Singing as spiritual discipline

Chapter 12 of Tippen's book 'Pilgrim Heart' is about singing - as a spiritual discipline. Very interesting. I don't know that I've heard it referred to as such before, but I believe it.

He begins the chapter quoting from Anne Lamott's book 'Traveling Mercies,' in which she tells the story of how she came to faith. One day while at a flea market she heard music coming from a "small, sad, ramshackle church," and it drew her in. She couldn't bear to hear the sermon, but of the singing she said it was...

"furry and resonant, coming from everyone's heart. There was no sense of performance or judgment, only that the music was breath and food. Something inside me that was stiff and rotting would feel soft and tender. Somehow the singing wore down all the boundaries and distinctions that kept me so isolated. Sitting there, standing with them to sing, sometimes so shaky and sick that I felt like I might tip over, I felt bigger than myself, like I was being taken care of, tricked into coming back to life."

She went back to the little church, and wrote of one Sunday in April 1984:

"The last song was so deep and raw and pure that I could not escape. It was as if the people were singing in between the notes, weeping and joyful at the same time, and I felt like their voices or something was rocking me in its bosom, holding me like a scared kid, and I opened up to that feeling -- and it washed over me."

I can relate to this. When I am not leading worship, it is often hard for me to even sing audibly. Something about it stirs my soul, and creates this emotional vortex that is hard to describe. It's like I'm there, but I'm not; the world is a flutter but I am still; I am full but empty; impassioned but helpless. And even on the rare occasion when I am leading worship, and I let myself look out into the audience (I know, this is my biggest drawback as a worship leader - I am so tied to the music/lyrics), there is this one particular couple who can't sing for crap... but boy do they get into it. THAT can make a whole morning for me. Just seeing someone lost in their love for God... It's nice.

Tippens ends the chapter with two quotes:

"The singing that pleases God is the melody in the heart, not the tune on one's lips."

"Words of faith set to music convert us, encourage us, console us, sustain us, and take us to heaven's door. There would be little discipleship or spiritual formation without songs, hymns, and spiritual songs."

Amen. This is another one of those things that creates unrest for me though. We only do 3, maybe 4 songs each Sunday morning. We're just not a "musical" church. I sense that a lot of people don't care for the singing. And, personally, while I like a lot of new songs, and I also like a good band... there are many times when I wish we could just use the hymnal, and sing the songs slow, and I don't care if there's just a piano, or organ, or anything at all. I can lose myself in the words and the melody. But, you know... whatever.

End.