit of the Lord, create a feeling of reverence, unify us as members, and provide a way for us to offer praises to the Lord.
Some of the greatest sermons are preached by the singing of hymns. Hymns move us to repentance and good works, build testimony and faith, comfort the weary, console the mourning, and inspire us to endure to the end.
We hope to see an increase of hymn singing in our congregations. We encourage all members, whether musically inclined or not, to join with us in singing the hymns. We hope leaders, teachers, and members who are called on to speak will turn often to the hymnbook to find sermons presented powerfully and beautifully in verse.
And I say . . . Amen to all of that.
8 comments:
Amen! Thank you for expressing my feelings as well as yours so very well. Your mother loves you.
I am loving your blog posts lately! I just wish there were more of them! I never knew that about you and the opening song. Good insight though. I am totally on your side. Jake gets up at 8:35when we have church at 9:00, and I've been up since 7:00 getting myself ready, the kids ready, feeding everyone, etc. and he can't understand why I'm grouchy when we get in the car to go to church, and we're late!!! Ughh. Thanks for the wonderful posts, Nat.
Nat you are awesome. I'm a horrible singer and I bet I could give your aunt a run for her money when it came to who is more tone deaf but, I love to sing the hymns. There are many time when I get choked up because of the words in those beautiful songs. Our ward is a young one with LOTS of little kids and so it's hard to feeling the spirit when all around you children and crying or making silly noises or being really wiggley. Sometimes singing is the only time I feel the spirit and I love it. Thanks for that post. Also I have to tell you that Anthony is the exact same way as Bryce. For some reason we are always waiting on him on Sunday. He'll tell you it's not true but it is. It must be a guy thing. :)
I have never realized until reading your post how truly important the opening song is. You are absolutely right, it does invite the spirit and set a tone for the rest of the meeting! I too hate being late for church, but just because i hate being late! not as good a reason as yours. I'm sure everyone in your ward realizes when you sing loudly what a blessing it is to have such a beautiful voice as yours in their congregation!
I agree 100% I love singing the hymns, and I always tend to shove the kids on Ben during the songs so I can focus and enjoy. There are many Sundays I secretly wish that for all of sacrament meeting (instead of talks) we could just sing as a congregation. Silly maybe, but I would LOVE it!
Ahh church hymns. I really learned to sing well and loud only a couple years ago. When Josh and I first moved to Rock Springs, I got called to be the primary chorister, because they found out I was related to the Copelans. Ha! I really had to sing loud and clear, although not always on key, to the kids. It was a hard but rewarding job, and I am glad I had the experience.
I totally agree, I also love singing in church. I am impressed that you guys are on time for church, that is definitely something I struggle with- but I am working on it!
I enjoyed your testimony about music. I was asked to give the opening prayer last Sunday and in it I included that He would give us all the desire to sing with vigor and the be reverent during sacrement. I have noticed a lot of people not singing and it's a large ward. People talk and goof around. I have found myself not singing singing but merely mouthing the words because of what I see. I don't think my prayer made much difference but it did with me.
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